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SAN MATEO COUNTY — A San Francisco man pleaded no contest this week to three felonies, including vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, after he T-boned another car while being pursued by San Bruno police last year, killing the driver.
Matthew Todd Fredricksen, 34, was the getaway driver in an apparent shoplifting incident around 10 p.m. on June 19 of last year at the Shops of Tanforan in San Bruno. After reports of the shoplifting reached police, officers saw Fredricksen’s vehicle depart the mall’s parking lot. Despite police attempts to pull him over, Fredricksen fled at high speeds, according to prosecutors.
With lights and sirens on, police pursued the vehicle as it traveled about 60 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone. After police broke off the pursuit, Fredricksen plowed through a red light, striking another vehicle in a T-bone collision and killing its driver, 59-year-old Mikhail Maalouli.
Fredricksen then exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot, but was arrested. He was later found to have fentanyl in his system during the pursuit, and fentanyl and methamphetamine in his possession.
On Tuesday, he pleaded no contest to felony charges of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of drugs and fleeing pursuing officers.
San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said his office will pursue a 10-year and eight month state-prison sentence for Fredricksen, the maximum allowed by law.
“Our 59 year old victim Mikhail Maalouli had just finished his work for the day and was sitting at a stoplight while driving home to be with his family,” Wagstaffe said. “Defendant Fredricksen had complete disregard for anyone in his path fleeing from the police and crushed the life out of the victim. The harm inflicted by Fredrickson to the victim and victim’s family certainly warrants 10 years in state prison.”
Wagstaffe said he believed Fredricksen’s defense attorney, Soo Kwon, would ask for “many less” years. Kwon could not immediately be reached for comment.
Fredricksen’s sentencing hearing was scheduled for Nov. 16.
Originally published at Austin Turner