Crime & Safety

Update: Driver Pleads Not Guilty in Pursuit Death

Police say Jorge Luis Lopez, 21, was evading police Friday morning when his car crashed into a parked truck in Oceanside—immediately killing his passenger.

Updated at 4:13 p.m. Tuesday

A 21-year-old man accused of driving drunk and leading officers on a reckless North County road chase that ended with a crash that killed his passenger pleaded not guilty today to murder and other felony charges.

Jorge Luis Lopez, who is also charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and evading police officers, was ordered held in lieu of $2 million bail.

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Lopez was allegedly speeding in a 1991 Honda Civic on state Route 78 in Oceanside alongside a westbound sedan -- apparently racing the other motorist -- when officers spotted him near College Boulevard shortly before 1 a.m. last Friday.

The other driver slowed down, but Lopez refused to yield and fled at speeds reaching 100 mph, soon merging onto northbound Interstate 5, California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt alleged.

Find out what's happening in Oceanside-Camp Pendletonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Lopez exited onto Mission Avenue and headed east before turning south on Mesa Drive, continuing on at about 80 mph before hitting a dip in the road, veering out of control and crashing into a parked pickup truck near Mesa and Pajama drives, according to Bettencourt.

The suspect suffered moderately serious injuries and was airlifted to Scripps La Jolla Hospital. His male passenger died at the scene of the wreck.

At Lopez's arraignment, Deputy District Attorney Patrick Espinoza told Judge Marshall Hockett that the defenant had three speeding citations from 2010, including one in which he was driving 100 mph.

Lopez also has a misdemeanor DUI-related conviction from last year in which he was advised about the dangers of drinking and driving, the prosecutor said.

At least one witness told reporters that several Oceanside police officers involved in end of the pursuit seemingly taunted Lopez, smirking or laughing at him shortly after the crash. Such accusations of impropriety "are taken very seriously," Oceanside police Capt. Fred Armijo said previously.

"As part of our preliminary investigation, the CHP allowed us to review the video-camera footage from their patrol vehicles, which were the first to arrive at the scene of the (crash)," the captain said. "We have also interviewed other witnesses in the neighborhood. We have found no evidence that Oceanside police officers behaved inappropriately, nor have we found any evidence to support the ... (witness) allegations."

A readiness conference is scheduled Nov. 30 and a preliminary hearing for Dec. 5. 

—City News Service


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