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Bellflower man arrested, accused of manslaughter in 2019 street racing crash that killed 2 in Santa Ana

by in News

A man suspected of vehicular manslaughter in connection with an April 2019 crash that left two people dead was arrested on Saturday after a year-long investigation by the Santa Ana Police Department.

Damian Chavez, 24, of Bellflower, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and hit and run causing injury. Police said Chavez was involved in a street race with another vehicle on Saturday, April 20, 2019 in the 3200 block of S. Bear Street.

  • Orange County Fire Authority firefighters responded to the 3200 block of Bear Street at Alton Avenue about 9:18 p.m. on a report of a single-vehicle crash. (Southern Counties News)

  • Orange County Fire Authority firefighters responded to the 3200 block of Bear Street at Alton Avenue about 9:18 p.m. on a report of a single-vehicle crash. (Southern Counties News)

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  • Orange County Fire Authority firefighters responded to the 3200 block of Bear Street at Alton Avenue about 9:18 p.m. on a report of a single-vehicle crash. (Southern Counties News)

  • Orange County Fire Authority firefighters responded to the 3200 block of Bear Street at Alton Avenue about 9:18 p.m. on a report of a single-vehicle crash. (Southern Counties News)

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The race between Chavez and another vehicle ended after the other vehicle crashed into a tree and burst into flames, killing the driver and passenger, police said.

Richard Inda, 29, and Jerman Marquez, 39, were identified as the driver and passenger who died in the crash.

“In early April 2020, the entire investigation was presented to the Orange County District Attorney’s Vehicular Homicide Unit for Review,” police said in a Wednesday statement.

A warrant was then issued for Chavez’s arrest. The District Attorney’s Office charged Chavez with two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit-and-run causing injury. He was booked into the Intake Release Center in Santa Ana with a bail of $100,000.