A California man allegedly stole Legos from a grocery store and then slammed into a woman’s car while fleeing from cops, instantly killing her, prosecutors say.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said the incident unfolded on Dec. 18 at an Albertsons grocery store in Fullerton. An undercover officer saw a man, later identified as 43-year-old Anthony Michael Hanzal, grabbing boxes of Legos from the shelves and stuffing them in a bag, according to Spitzer. Hanzal then allegedly left the store without paying. The cop followed Hanzal in an unmarked vehicle and called for a marked cruiser to make a traffic stop.
A uniformed officer tried to make the traffic stop but Hanzal turned onto another street and sped off, Spitzer said. Hanzal then allegedly rear-ended a vehicle stopped at a light and kept driving, entering the westbound State Road 91. He then exited at Knott Avenue in the city of Buena Park and cops continued chasing Hanzal into La Palma at upward of 90 mph, Spitzer said. Hanzal reportedly approached the intersection of La Palma Avenue and Moody Street and ran a red light, crashing into the driver’s side of a vehicle driven by 67-year-old Marianne Mildred Casey.