A former Los Angeles police officer has admitted to killing a teenage boy and his parents in a drunk driving crash.
Edgar Verduzco, 34, pled guilty to three counts of murder for driving drunk and causing the deaths of Maribel and Mario Davila, and their 19-year-old son Oscar on September 26, 2017.
The former LAPD officer drove 150 miles per hour with a .08 percent blood alcohol content on the 605 Freeway before he struck two vehicles.
The car carrying the Davila family hit a divider and burst into flames, killing all three. A mother and her baby in the other struck vehicle suffered minor injuries.
Verduzco also pled guilty to one count of driving under the influence and one count of driving with a .08 BAC content causing injury.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman said: ‘As a police officer, Mr Verduzco was aware that recklessly driving under the influence of alcohol at 150 miles per hour was extremely dangerous to human life and could result in the death of innocent victims, as it tragically did in this case.’
‘Oscar Davila, a beloved student at UC Riverside, was just 19 years old, and his life and his parents’ lives were senselessly taken in an instant,’ Hochman added.
‘My support and sympathy go out to the Davila family’s loved ones, including Oscar’s four surviving siblings. I thank Deputy District Attorney Kaveh Faturechi of our office’s Justice System Integrity Division for vigorously seeking justice in this case.’
Edgar Verduzco, 34, pled guilty to three counts of murder for driving drunk and killing Maribel and Mario Davila, and their 19-year-old son Oscar on September 26, 2017
The car carrying the Davila family hit a divider and burst into flames, killing 60-year-old Mario Davila, his wife Maribel, 52, and their 19-year-old son, Oscar
The former LAPD officer drove 150 miles per hour with a .08 percent blood alcohol content on the 605 Freeway before he struck two vehicles
Verduzco was driving a 2016 Chevy Camaro ‘at a high rate of speed’ in Whittier when he rear-ended a 2010 Scion and a 2014 Nissan – while in the carpool lane at around 10.15pm on September 26.
The impact of the crash caused the Nissan to burst into flames, tragically trapping all three occupants inside.
They were later identified as 60-year-old Mario Davila, his wife Maribel, 52, and their 19-year-old son, Oscar.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics who arrived to the fiery scene pronounced all three people inside the car dead a short time later. They were said to have been burned beyond recognition.
Verduzco suffered a broken nose in the collision.
Officers did not give Verduzco a breathalyzer test that would have definitively determined his blood alcohol content, but they said that he showed clear signs of intoxication.
Hours before the crash, Verduzco posted an Instagram video with a ‘don’t drink and drive’ hashtag.
He uploaded the 10-second animated video featuring an animated character in a car warning against the dangers of drinking and driving at around 7pm on that night.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman said: ‘As a police officer, Mr Verduzco was aware that recklessly driving under the influence of alcohol at 150 miles per hour was extremely dangerous to human life and could result in the death of innocent victims, as it tragically did in this case’
Hours before the crash, Verduzco posted an Instagram video with a ‘don’t drink and drive’ hashtag. He uploaded the 10-second animated video featuring an animated character in a car warning against the dangers of drinking and driving at around 7pm on that night
In the clip – which appeared to be filmed at a bar – a half-finished beer is visible in the background.
Three hours later, Verduzco was taken into custody for vehicular manslaughter on $100,000 bail.
He was released two days later pending the results of the CHP investigation.
The social media account also featured photos of Verduzco in his LAPD uniform and his official US Army portrait.
Verduzco is a veteran who had served three years in the Army.
Mario and Maribel Davila are survived by three living sons.
Oscar, the couple’s youngest child, was a recent high school graduate who worked as a tutor at his alma mater, John W. North High School.
He was characterized as ‘a bright, lighthearted, musically talented individual who, along with his parents served at church. He was a gentleman, hard worker, and a very happy person.’
The driver of the Scion involved in the crash, Berly Alvarado, 31, was taken to a hospital suffering from minor injuries.
Verduzco is scheduled for sentencing on July 11 and faces three concurrent terms of 15 years to life in prison for murder and one concurrent term of three years for driving drunk.
