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New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: Street Racing
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Tag Archives: Street Racing

Street racer pleads guilty to hit and run accident that killed two men in Santa Ana

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Damian Chavez, a 26-year-old man from Bellflower, pleaded guilty Monday to a hit-and-run vehicular manslaughter that killed two men in Santa Ana on April 20, 2019. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25.

Another driver who was racing with Chavez slammed his car into a tree at the 3200 block of South Bear Street at about 9:15 p.m. on April 20, 2019. The car quickly caught fire killing two occupants, 39-year-old Jerman Marquez and 29-year-old Richard Inda, who were pronounced dead at the scene.

Inda turned out to be the driver of the car that was destroyed and Marquez was a passenger in the stricken vehicle.

Chavez pleaded guilty to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter and hit and run with permanent and serious injury and admitted sentencing enhancements for fleeing the scene of a vehicular manslaughter. Chavez

OCDA Todd Spitzer was peeved back in April of 2020 when an OC Court Commissioner lowered Chavez’s bail from $100,000 to $20,000, which resulted in Chavez gaining his release a few hours later.

The court commissioner said he lowered the bail due to the pandemic then proceeded to reject two appeals from the OCDA.

Spitzer, who is running for reelection in the June Primary this year, criticized the California program to lower bail for many defendants so as to reduce population in the jails. This was an attempt by county sheriff’s officials throughout California to limit the spread of COVID-19 in their jails.

The OCDA features two Fast and Furious actors in their new anti-street racing campaign

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Sunk Kang appearing in an OCDA PSA about Street Racing

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Orange County, Calif. District Attorney Todd Spitzer today launched a nationwide anti-street racing Public Service Announcement campaign featuring actors Sung Kang and Cody Walker of the Fast & Furious media franchise to warn drivers of the deadly dangers of illegal street racing and street takeovers, which exploded in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Orange County District Attorney’s anti-street racing PSA is being made available to every law enforcement agency in the United States in an effort to curb injuries and deaths related to street racing.

“Like many of you, I too have lost somebody due to reckless driving,” said Cody Walker, the brother of late Fast & Furious actor Paul Walker who was killed in 2013 when the speeding Porsche he was riding in crashed into a power pole. Walker’s friend, Roger Rodas, was driving and was also killed. “I think a lot of the time when those of us that want to go fast, or we have something to prove, we don’t take into consideration the lives of those around us. It’s not just you that you’re putting in jeopardy it’s everybody else around you. So don’t be dumb, take it to the track. There’s somebody at home that loves you that’s expecting you to return. It’s not worth the risk I promise.”

District Attorney Spitzer was joined at Friday’s announcement by Pat Buchanan, the widow of 67-year-old Gene Harbrecht who was an innocent bystander killed in a midday street race in Santa Ana in 2020 and Lili Trujillo Puckett, who founded the non-profit Street Racing Kills to educate young people about the dangers of illegal street racing after her 16-year-old daughter Valentina was killed by a driver who was street racing and crashed while giving the teenager a ride in 2013.

“For many years I’ve been educating and mentoring the youth regarding the dangers of illegal street racing and reckless driving, one of the things I’ve seen most among young drivers is how they glorify the Fast and Furious franchise and how they look up to all actors of these movies,” said Trujillo Puckett. “What they have to say this will mean the world to them and will undoubtedly save lives.”

With illegal street racing and street takeovers growing exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office joined 10 other Orange County law enforcement agencies, including the California Highway Patrol, to form Strategic Traffic Enforcement Against Racing & Reckless Driving (STEARRD), a countywide law enforcement partnership to crack down on illegal street racing and street takeovers.

The joint anti-street racing taskforce has conducted dozens of operations to combat illegal street racing and street takeovers, resulting in citations, impounds and arrests across Orange County. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is actively prosecuting numerous street racing cases, including murder charges against a previously convicted impaired driver who killed 67-year-old Gene Harbrecht in an illegal 2020 street race, a case against a street racer who returned to the crash site to watch two men burn to death after they crashed into a tree, and five defendants, including three YouTube stars, who were charged with multiple felonies for conspiring to set up illegal street races in which drivers reached in excess of 190 mph on the 241 toll road.

One of the defendants in that case was out on bail for evading police and resisting arrest when he continued to meet other street racers to set up illegal street races.

“Taking over streets, destroying intersections, and driving nearly 190 mph in traffic next to innocent drivers and passengers are dangerous and violent crimes and the must be treated as such,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “No one – and I mean no one – gets to kill an innocent bystander in pursuit of a high-speed adrenaline rush and get away with it in Orange County. If you refuse to keep it on the track, we will find you, we will arrest you and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. These are not numbers. These are real people with real futures – futures that were devastated by illegal street racing. I want to thank Sung Kang, Cody Walker, Larry Chen, and all the professional drivers and crew who made this PSA a reality. It is a true leader who uses their fame and notoriety to educate the young people who look up to them and encourage them to be responsible and make the right choice to keep it on the track.”

Sung Kang, who first portrayed Han Lue in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, directed the OCDA’s PSA and world-renowned car culture and commercial automotive photographer Larry Chen oversaw cinematography for the project.

“I wish our special effects could bring back our loved ones, but unfortunately that won’t be the case,” said Sung Kang. “We are honored to be able to be part of such an important message. Stop racing on the streets and go to the track!”

Links to PSA videos are here – 30 seconds and 1 minute.

The SAPD and other local police agencies issued 26 street racing citations last week

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In response to the continuous problem of street racing, the SAPD along with Garden Grove Police Department & Irvine Police Department (members of STEARRD – Strategic Traffic Enforcement Against Racing & Reckless Driving) conducted a street racing enforcement operation on 01/15-01/16 that resulted in:

  • (26) Citations
  • (2) 30-Day Impounds (2) Reckless Driving Arrests

Additionally, on 01/19 #SAPDTraffic along with Irvine PD & La Habra PD conducted a special detail resulting in:

  1. Felony Evading Arrest
  2. Reckless Driving Arrests
  3. Citations
  4. 30-Day Impounds

These activities have proven to be deadly and they pose a clear and present threat to public safety. The SAPD has a zero tolerance policy for reckless driving / street racing and has made this issue a top priority

48 street racing citations were issued by the SAPD and allied police departments last week

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The SAPD, in partnership with the Huntington Beach, Irvine and Garden Grove Police Departments, part of the STEARRD (Strategic Traffic Enforcement Against Racing & Reckless Driving) program conduct continuous street racing enforcement on a weekly basis.

Last weeks enforcement efforts resulted in:

  • 48 Citations
  • 1 Impound
  • 1 Arrest

These activities have proven to be deadly and they pose a clear and present threat to public safety. The SAPD has a zero tolerance policy for reckless driving and street racing and have made this issue a top priority.

55 street racing citations were issued during a recent O.C. enforcement operation

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In response to the continuous problem of street racing, the SAPD along with Garden Grove Police Department, Irvine Police Department, CHP and Costa Mesa Police Department (members of STEARRD – Strategic Traffic Enforcement Against Racing & Reckless Driving) conducted a street racing enforcement operation on 11/19-11/20 that resulted in:

  • (55) Citations
  • (2) Impounds
  • (1) Felony Warrant Arrest
  • (1) Felony Evading Arrest

These activities have proven to be deadly and they pose a clear and present threat to public safety. The SAPD has a zero tolerance policy for reckless driving / street racing and have made this issue a top priority.

O.C. street racer ends up serving only one year in jail after killing his cousin at a street takeover

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Crime, OCDA, Street Racing Leave a comment

Mynor Augusto Esquivelvalle, a man who killed his cousin, 23-year-old Sergio Marroquin, Jr., during a Oct. 22, 2020 rollover crash at a street takeover in Costa Mesa, walked out of court a free man after he was sentenced to one year in jail and then immediately freed after receiving credit for time served while awaiting trial.

The rollover accident also injured two bystanders.

Esquivelvalle was in jail for less than a year after the rollover accident. He was able to escape a worse penalty when he agreed to a judge’s offer requiring he plead guilty to felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and reckless driving causing injury charges, as well as admit to a sentencing enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Andre Manssourian ended up sentencing Esquivelvalle to one year in jail and three years probation. After receiving more than a year’s worth of credit for time served behind bars while awaiting trial, Esquivelvalle was able to go home.

O.C. prosecutors did not like the sentence one bit. They wanted Esquivelvalle to serve time in state prison. If he had he been convicted at trial, the vehicular manslaughter charge alone would have carried a potential six-year sentence.

Unfortunately the family of Esquivelvalle’s dead cousin allegedly did not want the court to give him any sort of severe punishment. And reportedly the two bystanders that were injured did not want to be involved in the criminal case or the trial.

The prosecutors also felt that Esquivelvalle has “shown no remorse” for a death and injuries caused by his own “dangerous driving maneuvers” and alleged that during the investigation he repeatedly lied to police about the cause of the crash and his involvement in a large street takeover.

That street takeover happened just before 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 22 when a large group of between 60 and 70 cars and 100 to 150 pedestrians blocking off the intersection at Highland and Sunflower Avenues.

The responding Costa Mesa police officers found a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado on its side and a man was laying in the street. That man was later identified as Marroquin. He as pronounced dead at the scene. Two bystanders that were reportedly struck by the vehicle as well were later found at local hospitals by police investigators.

Esquivelvalle admitted to officers at the scene of the crash that he was the owner and driver of the pickup truck however he told police investigators that another car had struck his vehicle while he was driving through the intersection, which dragged his cousin from the vehicle.

Police detectives believe that Esquivelvalle was doing doughnuts in his pickup truck while Marroquin was hanging on the outside of the truck on the passenger side door, based on the evidence and interviews. The pickup struck the two bystanders before rolling over and crushing Marroquin, according to the prosecutors.

An online group that had set up other street takeovers had set up the Costa Mesa event. They first showed up at the Anaheim Plaza parking lot on Euclid Street at around 1:30 a.m.

Witnesses reported that both Esquivelvalle and Marroquin were at the Anaheim meetup and they were allegedly watching when another vehicle doing doughnuts in the lot hit an 18-year-old woman. They then drove to the Costa Mesa intersection, with the other drivers.

Street racers in Orange County have run amok during the pandemic as the State’s stay-at-home orders resulted in roadways with less traffic and the street racers were out of work and bored. And local car enthusiasts were unable to go to any legitimate venues, due to pandemic-related closures, which meant they had to find other means to show off their expensive and unsafe vehicles.

Unfortunately street takeovers are inherently unsafe for both the participants and bystanders. There are no barriers to protect the public.

Santa Ana Council Members Sarmiento, Hernandez and Lopez voted against an anti-street racing measure

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Two Santa Ana residents were killed by street racers last year prompting the Santa Ana City Council, on Tuesday night to give initial approval to a new ordinance that prohibits spectators at street races and dangerous street takeovers, where drivers block intersections to show off maneuvers with their vehicles in front of hundreds of people.

Unbelievably three Council Members voted against the measure including Mayor Vince Sarmiento and City Council Members Jessie Lopez and Johnathan Ryan Hernandez even though over the past five years at least four people have died in Santa Ana during such events.

The ordinance would make it illegal for someone who is “knowingly present as a spectator” to gather within 200 feet of the site of a street or other reckless driving exhibition or its preparations. Those who break the law may be subject to a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Four council members — Phan, Mendoza, Phil Bacerra and David Penaloza voted for the ordinance but they also added a provision that would stave off issuing fines or jail time unless the person in question has a record of previously being warned at an earlier illegal car event.

Sarmiento, Lopez and Hernandez opposed the ordinance due to concerns about the penalties of a fine and up to six months in jail possibly placing an undue burden on those being punished. They also expressed concern that the proposed ordinance could sweep up people unjustly, including innocent bystanders who might be drawn to the street takeovers out of curiosity.

Phan and Sarmiento also raised First Amendment-related questions and whether the ordinance would violate the right to assemble. But Phan still voted for the ordinance while Sarmiento did not.

Sarmiento voted against the ordinance even though he admitted that illegal maneuvers called donuts have happened in front of his own home. But he noted that his son went out to record the maneuvers and as such could be liable, under the new ordinance, for viewing the event.

The SAPD however pointed out to the Council that spectators are a key reason why street racing continues and remains a threat to public safety. The SAPD suggested that the spectators are not just watching the street racing and street takeovers – they play an active role in these events. Targeting the spectators will help to stop these criminal events from happening in Santa Ana.

Councilwoman Nelida Mendoza sounded a lot more Mayoral than Sarmiento when she said that “Issuing citations to those who violate the law is appropriate because it could be saving their lives. And eventually it will decrease the number of spectators” leading to fewer car racers and their dangerous tricks.

In addition to the two fatalities last year, the SAPD also have been wasting immense resources dealing with street intersection takeovers that are happening almost nightly. Street takeovers involve drivers spinning their cars like donuts at intersections while crowds in the hundreds gather dangerously close without any guards or rails.

Currently Anaheim is the only other city in Orange County that has a law in its books targeting spectators at such events however there are other California cities with similar laws include Irwindale, Ontario, San Diego and San Jose.

Last fall, 11 Orange County police agencies created a task force to curtail street racing and related activity. Across Orange County, that task force was involved in 124 operations, which resulted in 2,316 citations, 261 cars impounded, 206 racing or reckless driving arrests or citations, and 82 miscellaneous arrests, according to the SAPD.

Besides enforcement, Santa Ana police have taken, or are looking at, other anti-racing measures. One that began last year has led to the desynchronization of street lights along some major city corridors to slow down drivers: late night traffic lights switch from red to green only for vehicles traveling at or below the speed limit.

15 street racing citations were issued from April 16-17 by the SAPD and their partner agencies

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The SAPD in partnership with other agencies as part of STEARRD (Strategic Traffic Enforcement Against Racing & Reckless Driving) program conducted additional street racing enforcement.

From 04/16 – 04/17 their enforcement efforts resulted in:

  • (15) Cites
  • (4) Impounds
  • (2) Arrest – Assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer & felony evading and reckless driving

The SAPD has a zero tolerance policy for reckless driving / street racing and has made this issue a top priority. These activities have proven to be deadly and they pose a clear and present threat to public safety on our streets.

The SAPD and other agencies issued 55 street racing citations from March 19-30

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The SAPD, in partnership with other agencies as part of the STEARRD (Strategic Traffic Enforcement Against Racing & Reckless Driving) program, conducted street racing enforcement from 03/19 – 03/20. The enforcement efforts resulted in:

  • (55) Cites
  • (3) Impounds
  • (2) Arrest

These activities have proven to be deadly and they pose a clear and present threat to public safety on our streets! REMEMBER – The SAPD has a zero tolerance policy for reckless driving/street racing and has made this issue a top priority.

The SAPD issued 44 street racing citations on Jan. 29 and 30

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The SAPD in partnership with other agencies as part of the STEARRD program conducted additional street racing enforcement.

From 01/29 – 01/30 enforcement efforts resulted in:

  • 44 – Cites
  • 5 – Impounds
  • 3 – Reckless Driving / DUI Arrest
  • 1 – Unrelated Arrests
  • 35 – Spectator Cites

The SAPD has a zero tolerance policy for reckless driving / street racing and has made this issue a top priority. These activities have proven to be deadly and they pose a clear and present threat to public safety on our streets.

Three O.C. YouTube stars and two other drivers busted after illegal street races and charged with felonies

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – Three YouTube stars and two other drivers have been charged with multiple felonies for conspiring to engage in illegal street races across Orange County, including races that reached speeds in excess of 160 miles per hour. Irvine police arrested the five men on Tuesday following a six-month long investigation into street racing on the 241 and the 261 Toll Roads beginning last January.

Rushdan Mohammad Abdallah, 26, of Lake Forest, has been charged with six felony counts of conspiracy to commit the crime of engaging in a speed contest, six misdemeanor counts of engaging in a speed contest, six misdemeanor counts of reckless driving, and four infractions for speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Abdallah is accused of being out on bail on charges he evaded police during a pursuit and resisted a police officer in November 2019 when he continued to coordinate with other street racers to set up illegal races across Orange County last year.

Abdallah posted street racing videos to his YouTube channel that has hundreds of thousands of followers with the videos regularly attracting millions of views. Videos on his channel also show him soliciting viewers to provide him with other street racing competitors.

He has been released on $20,000 bail. Abdallah faces a maximum sentence of 8 years and 8 months in state prison plus 540 days in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges.

Two of Abdallah’s vehicles have been impounded and he has been ordered by a judge not to drive.

Aaron Hamed Waseeq, 25, of La Verne, is charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit the crime of engaging in a speed contest, two misdemeanor counts of engaging in a speed contest, two misdemeanor counts of reckless driving, one misdemeanor count of aiding and abetting a speed contest, and one infraction for speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Waseeq has been released on $20,000 bail. He faces a maximum sentence of 3 years and 8 months in state prison plus 270 days in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges. Waseeq’s vehicle has been impounded.

Daniel Joaquin Rodriguez, 21, of La Verne, has been charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit the crime of engaging in a speed contest, two misdemeanor counts of engaging in a speed contest, two misdemeanor counts of reckless driving, one misdemeanor count of aiding and abetting a speed contest, and one infraction for speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Rodriguez was released on $0 bail. He faces a maximum sentence of 3 years and 8 months in state prison plus 270 days in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges. Rodriquez’ vehicle has been impounded.

Rodriguez and Waseeq also have YouTube channels that feature their illegal street races in Orange County.

Sean Lozai Stuart, 36, of Irvine, has been charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit the crime of engaging in a speed contest, one misdemeanor count of engaging in a speed contest, one misdemeanor count of reckless driving, and one infraction for speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Stuart was released on $0 bail. He faces a maximum sentence of 3 years in state prison plus 180 days in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges.

Saeid Assim Lachin, 27, of Fullerton, has been charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit the crime of engaging in a speed contest, two misdemeanor counts of engaging in a speed contest, two misdemeanor counts of reckless driving, and two misdemeanor counts of driving on a suspended license.

Lachin was released on $0 bail. He faces a maximum sentence of 3 years and 8 months in state prison plus 450 days in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges.

“Orange County roads are not raceways designed to accommodate illegal street races of speeds reaching 160 miles per hour,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Street racing is irresponsible, it’s dangerous, and it shows a complete disregard for the lives of everyone involved including the participants, the spectators, and the innocent bystanders. No one driving on our roads should suddenly find themselves in the middle of what equates to a NASCAR race being raced by amateurs who are not trained or skilled enough to drive vehicles being pushed to their mechanical limits. These crimes will be prosecuted and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Street racing is a serious offense that impacts the Irvine community,” said Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel. “We will continue to work in partnership with allied agencies, including the District Attorney’s office, to arrest and prosecute individuals who elect to engage in these reckless actions that endanger lives.”

The District Attorney’s Office and the Irvine Police Department participate in Strategic Traffic Enforcement Against Racing & Reckless Driving (STEARRD), a countywide law enforcement partnership to crack down on illegal street racing and street takeovers.

On January 31, 2020 Abdallah and Stuart are accused of meeting to discuss an illegal street race and then racing each other multiple times on the 241 and 261 Toll Roads through Irvine, Tustin, Lake Forest, and Foothill Ranch. Speeds in that race reached 160 mph.

On March 25, 2020, Abdallah and Waseeq are accused of meeting to discuss and illegal street race and then racing multiple times on the 241 and 261 Toll Roads. Rodriguez was the passenger in Waseeq’s vehicle and is accused of aiding and abetting the race.

On March 28, 2020 Abdallah and Lachin are accused of meeting to discuss an illegal street race and then racing multiple times on the 261 Toll Road.

On April 1, 2020 Abdallah, Rodriguez, Waseeq, and Lachin are accused of meeting to discuss an illegal street race and then racing multiple times on the 241 and 261 Toll Roads.

On May 27, 2020 Abdallah is accused of meeting with another unidentified driver to discuss an illegal street race and then racing multiple times on the 241 and 261 Toll Roads.

On May 30, 2020 Abdallah is accused of meeting with Rodriguez to discuss an illegal street race and then racing multiple times on the 261 Toll Road. Waseeq was the passenger of Rodriguez’ car and is accused of aiding and abetting the race.

The SAPD made 40 street racing spectator arrests last week

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The SAPD, in partnership with other agencies as part of the STEARRD (Selective Traffic Enforcement Against Reckless Driving) program, conducted additional street racing enforcement from 01/08 – 01/09.

Their enforcement efforts resulted in:

  • (27) Cites
  • (25) Impounds
  • (4) Street Racing Related Arrests
  • (40) Spectator Arrests

SAPD has a zero tolerance policy for reckless driving / street racing and has made this issue a top priority. These activities have proven to be deadly and they pose a clear and present threat to public safety on our streets #SAPDTraffi

The SAPD and their partners issued 36 street racing citations on Dec. 11 and 12

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The SAPD, in partnership with other agencies as part of the STEARRD program, conducted additional street racing enforcement from 12/11 – 12/12

The SAPD’s enforcement efforts resulted in 36 Cites, 6 Impounds, 5 Street Racing Related Arrests & 1 Unrelated Arrests.

The SAPD has a zero tolerance policy for reckless driving / street racing and has made this issue a top priority. These activities have proven to be deadly and they pose a clear and present threat to public safety on our streets.

The SAPD and their partners made five street racing arrests in early December

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The SAPD announced that, in partnership with other law enforcement agencies which are part of the STEARRD program, they conducted enforcement from 12/4 – 12/5 which resulted in 55 Cites, 8 Impounds, 5 Street Racing Related Arrests & 2 Unrelated Arrests.

The SAPD has a zero tolerance policy for reckless driving / street racing and has made this issue a top priority. These activities have proven to be deadly and they pose a clear and present threat to public safety on our streets.