Woman rams car into man she thought was trying to hit a cat, California officials say

A 20-year-old woman faces a murder charge after she hit and killed another driver she accused of trying to hit a cat on a Los Angeles-area street, according to California prosecutors.

Hannah Star Esser faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Esser confronted Luis Anthony Victor, 43, on a street in Cypress at 8:23 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, the release said. She accused Victor of trying to run over a cat in the street.

Both drivers got out of their vehicles to argue, then Esser returned to her car, made a 3-point turn and accelerated toward Victor, prosecutors said.

He was thrown onto the hood of her car and flipped several times before landing in the street, the release said. Victor was pronounced dead at the scene.

“This action showed a complete disregard for human life,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in the release.

Cypress is a city of about 49,000 people in Orange County, southeast of Los Angeles.

This story was originally published September 29, 2022 at 10:53 AM with the headline "Woman rams car into man she thought was trying to hit a cat, California officials say."