Police say a thief shot a man early this morning in the Bixby Knolls neighborhood after he confronted a group of men who were stealing a catalytic converter.
The shooting happened shortly before 4:20 a.m. on Goldfield Avenue between 45th Street and San Antonio Drive, according to Long Beach police.
Police said the victim, who was in his 40s, was shot once in the upper body when he confronted the group.
The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment of his injuries, which were not believed to be life-threatening, police spokesperson Eric Stachura wrote in an email.
The group fled before officers arrived. No descriptions of the thieves were immediately available.