OC man sentenced to 13 years for LA street takeover that left nursing student dead
An Orange County man who pleaded no contest in connection with a Christmas Day 2022 street takeover in South Los Angeles that resulted in a crash that killed a 24-year-old nursing student was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison.
Dante Terrel Chapple-Young was doing “doughnuts” in his 2011 Chevrolet Camaro when he lost control of his vehicle after clipping a tow truck that was parked in the intersection of Florence Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard, with the Camaro careening into a group of bystanders on Dec. 25, 2022, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Elyzza Guajaca was struck and died that day of blunt trauma after being taken to a hospital.
Los Angeles police said the driver abandoned the vehicle and ran away.
Chapple-Young — who has since appeared in a public service announcement warning about the dangers of street takeovers — was arrested about 2 1/2 weeks later in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He waived extradition to Los Angeles County, where he was initially charged with one count each of murder and hit-and-run driving resulting in death.
Chapple-Young pleaded no contest May 23 to one felony count each of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and assault with a deadly weapon, along with admitting allegations that he fled the scene and caused great bodily injury to a second person, who suffered a fractured ankle.
The murder and hit-and-run charges were dismissed as a result of the plea agreement.
Chapple-Young is featured in a public service announcement that was shot in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom, in which he described “doing my doughnuts with ’em and my car goes into a crowd of people.”
“I just remember getting out and I looked around and I seen everybody getting up off the ground. I thought, you know, this would be like any other time, that everybody would just get up and be O.K., but unfortunately, that was not what panned out to be that day,” he said in the nearly two-minute public service announcement.
“Unfortunately, a young woman lost her life and it’s something that I deeply regret for doing and being responsible for, and you never think it could be you until it’s actually you, that I would be responsible for somebody’s death … from doing doughnuts.
“It’s not worth it. It’s not worth burning a little rubber,” he added. “You know, if it can be avoided, then let’s just stop it. You don’t have to go out and do doughnuts in the middle of the intersection to show your love for cars, you know. It’s dangerous. Somebody can and will get hurt.”
Chapple-Young’s attorney, Christopher E. Chaney, said his client is “very remorseful” and that “this public service message was part of a creative solution between our office and the District Attorney’s Office to reach a resolution that satisfied both their office and the interests of our client.”
In an emotional statement shortly before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Herriford imposed the sentence, the victim’s mother, Lorraine Guajaca, said that “my world and my family has been changed forever.”
“… My heart is heavier than I could ever imagine,” she said, noting that she is “left with nothing besides memories.”
She told the defendant that he didn’t even bother to check who he had hit and that he is only sorry because he got caught.
“You have to live with this for the rest of your life,” she added. “I hope you’ll never be at peace.”
Chapple-Young has remained behind bars since he was taken into custody.