Man Involved In Fatal Pursuit Tied To Lego Theft Charged, DA Says

ANAHEIM, CA — An Anaheim man is being charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated after prosecutors said he crashed into and killed another motorist during a high-speed police chase triggered by a theft of Legos from a Fullerton grocery store.

Anthony Michael Hanzal, 43, is additionally facing felony charges of evading a police officer causing death and petty theft, the Orange County District Attorney's office said Monday.

According to the statement, an undercover officer at an Albertsons store in the area of North Gilbert Street and West Malvern Avenue watched Hanzal steal the box of Legos on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

Prosecutors said the officer saw Hanzal stuff the box into a bag before leaving without paying.

The undercover officer followed Hanzal in an unmarked police car. When a uniformed officer arrived and attempted to pull Hanzal over, the defendant made a sharp turn onto Brookhurst Street and sped off, rear-ending a vehicle that was stopped at a red light before getting onto the westbound 91 Freeway, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, the chase reached speeds of up to 90 miles per hour on surface streets after Hanzal exited the freeway on Knott Avenue, leading police through Buena Park and La Palma.

Prosecutors said that during the chase, Hanzal ran a red light at the intersection of La Palma Avenue and Moody Street and crashed into the driver's side of another vehicle.

The driver of the other vehicle — identified as 67-year-old Marianne Mildred Casey — was killed instantly, according to the statement.

According to prosecutors, the force of the crash pushed both vehicles into other cars and injured bystanders.

Hanzal is also suspected of having been under the influence of drugs at the time of the chase and fatal crash, prosecutors said.