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In San Diego, 38-year-old Antonio Alcantar stood before the court on Thursday, facing charges related to the tragic death of La Mesa Police Officer Lauren Craven. The arraignment follows Alcantar’s arrest for allegedly driving under the influence and crashing into an existing accident scene.
Alcantar, who serves as a Navy police officer, is accused of causing the fatal incident where Officer Craven, aged 25, had heroically moved two individuals to safety. She had returned to the crash site to aid DeVeonte Morris, a 19-year-old whose vehicle had flipped over, leaving him with critical injuries.
Deputy District Attorney Spencer Sharpe highlighted that Alcantar’s blood alcohol content was recorded at .16, over an hour after the incident, indicating significant alcohol consumption prior to getting behind the wheel.
Prosecutors argue that Alcantar’s training and responsibilities as a military police officer elevate the charge from manslaughter to murder. “Given his military police background, Alcantar had received specific training and held responsibilities that made him acutely aware of the dangers that drinking and driving pose to human life,” Sharpe explained.
“He is military police. He has gone through in just a precursory look at his military records specific training and had specific duties that made him uniquely aware of the danger to human life that drinking and driving posed,” Sharpe said.
Defense attorneys argue Alcantar’s service to the nation and lack of criminal history should have weighed more in the charging of their defendant.
Alcantar’s defense attorney Dan Greene is asking the public to hold their judgment of Alcantar until all of the evidence is released.
“He’s not a risk to the community, he’s certainly not a risk of flight and that’s not for show, that’s the person he’s always been and that’s the person he continues to be,” Greene said.
Alcantar is being held on $1 million bail and is expected back in court on Dec. 3.