Indian-origin man Anurag Chandra receives life sentence for deadly car crash in California

Anurag Chandra, a 45-year-old man of Indian-origin from California, has been handed a life sentence without parole following his conviction in a fatal car crash case from 2020.

The conviction is a consequence of Anurag Chandra intentionally ramming his vehicle into a car carrying six teenagers, resulting in the death of three 16-year-old boys and severe injuries to the other three teens. The incident happened after the teens played a “doorbell” prank at Anurag Chandra’s home.

Anurag Chandra was convicted in April on three counts each of murder and attempted murder, along with an additional charge relating to multiple murders. The Riverside County jury returned guilty verdicts after only three hours of deliberation. Anurag Chandra had deliberately crashed his car into the one carrying the teens, as per the findings from the investigation conducted by the District Attorney’s Office.

Indian-origin man in California Anurag Chandra gets life sentence for deadly car crash. Photo courtesy of Netto Figueiredo from Pixabay.

The fatal collision occurred on the night of January 19, 2020, on Temescal Canyon Road. Anurag Chandra, driving aggressively, forced the teenagers’ 2002 Toyota Prius off the road, causing it to crash into a tree. The accident resulted in the deaths of Daniel Hawkins, Jacob Ivascu, and Drake Ruiz, while the 18-year-old driver and two other passengers aged 13 and 14, were severely injured. Chandra left the accident scene and returned to his home without reporting the incident.

The boys were out on a sleepover and, on a dare, executed a “doorbell ditch” prank at Anurag Chandra’s home. When the Indian-origin man gave chase in his car, the boys attempted to escape but couldn’t outrun him. Chandra rammed his car into the Prius, causing the fatal accident.

In a separate case, Anurag Chandra pleaded guilty to charges of spousal battery and child endangerment and received credit for time served. Since his arrest on January 20, 2020, Chandra has been held at the Robert Presley Detention Centre in Riverside in relation to the homicide case.

District Attorney Mike Hestrin expressed gratitude towards the Judge for imposing the maximum sentence, acknowledging the lasting impact of Chandra’s actions on multiple families.