A California driver was stabbed to death by a homeless man while he charged his Tesla, but when an ambulance came to save him, another vagrant stole the vehicle, according to the victim’s heartbroken family.
Reinaldo Lefonts, 68, was charging his electric car outside Downey City Library on September 13, 2025, when a transient man, later identified as Giovanni Navarro, 23, stabbed him following an argument in the parking lot, police said.
Navarro then fled the scene toward Downey High School in Los Angeles County before he was taken into custody without incident.
Meanwhile, while paramedics tried to provide life-saving aid to Lefonts at the scene, another homeless man, Nicholas DeMarco, 52, jumped into the ambulance and drove away in it, according to authorities.
Lefonts, who worked in the lab at UCI Medical Center, died at the scene as a result, his family said in a $40 million claim they recently filed against the city.
According to the claim reviewed by the Orange County Register, the grandfather did not get the necessary medical treatment he needed to survive his wounds.
‘In that moment, every second mattered. The City’s paramedics and rescue vehicle were Reinaldo’s only realistic chance of survival,’ the legal document read.
‘However, the City’s paramedics failed to provide necessary medical aid and failed to transport Reinaldo promptly to a nearby hospital,’ it continued.
Reinaldo Lefonts, 68, (left) was stabbed to death on September 13, 2025, by a homeless man while charging his Tesla in the Downey City Library parking lot
The ambulance that was supposed to take him to the hospital was then stolen by another homeless man, Nicholas DeMarco, 52
His alleged stabber, Giovanni Navarro, 23, is seen being arrested by police after he fled to a nearby school after the violent incident
After snatching the emergency vehicle, DeMarco led cops on a high-speed chase to Alhambra, about 25 minutes from Downey.
He then crashed the vehicle and was arrested, attorneys for the family said.
Dramatic images showed both suspects being arrested, with Navarro seen shirtless as cops handcuffed him, and DeMarco without pants on as he was taken into custody.
The complaint further detailed that the incident was not uncommon for the area, as city officials knew there was a surge in criminal activity occurring around the Civic Center and library before Lefonts’s death.
This also wasn’t Navarro’s first run-in with the law, as he was previously arrested for trespassing at the Civic Center less than 24 hours before he allegedly stabbed the man.
He was charged with murder and a special allegation of using a weapon to commit the crime.
The reported crimes were carried out by homeless people who loitered around the parking lot, the claim stated.
After reviewing the history of crime in the area, Lefonts’s family’s lawyers found that a staggering 675 calls for service at the library and Civic Center came through between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2025.
His family recently filed a complaint against the city, claiming it is responsible for his death because crime was known to have surged in the area, especially involving the homeless population
Lefonts, who worked in the lab at UCI Medical Center, died at the scene as a result, his family said in a claim they recently filed against the city
One of those offenses included the death of Downey Police Officer Ricardo Galvez, who was shot to death while sitting in his personal vehicle in the Civic Center parking lot – the same area where Lefonts was fatally stabbed.
Those calls included calls for assaults, sex crimes, robberies, arson, theft and, narcotics violations, the claim detailed.
During an August 26 meeting, just weeks before Lefonts’s death, the city reviewed a report on homeless-related public safety concerns, the claim said.
‘The City of Downey knew this parking lot was dangerous,’ Alexi Galindo, the family’s head attorney, said.
‘They knew the man who killed Reinaldo had just been arrested there the day before. They knew their rescue vehicle wasn’t properly equipped. And still, they did nothing. Reinaldo died within reach of help that should have been there. His family deserves answers, accountability and justice.’
After hearing about the latest update in the case, several people, including Elon Musk, shared their frustration with growing crime rates in the liberal state.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla, shared a post that read: ‘Los Angeles is so bad that you will get stabbed charging your car at the city library by a homeless man, and when an ambulance comes to save you, ANOTHER homeless man steals the ambulance while they’re tending to you at the scene leaving you no way to get to the hospital, and you die.’
To that, Musk simply wrote: ‘Wow.’
His son Michael said his dad was just living the ‘American dream.’
Following his death, Downey Mayor Claudia Frometa took to Facebook to share pictures from a memorial service that was held for Lefonts.
‘While last night’s vigil was all about celebrating Ray’s life, I did speak on the troubling homelessness and crime issues we have been working diligently to address,’ Frometa wrote.
‘Municipalities like Downey have been handcuffed for too long by County and State laws that MUST change. Criminals MUST be arrested and put away, not released. Addicts with mental illness suffering from homelessness must also be put away.
‘Our residents, Voters, must urge change at the ballot box. We will do our best to increase security measures,’ the mayor added.
Just three months before his death, Lefonts retired from his job at UCI Medical Center, where he was an essential worker during the COVID-19 pandemic, Galindo said.
‘He tested medications, took blood samples and worked with and mentored young physicians in the field of diagnostic work,’ the attorney continued.
Outside of work, Lefonts enjoyed spending time with his family, riding motorcycles, and scuba diving.
He was also training to hike Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous US, with his son Michael, according to Galindo.
His son Michael (pictured) said his father lived the ‘American dream’ and made it possible for his family to do the same
Lefonts also loved spending time with his grandson ‘Little Ray’, who was named after him.
His son Michael said his father lived the ‘American dream’ and made it possible for his family to do the same.
‘My dad was extraordinary. He’s the American dream. He was born in Cuba, went to Spain, came to America with nothing and embraced what America had to offer,’ Michael told KABC.
‘He loved America. He loved Downey. He loved being an Angeleno.’
The newly filed claim is seeking $35 million in general damages and $5 million in special economic damages for loss of financial support, funeral , and medical costs.
The Daily Mail contacted Galindo, the Downey Police Department, and Frometa for comment.
