KCBA - Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz - News Weather-Father Leads Police on Chase, 8 Year-old Son Dies
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Thursady afternoon, Zabdiel Arciga, the man police say ran from authorities Tuesday morning, pled not guilty to a laundry list of charges including DUI, murder, vehicular manslaughter, evading police and child endangerment.
Zabdiel ArcigaSEASIDE, Calif - 8 year-old Isaiah Solis Becker is dead after his father allegedly led police on a high speed chase on Highway 1.
Shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday a Cal State Monterey Bay police officer saw a 1993 Lexus GS 300 sedan, driving in excess of 120 miles per hour. The officer was unable to catch up with the car when the Lexus tried to exit the freeway at the Fremont / Del Monte Blvd exit in Seaside. The car crashed into the guardrail, splitting the car in half, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The driver, 32 year old Zabdiel Arciga of Marina, was taken to the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula for minor injuries. His son, Isaiah, was flown to Valley Medical Center in San Jose where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
According to court documents obtained by Central Coast News, Arciga had been convicted of at least one prior DUI in 2002 and was sentenced to 5 days in jail and 5 years of probation. In 2007 he was charged with spousal abuse and child endangerment, however, those charges were later dropped. Police suspect that Arciga was under the influence of alcohol when he crashed the car.
Shawn Mills, a close friend of Arciga went to the accident sight Tuesday where he told Central Coast news that he, "found [Isaiah's baseball] bat", and said he had seen it before and recognized it.
Mills lent Arciga his car about a year ago, and when police arrived at Mills home at 3 o'clock this morning, Mills told Central Coast News that police were surprised to find him at home, "they were having some rough times so I lent him my [Lexus]."
Mills described what happened today as, "a very sad story for [Arcigas] family... he leaves several children behind...there is no happy ending for anyone on this one."
According to Arciga's family, he had sole custody of Issiah and he was a good father to all of his children. His family says that Arciga had fallen on hard times after loosing his mother and his job in the past few years.
Officers arrested Arciga and booked into Monterey County Jail for vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated, and child endangerment.
