News Releases
May 26, 2021: Off-Duty Deputy Charged with Murder for Solo Crash
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Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that a man was charged today with murder for a fatal solo car crash last summer.
“Reckless driving can be deadly and no one knows that more than law enforcement officers,” District Attorney Gascón said.
Daniel Manuel Auner (dob 10/13/97) faces one felony count each of murder and reckless driving on a highway causing injury with an allegation of causing great bodily injury in case YA103916.
Arraignment is scheduled today in Department 4 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Torrance Branch.
Just after midnight on July 8, 2020, Auner, an off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, was allegedly driving his vehicle at a high rate of speed when the car crashed into a traffic pole at the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and 190th Street in Torrance. His front-seat passenger, Ashley Wells, 23, died as a result of her injuries.
Two other passengers suffered serious injuries, according to prosecutors.
The case remains under investigation by the Torrance Police Department.
