A reputed gang member accused of leading Long Beach police on a chase that ended with a crash that fatally injured a local dog walker and five of the six canines she was transporting in her SUV is set to be arraigned Thursday on nine felony counts.
Javier Olivarez Jr., 43, of Los Angeles, is charged with one count each of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, fleeing a pursuing peace officer’s motor vehicle causing death and driving or taking a vehicle without consent, along with six counts of cruelty to an animal, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The charges stem from a May 7 pursuit of a stolen white 2016 Nissan van, which ran a stop sign and struck Jessica Bingaman’s 2013 Ford Escape at Third Street and Temple Avenue before hitting three parked vehicles.
Bingaman, a 41-year-old single mother who operated a local dog-walking and training business, suffered major traumatic injuries and died at a local hospital.
Four of the dogs the Long Beach resident had with her died at the scene, with a fifth dying after being taken to a local pet hospital, police said. The sixth dog was subsequently released to its owners after being treated at the pet hospital.
Bingaman, who is survived by her 10-year-old daughter, was a familiar sight in the community, where she walked canines — sometimes about a half-dozen at a time — for clients. More than 100 people turned out for a candlelight memorial gathering in her honor the day after she was killed.
Olivarez — described by police as a known gang member who had violated parole — suffered minor injuries in the crash, police said.
Olivarez has prior convictions for unlawfully planting or cultivating marijuana in 2002, receiving stolen property in 2004, second-degree robbery in 2007 and possession of a belt buckle knife in 2017, according to the criminal complaint.
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