ORANGE, CA – A California man with a history of five previous DUI convictions has been charged with murder. According to allegations, Jonathan Lopez, 31, was intoxicated when he hit and killed a pedestrian on Tuesday in Orange, California.
Following the fatal incident, eyewitnesses reported Lopez as being uncooperative and demonstrative, engaging in provocative behavior such as consuming alcohol and gesturing offensively toward on-scene law enforcement officers.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer stated that despite repeated warnings about the deadly consequences of impaired driving, Lopez chose to disregard them, indicating a complete absence of respect for human life and the rule of law.
Lopez’s legal history reveals a consistent disregard for safe driving, with a record of five DUI convictions since 2011. The charges he now faces include felony counts of murder, hit-and-run with permanent injury or death, reckless evading while driving, DUI with three or more priors, and driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08% or higher. He also received a misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license.
While the pedestrian victim has not yet been identified, the severity of the charges exposes Lopez to the prospect of an 18 years to life sentence if found guilty.
Following Tuesday’s fatal incident, police reported the scene featured a pedestrian found lying in the roadway with severe injuries. Witnesses reported that the man was struck by a gray sedan while crossing the street.
Detectives discovered the very same car, bearing significant front-end damage, shortly after. Lopez allegedly initiated a brief high-speed chase, running a red light and three stop signs before his eventual capture.