Mesa Police Department on March 22 arrested and booked 21-year-old Gezane Izreal Cabanillas-Lape on two counts of second degree murder and one count of aggravated assault in connection with his involvement in a double fatal vehicle collision.

Police responding to the 5:30 p.m. March 22 vehicle collision in the area of Windsor and Main Street in Mesa discovered that two vehicles were involved, a 2009 Chrysler 300C and a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, according to a post at mesapd.blogspot.com.

The male passenger in the Chrysler Pacifica was not responsive. That individual, 82-year-old Ronald Hettich, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The female driver of the Pacifica, 80-year-old Irma Hettich, Ronald’s spouse, sustained serious injuries, was transported to a local hospital, and was later pronounced deceased.

The driver of the Chrysler 300C, 21-year-old Gezane Cabanillas-Lape and the 21-year-old female passenger were also transported to a local hospital. Cabanillas-Lape had no serious injuries, but the female passenger suffered possible internal injuries.

The investigation revealed that the Hettich vehicle was traveling north on Windsor crossing over Main Street when Cabanillas-Lape who was traveling westbound on Main Street at a high rate of speed collided with the passenger side of the Hettich vehicle. It was determined Cabanillas-Lape was traveling in excess of 100 mph on a roadway with a speed limit of 45 mph at the time of the collision. Cabanillas-Lape was evaluated, and no signs of alcohol or drug impairment were discovered, police said.

The investigation revealed the primary cause of the collision was the reckless high rate of speed of Cabanillas-Lape. Based on the speed factor causing the deaths of Ronald and Irma Hettich and the injuries sustained by the female passenger in the Chrysler 300C, Cabanillas-Lape was arrested and booked into the Mesa City Holding Facility, police said.