Second Man Charged With Murder In Deadly Chatsworth Street Racing Crash

CHATSWORTH (CBSLA.com) — A second suspect was charged Thursday for his involvement in a deadly street racing accident in Chatsworth.

Irael Valenzuela, 38, was arrested Tuesday and charged with two counts of murder and one count of engaging in a motor vehicle speed contest on a highway causing a concussion, officials said.

According to authorities, two vehicles were street racing around 2:15 a.m. Feb. 26 at Plummer Street and Canoga Avenue when a 2014 modified Ford Mustang lost control and ran into a crowd of spectators.

Two men — 26-year-old Eric Siguenza and 50-year-old Wilson Thomas Wong — were killed and a third victim suffered serious injuries.

Both drivers fled the scene.

Henry Michael Gevorgyan, 21, surrendered to police Feb. 28 a few days after police identified him as the driver of the Mustang.

He pleaded not guilty to murder charges Tuesday, and his defense attorney Katie Hardie claims a video posted on social media shows he was not behind the wheel at the time of the crash.

She said her client lost both of his parents recently and was devastated by the incident.

Both suspects were being held on $2 million bail each.

Valenzuela was expected to be arraigned Thursday afternoon. Gevorgyan was due back in court March 11.

If convicted as charged, both defendants face a maximum possible sentence of 33 years to life in state prison.

The case remains under investigation.