The family of a California scientist who was stabbed to death outside a public library while charging his Tesla has filed a $40 million claim against the city of Downey, alleging failures that they say contributed to the circumstances surrounding his death, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
Reinaldo Jesus LeFonts, 68, was attacked in September while parked outside the Downey City Library, according to police and court records.
Investigators say LeFonts was charging his Tesla when Giovanni Navarro allegedly stabbed him.
Navarro, who police said had a criminal history involving 28 prior crimes, was arrested and later charged with murder, along with a special allegation of using a weapon to commit the offense.
#new [2] Father charging Tesla in California was stabbed and k*lled by a homeless man#california [3]
Reinaldo Jesus Lefonts, 68, was charging his Tesla at an EV station outside the Downey City Library when he was stabbed to Death In Gavin Newsom’s California
2nd homeless man then hops… pic.twitter.com/kP0ishD85W [4]— A Man Of Memes (@RickyDoggin) March 9, 2026 [5]
Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene following the stabbing. However, the situation quickly became more chaotic when another individual reportedly stole the ambulance that had arrived to assist the victim.
Authorities identified the man who allegedly took the ambulance as Nicholas DeMarco, who was described as a homeless man. Police say DeMarco drove away in the emergency vehicle, triggering a high-speed pursuit.
The chase ended when DeMarco crashed the ambulance. Meanwhile, LeFonts succumbed to the stab wounds he suffered during the attack and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim’s family has now filed a claim seeking $40 million in damages from the city, arguing that the circumstances surrounding the incident prevented LeFonts from receiving the medical care he needed.
“In that moment, every second mattered. The City’s paramedics and rescue vehicle were Reinaldo’s only realistic chance of survival,” the family’s claim states, according to The OC Register.
The lawsuit also highlights crime concerns around the location where the attack occurred. According to the filing, the area surrounding the Downey City Library has generated more than 670 calls for service during a three-year period.
Those calls reportedly involved incidents including assaults, robberies, sex crimes, arson, theft, and narcotics violations.
The claim also notes that a police officer was fatally shot in the same parking lot in 2015, years before the stabbing that took LeFonts’ life.
According to the filing, Navarro had been arrested for trespassing in the same area less than 24 hours before the fatal attack.
Alexis Galindo, the attorney representing LeFonts’ family, said the city was aware of ongoing safety issues near the library parking lot.
On September 13, 2025, in the morning around 9:30-9:40 a.m., 68-year-old Reinaldo Jesus Lefonts (also known as Ray), a retired lab technician who had worked at UCI Medical Center, was in the parking lot of the Downey City Library on Brookshire Avenue in Downey, California. He was… pic.twitter.com/qXnWd7GRaF [6]
— BANK OF TRUEST (@BANKOFTRUE5T) March 9, 2026 [7]
“The City of Downey knew this parking lot was dangerous,” Galindo said.
“They knew their rescue vehicle wasn’t properly equipped. And still, they did nothing,” he told the Register.
LeFonts had recently retired after working as a laboratory technician at the University of California, Irvine. Reports indicate he had stepped away from his career only three months before the attack occurred.
Galindo said LeFonts was deeply connected to his family and spent time with his loved ones following his retirement.
“He enjoyed spending time with his family and his grandson, named ‘Little Ray,’” Galindo said.
Authorities have not publicly indicated when Navarro’s case will proceed to trial. The investigation into the stabbing and the related ambulance theft remains part of the case record tied to the fatal incident.
The family’s legal claim seeks compensation from the city of Downey, arguing that the events surrounding the attack and the emergency response played a role in the outcome that led to LeFonts’ death.