ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) — Police arrested a suspect Sunday in the hit-and-run death of a 14-year-old boy who was struck in a crosswalk.
Jon Edwin Kiesel, a 70-year-old Escondido resident, was taken into custody and jailed at 12:54 p.m. Sunday on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, said Escondido Police Department Lt. Scott Walters.
The 14-year-old boy was fatally injured in the hit-and- run accident while walking in a crosswalk at 9:27 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Bear Valley Parkway and Grand Avenue, Walters said. Family members identified the teen as Anthony Lopez.
Officers arrived within minutes and discovered the boy lying in the roadway, the lieutenant said. The vehicle had fled the scene.
Officers immediately began CPR until the Escondido Fire Department arrived, Walters said. Paramedics rushed the boy to Palomar Medical Center where he later died from injuries sustained in the collision.
After combing through physical evidence, witness statements and law enforcement databases, investigators identified the vehicle involved in the collision as a black 2021 Lexus RX350.
A preliminary investigation determined the boy was crossing east in the crosswalk of Bear Valley Parkway and Grand Avenue against a "no walk" signal and was struck by a vehicle that had been traveling north on Bear Valley Parkway on a green traffic signal.
The primary investigator of the collision is Officer Paul Smyth, and anyone with information about the incident was asked to call him at 760-839- 4423.
A GoFundMe account has been started to help the family pay for funeral costs. To donate, click here.
