Lake Elsinore Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Cousin in Street Race

A Lake Elsinore man whose cousin died in a street race that the defendant initiated pleaded guilty today to gross vehicular manslaughter and was immediately sentenced to three years in state prison.

Luis Eduardo Garcia, 26, entered his plea during a felony settlement conference before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jerry Johnson at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

Under the plea deal, the District Attorney’s Office agreed to drop felony charges of reckless driving and engaging in a speed contest, as well as a misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license, in exchange for Garcia’s admission of guilt to the manslaughter charge and hit-and-run resulting in injuries.

Had Garcia been convicted by a jury, he could have faced up to 10 years behind bars.

According to prosecutors, on the afternoon of March 4, Garcia was driving his 2005 Honda convertible in the area of Lincoln Street, just west of Sunswept Drive, when he spotted his cousin, 29-year-old Sergio Garcia-Estrada of Laguna Hills, in his 2002 BMW.

The two men began racing, but Garcia-Estrada lost control of his car and it rolled over, causing him to be ejected. He suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene, according to sheriff’s investigators.

Garcia slowed down immediately after the crash, but then sped away, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Detectives identified Garcia as the driver of the Honda, leading to his arrest the following day at a residence at 29188 Ocotillo Drive.

Garcia’s conviction today counts as a felony strike. According to court records, he has previous misdemeanor convictions, including for hit-and-run.