Giovanni Ceja, a 31-year-old man who worked as a detention officer in Texas, has been arrested in relation to a hit-and-run incident in Riverside, California, that resulted in a pedestrian’s death last week. Ceja was apprehended in Bexar County, Texas, on Monday and is currently awaiting extradition on charges including suspicion of murder, manslaughter with gross intoxication, DUI causing injury, and hit-and-run, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The incident took place around 1:45 a.m. on August 7 along the 215 Freeway east of the 91 Freeway. Ceja, a resident of San Antonio, Texas, reportedly allowed his truck to drift into the right shoulder, where it hit a 38-year-old man who was refueling his disabled vehicle on the side of the highway. The victim was declared dead at the scene, and Ceja allegedly fled the scene.
A relative of the victim, who had brought fuel to the victim after he ran out of gas, witnessed the crash. Ceja’s truck was found at a repair facility in Riverside two days later and was seized as evidence by the CHP.
Ceja, who was reportedly on vacation at the time of the incident, resigned from his position as a detention officer after his arrest. The case highlights the serious implications of hit-and-run incidents and the importance of holding all individuals accountable for their actions, regardless of their professional roles.