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Parolee convicted of killing one, injuring two during police chase

Joggers run past a broken street sign in 2009 after a deadly police pursuit left one dead and two people injured. Oscar Javier de la Torre Villalobos was convicted in the crash.
(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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An Orange County jury Thursday found a Riverside County parolee guilty of second-degree murder for his role in a car crash that killed one and injured two in Anaheim in 2009.

Oscar Javier de la Torre Villalobos, 27, faces a maximum sentence of 21 years to life for the crash that killed Orlando Botello and injured two others.

Officials said Villalobos, who was on parole in Riverside County, and a companion got into a fight with a man on the sidewalk in Anaheim about 7:40 p.m. June 15, then fled to a nearby Home Depot parking lot, where police found and tried to arrest them.

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Instead, Villalobos sped away, leading police on a chase that at times reached 90 mph through the streets of Anaheim. Finally, Villalobos ran a red light at Magnolia and Crescent avenues, causing a collision that eventually involved several vehicles.

At the time, Villalobos blood-alcohol level was 0.26%, more three times the legal limit. He is set to be sentenced May 2.

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jessica.garrison@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimesjessicag

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