RIVERSIDE, California — A Southern California man accused of killing three teenagers by intentionally ramming their car after they played a doorbell ringing prank on him was convicted Friday of murder.
Anurag Chandra was convicted in a Riverside County court of three counts of first degree murder and three counts of attempted murder.
“The murder of these young men was a horrific and senseless tragedy for our community. I thank the jury for their verdict. This is an important step toward justice,” County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in a statement.
Chandra’s attorney, David Wohl, did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday.
The victims, who were 16 years old, were among six teens inside a Toyota Prius on Jan. 19, 2020 when Chandra intentionally crashed her vehicle off the road and fled, prosecutors said.
The driver of the Prius lost control and the sedan crashed into a tree in Temescal Valley, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
Friends challenged a guy to jump in the pool at night or play “ding dong ditch.”
Chandra, who did not know the teens, testified at trial that one of the boys rang the doorbell and exposed his buttocks before running away, according to The Riverside Press-Enterprise. Chandra testified that she followed him because she feared for the safety of her family and wanted to express her anger. She said he was “extremely, extremely angry” about the prank.
Chandra also testified that she drank 12 beers in the hours before the accident, the newspaper reported. She said she did not plan to hit the Prius and testified that she did not stop after rear-ending the sedan because she did not realize someone had been injured, although she admitted during cross-examination that she had been driving 99 mph. 159 kph) before the collision.
The accident killed Daniel Hawkins of Corona; Drake Ruiz de Corona; and Jacob Ivascu of Riverside, according to the Riverside County Coroner’s Office.
Sergio Campusano was the 18-year-old driver of the Prius at the time. He and Joshua Hawkins and Joshua Ivascu, then 13 years old, survived the crash. They testified at the trial and were in the courtroom when the verdict was read.
Chandra was already facing criminal charges in connection with alleged domestic violence in 2020 when the murders occurred.
2023-04-29 13:26:00
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