A 24-year-old Bellflower resident was arrested Wednesday on vehicular manslaughter charges stemming from a fiery hit-and-run racing crash that killed two men last year in Santa Ana.
Damian Chavez was charged Friday with two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit-and-run with death, with sentencing enhancement allegations of leaving the scene of a deadly crash and inflicting great bodily injury on the victims.
Chavez was allegedly racing with another driver whose car slammed into a tree in the 3200 block of South Bear Street about 9:15 p.m. on April 20, 2019, said Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.
The car burst into flames and the victims, 39-year-old Jerman Marquez and 29-year-old Richard Inda, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Chavez was arrested at his residence and was booked into the Santa Ana City Jail, with bail set at $100,000, Bertagna said.