Man who intentionally drove into O.C. deputy's car gets 13 years

A Santa Ana man who pleaded guilty to smashing his car into an Orange County sheriff’s patrol car was sentenced to 13 years in prison Monday, according to the Orange County district attorney’s  office.

David Araujo Reyes, 28, was driving through the intersection of 1st and Flower streets in Santa Ana the morning of March 14, 2010, when he spotted the marked patrol car and intentionally crashed into it with the aim of hurting the deputy behind the wheel, prosecutors said.

Reyes surrendered at the scene, and authorities subsequently found a bag of bullets in his car, authorities said.

Reyes, who had previous convictions for street terrorism and robbery, pleaded guilty to a felony count of aggravated assault on a peace officer and possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, resulting in a third strike under California law and the permanent loss of his driver’s license.

The D.A. said the crash was captured on the patrol car’s video recorder.

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-- Christopher Goffard