A California Marine lance corporal has been charged with vehicular manslaughter after he crashed a truck he stole from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar while fleeing police, killing a passenger in the vehicle.
John Eugene Brand, 21, was also charged with kidnapping, evading police with wanton disregard for safety, evading police causing serious injury or death, evading a police officer, hit and run resulting in death or injury, burglary, and conspiracy, the Escondido Police Department said.
Police said they were called to Dick’s Sporting Goods on December 18 on a report of a man and two weomen stealing merchandise. When police arrived, the suspects jumpted into a pickup truck and fled.
Brand, driving the truck, led police on a high speed chase through Escondido.
“The two female passengers begged the defendant to stop. He refused saying that he was not going to go to jail,” deputy district attorney Helen Kim said at Brand’s arraignment on on Thursday, according to KNSD. “He drove in excess of 90 miles per hour, ran through red lights, drove on the opposite side of the road and collided into a pole.”
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Brand was trying to make a high speed turn when he crashed, police said, ejecting his two passengers. Brand ran away. The two women were taken to an area hospital, where 18-year-old Shevondia Compare-Bell was pronounced dead. The other woman, 18-year-old Tiara Elizabeth Sams, suffered serious injuries but survived, KNSD said.
Officers found Brand cowering about a block from the crash scene.
A spokesperson at the Marine base said Brand is from Kansas and joined the Marine Corps a little more than two years ago. Last month, he was allegedly involved in an attempted carjacking at knifepoint and was out on bail — and under court order to remain on base — at the time of Monday’s incident.
“He is a clear and present danger to the public and there are no conditions and no combination of conditions that will ensure the public safety or ensure that the defendant return to court,” said Kim in court Thursday.
Brand pleaded not guilty at the hearing. The judge denied bail.
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