Accused Lego thief kills bystander when police chase ends in crash, CA officials say
An accused DUI driver and Lego thief ran a red light and crashed during a high-speed police chase, killing a woman, California prosecutors say.
Anthony Michael Hanzal, 43, of Anaheim, was charged with multiple felonies, including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said in a Dec. 23 news release.
Hanzal did not enter a plea during his Friday, Dec. 20, court appearance, the Orange County Register reported.
Prosecutors described Hanzal as being “a second-striker.”
“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,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in the release.
An undercover Fullerton police officer was at a grocery store when he spotted “a man, later identified as Hanzal,” snatch a box of Legos on Wednesday, Dec. 18, prosecutors said.
He placed them in a bag and left the store without paying, prosecutors said.
The officer followed Hanzal and tried to pull him over; however, prosecutors said Hanzal quickly turned and sped off.
He rear-ended a car sitting at a red light and continued driving, prosecutors said.
Hanzal took the 91 Freeway and exited in Buena Park, prosecutors said.
Officers lost sight of Hanzal, the Fullerton Police Department said in a Dec. 18 news release on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Buena Park police officers spotted him, but they too lost sight of him, according to police.
Then, La Palma police officers spotted Hanzal and began to pursue him, police said.
As Hanzal continued through the city of La Palma, he reached speeds of about 90 miles per hour, prosecutors said.
Hanzal ran a red light and hit the driver’s side of a car, “instantly killing” the 67-year-old driver, Marianne Mildred Casey, prosecutors said.
The crash’s impact led both cars to hit other cars, causing injuries to additional bystanders, according to prosecutors.
At the time of the crash, “Hanzal is accused of being under the influence of drugs,” prosecutors said.
Hanzal was also charged “with one felony count of evading a peace officer causing death and one felony count of petty theft with two prior convictions,” according to prosecutors.
“Marianne Casey’s family should be planning their holiday celebrations and instead they are planning a funeral because California’s soft-on-crime policies have created an environment where there is no accountability,” Spitzer said. “Those days are over.”
Hanzal, who is being held without bail, is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 6, according to prosecutors.
If convicted as charged, Hanzal could face a maximum prison sentence of 26 years and four months, prosecutors said.
This story was originally published December 24, 2024 at 8:01 AM with the headline "Accused Lego thief kills bystander when police chase ends in crash, CA officials say."
