One Year Ago Today (May 5, 2021)…A 25-year-old convicted car thief pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges related to his alleged attempt to drive off with a car from a Santa Ana Honda dealership.
Ricardo Andres Zuniga went to Freeway Honda at 1505 Auto Mall Drive just before 9:30 a.m. April 14 and said he wanted to test drive a vehicle, but was denied because he did not have a valid driver’s license with him, said Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.
A salesman showed Zuniga a couple of vehicles before the defendant saw an empty, idling car and requested a test drive, Bertagna said. When he was again rejected, he jumped in and started to put it in drive as the salesman grabbed him and was dragged a distance before the Zuniga crashed into a planter and bush, Bertagna said.
Another employee tried to keep Zuniga pinned in the car, but he slipped out of a passenger side window and ran away, Bertagna said. Other employees followed him and told police where the suspect retreated, Bertagna said.
The Tulsa, Oklahoma resident is also charged with single counts each of carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, grand theft auto with a prior conviction, and theft with a prior felony conviction of car theft, and two counts of vandalism, all felonies.
Zuniga also faces sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a deadly weapon and a misdemeanor count of driving without a valid driver’s license.