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Pechanga man describes meth-fueled police chase


A member of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians said he was high on methamphetamine and suicidal when he led police on a high-speed chase near Temecula, California.

Joseph Anthony Barrientos, 27, said he has been using meth since he was 12 or 13 years old. He was high on meth when he allegedly hit a family on the street and fled the scene.

On trial for second-degree murder, driving while intoxicated by meth and evading police, Barrientos said he was suicidal when he tried to elude capture. He admitted to ingesting more meth during the chase.

Pedro Romero, 11, and his grandmother, Martha Romero, 56, were killed in the crash.

Get the Story:
Driver: 'I know I was wrong' (The Riverside Press-Enterprise 11/7)
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