A 15-year-old in Lawrenceville, Georgia, has been charged as an adult after police say he shot and left 58-year-old Uber driver Cesar Tejada dead on Jan. 1. Authorities used Flock license-plate cameras to trace a ride that picked up the teen shortly before 4:15 a.m., and say the suspect exited the back seat and shot the driver on Groveland Parkway. Police suspect vehicle theft may have been a motive; the suspect was detained after surveillance. A GoFundMe by Tejada’s wife had raised over $8,000 by Jan. 4.
15-Year-Old Charged As Adult After Alleged Killing Of 58-Year-Old Uber Driver In Georgia
gofundmeCesar Tejada
A 15-year-old from Lawrenceville, Georgia, has been charged as an adult after police say he fatally shot an Uber driver and left the man’s body in the roadway on New Year’s Day.
Lawrenceville police identified the accused as Christian Simmons and the victim as 58-year-old Cesar Tejada. Officers responded to the 600 block of Groveland Parkway at about 5:20 a.m. on Jan. 1 after a report of a person lying in the street; Tejada was found suffering from a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators say they used Flock license-plate–reading cameras to trace an Uber trip that shows Tejada picked up Simmons on Rangewood Drive just before 4:15 a.m. Police allege that when the vehicle arrived on Groveland Parkway the teen exited the rear seat, shot Tejada and left the vehicle and victim in the roadway.
Officers later located Tejada’s vehicle near the area where the trip began. Detectives developed a suspect, conducted neighborhood surveillance and observed an individual exit a residence and walk in the roadway; that person was detained without incident, police said.
Google MapsGroveland Parkway in Lawrenceville, Ga.
During a press conference, Lawrenceville Police Capt. Dena Pauly said investigators found no evidence of an argument before the shooting and indicated the suspected motive may have been vehicle theft. Authorities continue to stress that the allegations remain under investigation.
An Uber spokesperson said the company has been assisting the Lawrenceville Police Department, that the rider account tied to the trip has been suspended, and that the company offers in-app safety tools such as an emergency button, GPS trip tracking and rider verification.
“He was a great father to our two children. A good son, friend and human being,” Tejada’s wife, Evelyn Tejada Tatis, wrote on a GoFundMe page. She described her husband as “the pillar of our home” and said he left for his Uber shifts around 3:30 a.m. each day.
The GoFundMe organized by Tejada’s wife had raised more than $8,000 as of Jan. 4 to help cover family expenses. Police are asking anyone with information about the case to contact the Lawrenceville Police Department.
Advocacy groups also recommend secure firearm storage and resources such as BeSMARTforkids.org to reduce children’s access to unsecured guns.
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