Panorama City fatal pursuit crash suspect has extensive criminal record
Court records revealed that a man accused of killing two people while trying to lose police during a pursuit in Panorama City has an extensive criminal past.
The pursuit began in the Westlake area just before 7:50 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, when Los Angeles police officers spotted a stolen Toyota Tacoma pickup truck and engaged in a four-minute chase.
The suspect driver "began to take evasive measures to get away from the officers," LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said in a news conference that night.
The truck crashed into a Honda Civic in the 13700 block of Lanark Street near Woodman Avenue in Panorama City. The impact mangled the Honda.
Hamilton said the officers had transitioned to "tracking mode," meaning they had dropped back from the pursuit moments before the crash.
One victim in the Civic was pronounced dead at the scene; the second victim died on the way to the hospital, Hamilton said.
The families of the two men identified them following the fatal crash.
Chris Teagardin, 46, owned a shop in Granada Hills. He is survived by his 18-year-old son and his mother, who he took care of. He was also a Little League coach. Tim Schultz is survived by his 16-year-old daughter. Teagardin and Schultz were best friends since childhood.
Police identified the suspect as Oscar De La Cruz. Court records showed he had an extensive criminal history, most recently convicted of a burglary in March 2021. He was sentenced in February 2022 to 32 months in jail. Even if the court gave him credit for time served beginning in March 2021, De La Cruz should have still been in prison at the time of the crash.
Before the March 2021 conviction, De La Cruz was sentenced to one year in jail for a February 2008 assault with a deadly weapon charge and sentenced to three years in prison for an October 2014 carjacking charge.
According to police, De La Cruz injected heroin and ingested fentanyl before being arrested. Officers used three doses of Narcan on him.
De La Cruz was charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter, one count of fleeing a pursuing peace officer's motor vehicle causing death, one count of felony hit and run and one count of driving without owner's consent.
He is scheduled to be in court on Feb. 16, 2023.