An Oceanside woman who struck a homeless man and continued driving with the man lodged in her windshield before walking home and changing her clothes was convicted Friday of murder.
Esteysi “Stacy” Sanchez had at least five alcoholic drinks, plus beer, in the hours before her car struck a pedestrian on July 27, 2016.
A transient walking on the sidewalk of Mission Avenue in Oceanside was struck with such force, the impact stripped him of his clothes and severed his leg. The appendage flew through the back window and landed on the trunk of the car, police said.
Jack Tenhulzen bled to death inside Sanchez’s car, which she abandoned on the street near her home.
Sanchez called her boyfriend, walked home and changed clothes.
In his opening statement, Sanchez’s attorney acknowledged that his client did drive drunk and fled the scene. Attorney Herb Weston told jurors that fatigue, not alcohol, was responsible for the deadly crash.
Jurors returned Friday with guilty verdicts of murder in the second degree, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and hit and run with death or permanent serious injury.
Sanchez had a blood alcohol level of approximately .22 percent at the time of the collision. That’s almost three times the legal limit of .08 percent.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 31.
