Oregon student charged with manslaughter in death of former Ducks LB Fotu Leiato
A 22-year-old University of Oregon student faces charges of first-degree manslaughter after the death of former Ducks linebacker Fotu Leiato.
The Eugene Register-Guard reports that police arrested Pedro Chavarin Jr. Tuesday afternoon after he left a local hospital following a car crash.
Student accused of lying to police about Leiato’s dead body
Chavarin stands accused of driving under the influence and crashing his car around 2:30 a.m. on Friday. When police found Chavarin, they took him to the hospital. Chavarin told authorities that he did not have a passenger in his car during the roll-over accident, the Register-Guard reports.
A passerby walking near the scene of the crash after daylight saw a hand sticking out of nearby bushes, according to police. The hand belonged to the dead body of 21-year-old Leiato. Police say that Leiato had been a passenger in Chavarin’s car.
Leiato had been dismissed from football team
Leiato, a senior, had been dismissed from the team after being arrested twice in 2018 on charges of theft, criminal trespassing and criminal mischief. Charges from an April incident stem from Leiato allegedly removing a parking boot from his car.
Leiato played in 38 games over three seasons with the Ducks as a backup and special teams player. He was expected to compete for a starting job at the team’s hybrid linebacker/defensive back “Duck” position before he was dismissed over his criminal charges.
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