A guy who led officers on a chase through Fullerton, Buena Park, and La Palma last week was attempting to flee with Legos from a Fullerton grocery shop, prosecutors said this week.
During the chase, the suspect allegedly ran a red light in La Palma and struck and killed a 67-year-old driver.
Anthony Michael Hanzal, 43, of Anaheim, was charged with three felonies: gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, petty theft, and avoiding a peace officer, resulting in death. He was allegedly under the influence of drugs at the time of the event, according to an Orange County district attorney’s office press release.
According to authorities, Hanzal was a second-striker, meaning he had two “strikes” for significant or violent felonies under California’s three-strikes legislation. A past strike can raise the punishment for a second offense, while a third strike can result in 25 years to life in prison.
On December 18, a plainclothes Fullerton cop reported seeing Hanzal pack boxes of Legos into a bag at a Fullerton Albertsons before leaving without paying. According to the announcement, Hanzal sped away when the officer requested that a marked police car come to a stop.
Hanzal allegedly rear-ended someone at a red light before taking the westbound 91 Freeway to Buena Park. Police pursued Hanzal to La Palma Avenue, where speeds reached 90 mph, according to prosecutors. Hanzal ran a red light at La Palma Avenue and Moody Street, colliding with the driver’s side of Marianne Casey’s automobile, aged 67. The impact killed her instantly, according to the announcement. The collision propelled both cars into other vehicles, injuring several spectators.
ABC 7 received a video of the tragedy, which showed a white Nissan Rogue SUV running a red light, resulting in a side impact collision, or T-bone, with the victim’s blue BMW. Following the crash, another SUV waiting at the opposite light was pushed into the sidewalk.
Hanzal is currently being held without bail and faces a maximum term of 26 years and four months if convicted on all counts. He is set to be arraigned in Fullerton on January 6.
“That is enough. Actions have consequences, and I am furious that an elderly woman was killed because a drug-addicted repeat thief decided to steal Legos from a grocery store and then lead multiple police agencies on a high-speed chase through Orange County in the middle of the day,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement.
Source: O.C. man stole Legos from an Albertsons, killed woman during high-speed pursuit, prosecutors allege