Man Gets 17-Year Term for Drug-Related Crash

A Cypress man who was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison Friday apologized for driving under the influence of cocaine and racing through a red light, injuring a mother and her two children.

Steven Arndt, 36, said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” after Superior Court Judge Richard F. Toohey handed down the harshest prison sentence possible, Deputy Dist. Atty. Cathleen MacDonald said.

Arndt was driving at speeds of up to 100 mph in June 1996 when he ran a red light in Cypress, plowing into a van driven by Vicki Schwartz, 46, also of Cypress. Schwartz was injured along with her son, Ryan, who was 6 at the time of the crash and continues to suffer from severe brain damage. The crash left his 4-year-old sister, Natalie, with deep scars on her face, McDonald said.

The prosecutor asked that Arndt get the maximum sentence because of his reckless behavior and his history of drug use, which included three previous drug-related violations, one of which put him in prison for two years.

Police said they found a gram of cocaine among Arndt’s belongings on the day of the crash and a crack pipe inside his car.

Arndt was also a fugitive at the time for failing to complete a court-ordered drug rehabilitation program, police said.

A Superior Court jury in April convicted Arndt of driving under the influence of drugs, possessing cocaine and other charges.

MacDonald said she spoke briefly to the victims’ family after Friday morning’s sentencing. “They’re pleased,” she said. “It was the best they could get.”