Man Admits Vehicular Manslaughter of Sleeping Couple Run Over at Beach

A 24-year-old Bellflower man who pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter in the deaths of two campers at San Onofre State Beach Park faces a maximum sentence of seven years and four months in state prison.

Douglas Freels entered guilty pleas to the two charges Wednesday in Vista Superior Court. In a plea bargain, other charges of drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident were dropped by prosecutor Greg Walden.

Freels was arrested Sept. 9 after his car was found at the beach parking area where two young people had been run over and killed while sleeping in a small tent they had pitched.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Freels had been driving north in the southbound lanes of former Highway 101, where it serves as access to the beach park.

His car struck the tent in which Amanda Ciskowski, 19, of San Diego and Graham Grubb, 18, of Dana Point were sleeping and dragged them about 35 feet before stopping. Freels abandoned the car, went to a nearby pay phone and called a taxi to take him home. He was arrested there a few hours later.

Freels’ guilty plea came on the day his trial was to start.