What are the charges against Anurag Chandra? California man convicted in teens' 2020 murder 

Last week, Anurag Chandra, a resident of Riverside County, California, was convicted of killing three teenage boys after a prank went horribly wrong in January 2020. On Friday, April 28, Anurag Chandra was found guilty of killing three 16-year-olds after running the kids off the road following a chase.

Chandra was accused of following the boys in his car, who fled in a vehicle after ringing his doorbell on a dare. During the chase, Chandra, an Indian native, reportedly slammed his car into their Toyota Prius, which crashed into a tree in the Temescal Valley, killing Daniel Hawkins, Drake Ruiz, and Jacob Ivascu.

All three victims were reportedly 16 years old at the time. Chandra, who fled the scene after the deadly crash, also injured three other teens who survived the incident. Anurag Chandra was found guilty of three counts of attempted murder and three counts of first-degree murder for killing three teens and injuring three others in 2020.

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Anurag Chandra allegedly had 12 beers on the day of the crash

During his testimony at the trial, Anurag Chandra said he was extremely intoxicated when a group of teenagers decided to ring his bell and flee the scene on a dare. Chandra testified that he had close to 12 beers before he drove up to 99 miles per hour in pursuit of the teens, which resulted in the fatal crash.

Chandra said the prank reportedly enraged him after one of the teens flashed his buttocks before running away.

On January 19, 2020, a group of teens, on a dare, rang the suspect’s doorbell as a prank popularly dubbed ding-dong-ditch before they fled the scene. Seemingly outraged at the innocuous prank, the suspect pursued the teens, who fled in a Toyota Prius.

Chandra, who was allegedly drunk at the time, drove 99 miles per hour, ramming into their vehicle, which careened off the road and slammed into a tree. Chandra then fled the scene without checking on the victims, who were critically injured at the crash site.

Chandra told the jury that his wife and two daughters were home when the teens reportedly banged on their door, scaring his family. The suspect, who also admitted to fleeing the scene, added that he kept driving as he did not think anyone was hurt during the incident.

However, authorities said Corona residents Daniel Hawkins and Drake Ruiz passed away due to their injuries, alongside Riverside resident Jacob Ivascu. They were all 16 at the time of the fatal crash. As per the New York Post, the 18-year-old driver and two 13-year-old passengers reportedly survived the incident.

Shortly after, Anurag Chandra, previously accused of a domestic violence incident in 2020, was found guilty. District Attorney Mike Hestrin, in a statement, said:

“The murder of these young men was a horrendous and senseless tragedy for our community. I thank the jury for their verdict. This is an important step toward justice.”

As per the Los Angeles Times, Chandra’s attorney, David Wohl, called the verdict an overreach, adding that they are filing a motion for a new trial.