Man Killed, Brother Injured : Drinking Suspected in Sun Valley Accident

A Sun Valley motorist whose car crashed head-on into another vehicle Friday night, resulting in a man’s death and his brother’s being critically injured, was apparently driving under the influence of alcohol, Los Angeles police said.

Sgt. Art Haversat said authorities would seek to have the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office file manslaughter charges this week against Theresa Tannatt, 25, of Sun Valley.

Tannatt was arrested last month in the stabbing of her sister, after which their father killed himself.

Haversat said results of a test to determine the level of alcohol in Tannatt’s blood would be released later.

Last month’s attack, in which Tannatt stabbed and wounded her sister, Patricia, 30, apparently occurred during an argument over the use of narcotics at their home on the 10700 block of Wixom Street, police said.

After the stabbing, Tannatt’s father, Harry, was apparently so distraught that he shot himself with a shotgun in his home, Lt. Richard Iddings of the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Theresa Tannatt was charged with assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the attack on her sister, who was not seriously injured, police said.

On Friday at 7:45 p.m., police said, Tannatt was driving north on San Fernando Road near Ratner Street when she lost control of her car and swerved into oncoming traffic, hitting a car driven by Juan Hernandez, 39, of Sun Valley.

Hernandez, who was also known as Pedro Torres Diaz, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, Haversat said.

Hernandez’s brother, Pedro, 33, also of Sun Valley, who was a passenger in the car, is in critical condition at St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, police said. He suffered face and neck injuries.

Tannatt was in serious condition Saturday at St. Joseph with a broken leg and facial injuries, Haversat said.

A witness told police that Tannatt appeared to bend down under the steering wheel just before the accident, Haversat said. It was not known whether she had passed out before the accident.

The Hernandez brothers and Tannatt were not wearing seat belts, authorities said.