The Los Angeles District Attorney's office has filed a case against three individuals accused of staging automobile accidents on local freeways in order to collect payments from insurance companies.
Eduardo Retana, 25; Ausencio Gomez, 46 and Victor Valle-Diaz, 55, all of Los Angeles, were charged on Monday with 11 counts of assault with various counts of assault with a deadly weapon and insurance fraud. Some of the accidents staged by the trio reportedly resulted in major injuries, D.A. George Gascón's office alleged.
"Purposefully causing automobile collisions can cause grave injuries or even death for the innocent victims of an automobile insurance scheme," Gascón said in a statement Monday.
The D.A.'s office has alleged that between Jan. and Sept. 2020, the defendants staged 15 accidents on L.A. County freeways, affecting 21 victims. The reportedly defrauded insurances companies of nearly $330,000.
An investigation into the alleged fraud by the California Department of Insurance is ongoing. Arraignment for the three men is scheduled for Aug. 31 in San Fernando.