A California man attempting to steal Legos while under the influence of drugs caused a car crash that left one elderly woman dead, authorities say.
43-year-old Michael Hanzal was spotted acting suspiciously at an Albertson’s grocery store in Fullerton, putting boxes of Legos into a bag in an alleged attempt to steal from the store.
A plainclothes police officer saw Hanzal and pursued him to his car, and asked a marked patrol cruiser to pull Hanzal over.
“When the uniformed police officer tried to pull the suspected thief over, he made a quick right turn on Brookhurst [Road] and sped off,” the Orange County District Attorney’s office stated.
“Hanzal rear-ended a vehicle stopped at a red light and took off, getting on the 91 freeway westbound, before exiting at Knott Avenue in the City of Buena Park, where Buena Park police officers took over the pursuit,” the release continued. “The high-speed chase continued through the City of La Palma, where La Palma police officers took over the pursuit, reaching speeds of approximately 90 miles per hour on La Palma Avenue.”
The 43-year-old Anaheim resident then allegedly ran a red light at La Palma Avenue and Moody Street, crashing into a blue BMW, instantly killing its driver, 67-year-old La Palma resident Marianne Casey.
“The impact of the crash pushed both vehicles into other cars, injuring other bystanders. Hanzal is accused of being under the influence of drugs at the time,” authorities added.
“Enough is enough. Actions have consequences and I am mad as hell that an elderly woman is dead because a drug addicted repeat thief decided to steal Legos from a grocery store and then lead multiple police agencies on a high-speed chase through Orange County in the middle of the day,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Marianne Casey’s family should be planning their holiday celebrations and instead they are planning a funeral.”
Hanzal has been arrested and charged with felony gross vehicle manslaughter while intoxicated under the influence of drugs, a felony count of evading a peace officer causing death and a felony count of petty theft with two prior convictions.
He is set to appear in court on Jan. 26 at the North Justice Center in Fullerton.
