Doubt was raised Thursday about the mental competency of a Riverside County man who allegedly struck eight pedestrians before and during an hourlong police pursuit that began in Culver City and stretched into Los Angeles.
Juan Luis Estrada, 45, of Perris, pleaded not guilty to 10 felony counts of attempted murder and one felony count each of carjacking and fleeing a pursuing peace officer’s motor vehicle, along with one misdemeanor count of battery on a peace officer/emergency personnel and three misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run property damage, according to court records.
He is scheduled to appear July 6 at the Hollywood courthouse for a mental competency hearing, court records show.
Officers responded at about 7 p.m. Tuesday to reports of a felony hit-and-run collision near Centinela Avenue and Washington Boulevard that injured four pedestrians, Culver City Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Atenza told City News Service.
While officers were responding to that crash, another hit-and-run collision was reported in the 3800 block of Sepulveda Boulevard, where a motorist identified as Estrada, a Perris resident, allegedly struck another vehicle before fleeing the scene, according to Atenza.
About an hour before the initial hit-and-run, officers received reports about a suspect involved in an armed carjacking of a white Toyota Camry in downtown Los Angeles, police said.
“Our officers put the (license) plate into our camera system, and then simultaneously, they were getting calls from multiple vehicle-versus-pedestrian incidents involving the same vehicle,” Atenza said.
Officers unsuccessfully tried to stop the vehicle at approximately 7:26 p.m. Tuesday near Centinela Avenue, authorities said.
Estrada allegedly traveled at high speeds, drove through multiple red lights and into opposing lanes of traffic and weaved recklessly around other vehicles, Culver City police said in a news release. The department added that officers believed at the time that the defendant was intentionally trying to strike pedestrians by repeatedly steering toward people who were in or near the roadway, according to police.
“The suspect’s actions created a clear and immediate danger to community members and demonstrated a complete disregard for human life,” Atenza said.
One adult victim was struck near Braddock Drive and Sepulveda Boulevard, while two juvenile victims were struck shortly afterward while riding an E-bike near Culver Boulevard and Le Bourget Avenue, according to police.
Another pedestrian was struck near Canfield Avenue and Culver Boulevard as Estrada allegedly continued to flee from police, Atenza said.
The pedestrians ranged in age from 15 to 70, and all were expected to survive their injuries, according to police.
The chase continued into Los Angeles, ending near Washington Boulevard and Olive Street downtown when Estrada allegedly crashed head-on into another vehicle in a restaurant drive-through lane, police said.
Estrada allegedly tried to run from the scene, but was quickly apprehended, police said. He apparently sustained injuries during the pursuit and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
One officer suffered minor injuries during the arrest and was treated at the scene, according to police.
Estrada remains behind bars in lieu of just over $10 million bail, according to the District Attorney’s Office.