California Store Worker Killed in Hit-and-Run After Confronting Shoplifters

Kourosh 'Steve' Yaghoubi, 60, was fatally struck multiple times by a sedan after intervening in a $10 theft at his family-owned store in South El Monte.

Kourosh 'Steve' Yaghoubi was killed on April 9, 2025, after confronting a shoplifter at the Giant Discount Store in South El Monte, California.
The suspects, including the shoplifter and others in a dark-colored sedan, physically assaulted Yaghoubi before deliberately running him over multiple times.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that the suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction, and no arrests have been made as of now.
This tragedy marks the second violent loss for the Yaghoubi family, following the fatal attack on Steve's brother, Rahmatolah 'Davey' Yaghoubi, in 2021.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is actively investigating the incident and seeking public assistance for leads on the suspects.