Police: Driver in pursuit crash that killed 2 was on heroin

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A driver who caused a crash that killed two people during a police chase last week in Los Angeles was high on heroin and fentanyl, authorities said Wednesday.

Oscar De La Cruz faces a murder charge in connection with the Jan. 31 collision in the San Fernando Valley, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. It wasn’t immediately known if he has an attorney.

The pursuit began when officers responded to a report of a stolen pickup truck. A police helicopter had just arrived overhead to take over tracking of the pickup when the truck crashed into a sedan, killing the car’s two occupants, LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said at the time.

A passenger in the pickup was hospitalized with minor injuries. De La Cruz was arrested after being treated at a hospital, officials said.

De La Cruz “admitted to injecting heroin and ingesting fentanyl,” the police statement said.

He has an extensive criminal history and was on parole, the statement said. His bail was set at $500,000.