Cerritos man convicted in OC DUI crash that killed a La Mirada driver

SANTA ANA  — A 35-year-old Cerritos man was convicted Tuesday of gross vehicular manslaughter in a drunken driving crash that killed an 82-year-old La Mirada man on Mother’s Day 2015 in Buena Park.

Steven Gerard Cruz was also convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and driving with a blood-alcohol content exceeding .08 percent causing injury. Jurors also found true four sentencing enhancement allegations of causing great bodily injury, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Daniel Feldman.

The victim, William Bradford Parker of La Mirada, was driving a 2000 Toyota Avalon with his wife and their daughter as passengers on May 10, 2015, as they celebrated Mother’s Day together at an El Torito restaurant, when Cruz slammed his 2006 Nissan Titan into Parker’s car, Feldman said.

Parker’s wife and daughter sustained broken ribs among other injuries in the crash, Feldman said.

Parker was turning right out of the parking lot when Cruz’s vehicle collided with Parker’s car, Feldman said. Cruz was driving about 90 mph on Orangethorpe Avenue with a blood-alcohol content of .11 percent, above the legal limit of .08 percent, Feldman said.

Cruz told police he was trying to make a yellow light and admitted drinking two Budweisers and smoking marijuana the day before, Feldman said.

Cruz faces up to 12 years and eight months in prison.