The family of 68-year-old California lab technician Reinaldo Lefonts is suing the city of Downey for $40 million, alleging officials failed to protect residents after a repeat offender was released from jail hours before allegedly stabbing Lefonts outside a public library.
“He wasn’t just killed, he was murdered,” Reinaldo’s son Michael Lefonts told “Fox & Friends First” on Tuesday.
“And when you hear something like that, the man you admire your whole life, it shatters you to the bone. There’s no rhyme or reason, and it hurts, and it still hurts.”
Police say Lefonts was charging his Tesla outside the Downey City Library last September when he was allegedly stabbed and killed by Giovanni Navarro, a homeless man with 28 prior convictions.
The situation worsened when another homeless man, identified as Nicholas DeMarco, allegedly stole the ambulance after paramedics arrived at the scene, prompting a high-speed police chase. The vehicle was not equipped with an anti-theft system found on many police and emergency vehicles, according to reports.
The chase concluded when DeMarco crashed the ambulance, the California Post reported.
Lefonts died at the scene.
MAN WHO WAS ON PAROLE AFTER PRIOR VIOLENT OFFENSES NOW ACCUSED IN 4 MURDERS
A claim filed by the family states that Navarro had been arrested for trespassing in the area less than 24 hours before he allegedly stabbed Lefonts, the Post added.
“This was a colossal failure on [the city of Downey’s] behalf,” attorney Alex Galindo told Fox News.
“They had known for quite some time that 10 years [ago], another officer was murdered in this same parking lot, one of its own police officers. They’ve had a long history of crime in this area,” he added.
Galindo claimed the area has had more than 670 police calls over the past four years. He claims the city’s liability for Lefonts’ murder is “based on the fact that they… helped create danger” in the area.
“They knew that this was a high-crime area. They invited people such as Mr. Lefonts to come to this area, charge their vehicle and charge for it, but they failed to protect the individuals who would come and use their services. And this happened right in front of the library, and at [the] Civic Center, where the residents would come seek the services of the city.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the city of Downey for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
