Two men convicted of street racing and causing a fatal car accident

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 12WF1749

Date: December 12, 2014

TWO DRIVERS CONVICTED OF STREET RACING AND CAUSING CRASH THAT KILLED 18-YEAR-OLD GIRL

*Victim was a passenger and sister to one of the defendants

SANTA ANA – Two men were convicted yesterday for street racing and causing a crash that resulted in the death on an 18-year-old girl, who was a passenger and sister to one of the defendants. Jorel Dayoan, 22, Westminster, was convicted by a jury yesterday, Dec. 11, 2014, of one felony count of vehicular manslaughter by an unlawful manner of driving with gross negligence and one felony count of engaging in a speed contest causing specified injury.

Co-defendant Joshua Lautherboren, 26, Garden Grove, was convicted of one felony count of engaging in a speed contest causing specified injury and one felony count of being involved in an accident resulting in an injury or death and failing to stop.

Dayoan faces a maximum sentence of up to six years and eight months in state prison, and Lautherboren faces a maximum sentence of up to four years and eight months in state prison. Both defendants are scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 6, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-44, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At approximately 5:00 p.m. on April 5, 2012, Jorel Dayoan was driving southbound on Hoover Street in Westminster with the victim, his younger sister, 18-year-old Jessica Dayoan, to drop her off for her biology class at Golden West College. Jorel Dayoan began driving down a straightaway stretch of Hoover Street in his Toyota MR-2 when he engaged in a street race with Lautherboren who was driving a Dodge truck.

The defendants had been racing for approximately a quarter of a mile before Lautherboren began to slow down his vehicle. Dayoan then lost control of his vehicle and began drifting into oncoming traffic just south of Hazard Avenue where he crashed into a Honda Accord being driven by John Doe. Orange County Fire Authority responders transported John Doe to the University of California, Irvine Medical Center to be treated for a broken collar bone as a result of the crash. Jessica Dayoan was pronounced dead at the scene.

Lautherboren continued to drive south bound on Hoover Street, fleeing the scene of the accident. Lautherboren was arrested two days later on April 7, 2012 when Westminster Police Department (WPD) officers matched witnesses’ descriptions of Lautherboren’s vehicle.

WPD investigated this case.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

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TONY RACKAUCKAS, District Attorney

Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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