O.C. Porsche Driver Who Dragged Officer in ’98 Dies

An Irvine man serving prison time for dragging a Newport Beach police officer with his Porsche in 1998 died after being transported from prison to a hospital, officials said.

Jeffrey Wayne Minor, 36, was having difficulty breathing last Saturday evening, said Terry Thornton, spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections. He was taken to Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, where he died about 11 p.m., according to the San Diego County coroner’s office.

The cause of his death is pending results of toxicology tests which will take four to six weeks, officials said.

Minor was serving a 13-year sentence at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, a state prison in San Diego County, where he worked in the paint shop, officials said.

He was the son of Wayne Minor, who owns San Jacinto-based Agri-Empire Corp., which is among the nation’s largest potato growers.

In 1998, Jeffrey Minor was stopped by Newport Beach police on suspicion of drunk driving. Before he could be arrested, he jumped back in his Porsche and drove away with Officer Kristen Arnold, 23, dangling through an open door for about 70 feet.

The officer was ejected when the Porsche swerved into a parked car, but her injuries were not serious.

After posting bail, Minor fled to Italy, where he fought extradition to Orange County for two years.

In 2002, he was convicted of drunk driving and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer. At his sentencing, Minor pledged his devotion to a life of sobriety and pleaded for leniency but was given the maximum term of 10 years.

Minor was also serving a three-year term for driving drunk in a separate case.