Teen charged as adult with felony murder in crash that killed elderly Ocala couple, police say
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A 17-year-old has been arrested on a felony murder charge in connection with a deadly traffic crash last month.
The crash killed two people after investigators determined the teenager was fleeing the scene of a robbery, authorities said.
The backstory:
The Ocala Police Department said Estiben Garcia Luis was driving a Ford Mustang at a high rate of speed on May 8 when he failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Southwest 38th Street and Southwest 67th Avenue Road and collided with a Ford Explorer.
The occupants of the Explorer, a husband and wife in their 70s, were taken to a hospital, where both later died from their injuries.
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Investigators said Garcia Luis and another person had allegedly been involved in a robbery at the Ocala Sportsplex moments before the crash. Detectives said they reviewed surveillance video and witness statements and determined the Mustang left the scene immediately before the collision.
Police said the evidence indicated Garcia Luis was participating in the robbery and attempting to flee when the crash occurred.
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Because the deaths happened during the commission of an alleged felony, detectives said they established probable cause to charge Garcia Luis with felony murder, according to police.
Garcia Luis has been taken into custody.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Ocala Police Department.