Man Is Charged in Fatal Street Race

Murder charges were filed Friday against a 25-year-old man accused of killing an elderly driver during a street race last week, while Santa Ana police asked for the public’s help in locating the man he was racing.

In addition, bail for Julio Enrique Trujillo, accused of killing 74-year-old Margaret Leyva of Huntington Beach while racing along a busy street near South Coast Plaza, was raised to $1 million from $50,000.

Trujillo, who suffered a fractured ankle and other broken bones, sat in a wheelchair during his court appearance. Through a translator, he agreed to postpone the hearing until May 29.

The Santa Ana man also faces a felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.

Police said Trujillo was traveling about 85 mph while racing another car on Bristol Street near Central Avenue on May 1 when he lost control of his Mustang and crashed head-on with a Volkswagen Golf, killing Leyva.

On Thursday, a witness provided police a description of the car Trujillo was racing: a late 1990s or early 2000s bright metallic gold, lowered, two-door Acura Integra with chrome wheels and a large silver exhaust pipe.

“This information was immediately disseminated to the patrol officers in the streets,” Santa Ana Police Sgt. Baltazar De La Riva said Friday.

About 8 p.m. Thursday, an officer spotted a car matching the description in the parking lot of a McDonald’s restaurant near Pacific Street and Edinger Avenue, De La Riva said.

When the officer tried to investigate, the car sped off and disappeared in an adjacent neighborhood.

“We’re asking for the public’s help,” De La Riva said. “Anyone who has seen a vehicle matching this description should call our investigators, because we would like to talk to [its driver.]”

Santa Ana police investigators can be reached at (714) 245-8214.