ESCONDIDO, Calif. (CNS) — A recklessly driving DUI suspect trying to evade police in Escondido early Friday crashed the sports car he was driving into a school, killing a passenger in his vehicle before making a failed attempt to evade arrest by running away.
Juan Matias Francisco, 24, allegedly sped off when officers tried to pull him over on East Valley Parkway at about 1:15 a.m., according to the Escondido Police Department.
The officers gave chase briefly before losing sight of the black 2014 Dodge Challenger Francisco was driving in the area of Juniper Street and 13th Avenue, EPD Lt. Craig Miller said.
"During the chase, the driver of the Challenger ran several red lights and stop signs and reached speeds of 80 mph on residential streets," Miller said.
A few minutes after the officers backed off the pursuit, police received a report that a car had crashed onto the grounds of an elementary school in the 1800 block of South Juniper Street. Witnesses described seeing the man who had been driving the vehicle jump out from behind the wheel and run off onto the campus.
Officers arrived to find a man inside the damaged car, gravely injured. Paramedics took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name was withheld pending family notification.
During a search of the school grounds, officers found Francisco and took him into custody. He was treated at a hospital before being booked into county jail in Vista on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, DUI causing bodily injury, hit-and-run resulting in death, evading police and driving without a license.
Francisco was being held on $100,000 bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
