A Diamond Bar man who was previously convicted of driving under the influence in Riverside was found guilty Wednesday in Santa Ana of triggering a fatal wrong-way crash on the border of Irvine and Tustin while eluding police.
Pedro Pantoja Jr., 31, was convicted of second-degree murder, driving under the influence of a drug causing injury, unlawful taking of a vehicle and evading a peace officer-reckless driving, all felonies, as well as misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended or revoked driver's license due to a previous DUI.
Jurors also found true a sentencing enhancement allegation of inflicting great bodily injury on a woman who was a passenger in his car.Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox.Pantoja has a prior felony conviction for leading police on a chase in 2017, and a prior DUI out of Riverside in 2013, Deputy District Attorney Brian Orue said previously.
According to prosecutors, Tustin police were called about 8:45 a.m. April 18, 2021, to the District at Tustin Legacy shopping center because a driver appeared to be passed out in an In-N-Out drive-thru. Prosecutors said Pantoja fled in a stolen car from Tustin police at a high rate of speed through a Costco gas station while other drivers were pumping gas. He also ran a red light before heading northbound in the southbound lanes of Jamboree Road.Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
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