Authorities announced Wednesday that a California woman has been charged with murdering a man by ramming into him after accusing him of attempting to drive over a cat on the street.
Hannah Star Esser, 20, has been charged with murder in the death of Victor Anthony Luis, 43, and is being held on $1 million bond, according to a statement from the Orange County prosecutor’s office.
Sunday night, while driving in the Cypress subdivision, Esser allegedly stopped Luis and accused him of attempting to drive over a cat.
20-year-old Woman Charged with Murder after
Running Over Man She Believed Tried to Run Over Cat pic.twitter.com/HcvBzH4MHe— OCDA Todd Spitzer (@OCDAToddSpitzer) September 28, 2022
Authorities say that both she and Luis exited their vehicles and engaged in a dispute that was videotaped by Esser.
According to investigators, Esser then returned to her vehicle, turned around, “accelerated” toward Luis, and struck him with the right front of her vehicle.
The man “was launched up onto the hood and windshield and flipped several times before he landed in the street,” authorities said.
He was declared dead at the scene.
This autumn, Luis, the father of five girls, is expecting his first grandson. He was murdered in front of his apartment building and “died in his only brother’s arms,” according to a statement released by his family on Wednesday.
“This senseless act of violence has robbed the world of a bright light who will never be forgotten,” the statement said, adding that his sister has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover the cost of his funeral.
Court records indicate that Esser was arrested on Sunday and made his first court appearance on Tuesday. She will be arraigned on October 13. A request for comment was received via email to defence attorney Michael Morrison.
District attorney’s office spokesman Kimberly Edds said that it was not immediately apparent if a cat was involved. She said that the crime is still being investigated.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer stated in a statement, “This action showed a complete disregard for human life…The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will ensure that this random act of violence targeting a stranger will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”