Anurag Chandra: Man found guilty of killing three 16-year-old boys who knocked on his door and showed their buttocks
TEMESCAL VALLEY, LOS ANGELES: In Temescal Valley, Los Angeles, in January 2020, a man intentionally rammed his car into a car carrying a group of teenagers, killing three of them and injuring three others. He has been now convicted on charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder.
Anurag Chandra, who did not know these teenagers prior to the incident, claimed in court that he chased their car when one of the boys rang his doorbell and showed his buttocks before fleeing away, as reported by Sky News. He further claimed to have feared for the safety of his family.
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'Ding dong ditch'
The victims Daniel Hawkins, Drake Ruiz, and Jacob Ivascu, were in the same Toyota Prius as Sergio Campusano, 18, and Joshua Hawkins and Joshua Ivascu, both aged 13 on January 12, 2020. The group had dared one boy to either jump into a pool at night or play "ding dong ditch".
Chandra also testified in court that he did not want to hit the Prius but had consumed 12 beers in the hours preceding the collision. He did, however, concede during cross-examination that he was traveling at 99 mph (159 kph) prior to the accident and did not stop after hitting the car from behind because he was unaware that anyone had been hurt.
'The murder of these young men was a horrendous tragedy'
Following the hit about around 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of downtown Los Angeles, in Temescal Valley, the driver of the Prius lost control, causing the sedan to crash into a tree.
“The murder of these young men was a horrendous and senseless tragedy for our community. I thank the jury for their verdict. This is an important step toward justice,” county District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in a statement as per the Associated Press.
Chandra was already under investigation for alleged domestic abuse
Chandra was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder by a Riverside County jury following a two-week trial. After the collision, he escaped the area but was subsequently apprehended.
According to the report David Wohl, Chandra's attorney, did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. When the murders took place in 2020, Chandra was already under investigation for alleged domestic abuse. When he will be sentenced is still unknown.
