A tragic incident unfolded at a South El Monte discount store on Wednesday, leaving one man dead after he attempted to thwart a theft. Around noon, suspected thieves struck the brother of the store owner with their car multiple times following a physical confrontation, resulting in fatal injuries. The victim, Kourosh "Steve" Yaghoubi, 60, was helping out at his brother's shop, Giant Discount, when the assault occurred.
According to NBC Los Angeles, Yaghoubi confronted the shoplifters as they attempted to steal a $10 box of face masks, leading to a violent altercation. Witnesses reported that after the assault, the suspects entered a dark-colored sedan and deliberately hit Yaghoubi several times, resulting in his death at the scene. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has initiated a homicide investigation, but the suspects remain at large with no clear descriptions available.
In an interview given to FOX 11, Jamshid Yaghoubi, the victim's brother, recounted the harrowing ordeal: "The guy punched him in the head and knocked him down. They jump in the car, put it in reverse, they ran over my brother. He was under the car. They put it in gear and one more time my brother was under the car and they ran away." The family also indicated that this was not the first instance of shoplifting at the store, which is why the victim had stepped in.
Details from a CBS Los Angeles report explained that Yaghoubi was pronounced dead by paramedics after suffering from blunt force trauma. His brother Jamshit recalled, "I had my finger in his mouth to make sure he can breath. There was blood all over his head, and he died." The crime scene drew considerable attention from authorities, with detectives canvassing the area for leads and evidence.
The violent event is a repeat of misfortune for the Yaghoubi family, who previously lost another brother, Rahmatolah Yaghoubi, to an unprovoked attack in 2021. The emotional toll on the family was evident as John Yaghoubi, another brother, expressed his grief to KTLA, "I don't know what to do anymore," he said. "I lost my older brother four years ago, and my mom is 94 years old. She's still in mourning for the first one." Detectives continue their investigation into the brutal incident and urge anyone with information to come forward and contact the LASD Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500, or to provide anonymous tips online or by calling 800-222-8477.
