Man Pleads Not Guilty to 4 Murder Counts

A Buena Park man pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he lead police on a high-speed chase Christmas Eve that ended up killing four, including a pregnant woman and her fetus.

Oscar Rodriguez, 18, entered his plea in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana to four counts of murder and additional charges including evading arrest and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Early Christmas Eve, Rodriguez was driving a Ford Escort with two other passengers when a Cypress police officer attempted to stop him because he appeared to be driving “erratically,” police said.

When the officer got out of the car, Rodriguez drove off, prompting a three-quarter-mile pursuit, during which one of the passengers tossed a loaded handgun from the window, police said.

Rodriguez was driving at 80 mph when he ran a red light at Orange and Knott avenues in Anaheim and broadsided another vehicle, instantly killing Lizett Quinonez, 22, of Anaheim, who was three months pregnant, and her 16-year-old sister, Claudia, who was visiting from Mexico. One of Rodriguez’s two passengers, Abraham Camarena, 16, of Cerritos, was also injured in the crash and died later that day.

Deputy Public Defender Ronald Klar, who is representing Rodriguez, said the charges against his client were too severe. Conceding his client was under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Klar said Rodriguez had no way of knowing his actions would cause deaths.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Dan McNerney disagreed.

“The defendant was aware of the risk of his dangerous driving,” McNerney said.

If found guilty, Rodriguez could face 15 years to life in prison for each of the four counts of murder.