A 28-year-old Mission Viejo man was convicted of second-degree murder on Wednesday for striking an O.C. firefighter with his car while driving under the influence.
Stephen Taylor Scarpa, a former addiction care center employee, was reportedly under the influence of various narcotics when he left a party in Westminster on Nov. 3, 2018 to drive home.
"He'd been up for days," O.C. Deputy District Attorney Dan Feldman told jurors. "Loaded is the term he used in interviews" with police, Feldman said.
Scarpa reportedly drove off the road and up onto a sidewalk in Mission Viejo that morning where his vehicle crashed into 44-year-old Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue Capt. Mike Kreza. Kreza had been bicycling on the Alicia Parkway near Via Burgos at around 8 a.m.
Prosecutors said Kreza sustained major skull and leg fractures. He was rushed to an area hospital, but succumbed to his injuries two days later. He served with the fire department for 18 years, and left behind a wife and three young daughters.
Scarpa's attorney said the crash was a "tragic accident," and that his client fell asleep for a "fraction of a second" while driving. He described the collision as a "perfect storm of events."
The 28-year-old is facing 15 years to life in prison when he returns to court for sentencing on Dec. 10.
