Navy Officer Charged With Murder In La Mesa Police Officer's Death

LA MESA, CA — A Navy police officer has pleaded not guilty to driving drunk and fatally striking a La Mesa Police Officer one week ago.

Antonio Alcantar, 38, is accused of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, according to court records in the Oct. 20 death of Officer Lauren Craven. She was on duty at a crash scene, aiding a driver whose car had overturned that night amid a five-vehicle pileup, when she was struck by Alcantar and killed. Craven, who had just recently turned 25 years old, died at the scene.

Prosecutors allege that after a night of drinking, Alcantar got behind the wheel of his car and struck the officer. Another motorist that Craven was assisting, 19-year-old De'Veonte Morris, also died at the crash scene after being struck by Alcantar, though the accused is not facing charges related to Morris's death, according to court records.

Deputy District Attorney Spencer Sharpe said the investigation into Morris' death remains ongoing "due to the complexity of the accident."

Alcantar was hospitalized for injuries sustained in the crash and later arrested.

The accused's blood-alcohol level was measured at twice the legal limit more than an hour after the crash, according to Sharpe. Video footage recorded from a Tesla that was behind Alcantar's vehicle showed he "makes no attempts at all to avoid the emergency scene," while numerous other motorists slowed down and went around the stopped cars, Sharpe said.

The murder charge was filed because Alcantar's experience as a Master-at-Arms in the Navy afforded him specialized training and duties "that made him uniquely aware of the danger to human life that drinking and driving poses and he did it anyway."

Alcantar was initially released on $110,000 bail until his Thursday afternoon arraignment, when a judge ordered him remanded into custody on $1 million bail.

Alcantar's attorneys had requested that he remain out of custody, citing his clean criminal record and 11 years of military service.

Attorney Samantha Greene, spoke on her client's behalf.

"He came into court today knowing that he was being charged with murder and showed up and is standing before the court because he 100% stands here to take responsibility for what happened and to fight this case," Greene said.

If Alcantar does make bail, he is ordered to wear an alcohol- monitoring device, abstain from drinking, and is prohibited from driving.

Another of Alcantar's defense attorneys, Dan Greene, said after the hearing that his client hoped the result of the case was "the fair and the just one" and "not simply based on the fact that sadly and tragically, an officer was killed."

He also noted that the crash occurred in freeway lanes "where people naturally, whether they're sober or otherwise, expect to be able to drive without impediment."

Craven, a Bend, Oregon, native, celebrated her most recent birthday on Oct. 7.

Following her death, Craven was remembered with candlelight vigils, a funeral procession earlier this week that stretched from Mission Valley to Rancho San Diego, and a memorial service attended by hundreds of law enforcement officers and other attendees.