VALLEY CENTER, Calif. (KGTV) - A family in Valley Center is mourning the hit-and-run death of a beloved father and grandfather.
Mario Lucero lived for his family, especially his six grandchildren.
"He was very proud of his grandkids. Everywhere he went, he would talk about them. They kept him going," said his daughter-in-law Araceli Avila.
His grandkids were looking forward to spending Christmas with their favorite grandpa. Instead, they're planning his funeral.
"Having this news come to us, I guess, at any moment, but especially around the holidays, it’s devastating. My kids love his grandpa, their grandpa," said Avila.
Lucero was well-known and well-loved in Valley Center. At 71, he was still working hard, landscaping, and doing other odd jobs. Lucero rode his bike everywhere.
"Sometimes people will pull over and give him rides home 'cause they were just worried for him. It’s something we were always afraid of and never thought would actually happen," said Avila.
Flowers and candles mark the spot where their worst fears came true on Cole Grade Road just north of Horse Creek Trail just before 6 p.m. Saturday. Lucero was on his way home from a neighborhood market. He was about a mile away from where he lived when someone hit him and kept going. He died on the side of the road.
"He did not deserve this for sure all he did was treat people with kindness and so much respect," said Avila.
The family is now raising money to give Lucero a proper burial in his hometown of Oaxaca, Mexico.
"He always dreamed of going back to his country. Of course, this is not how we imagined him going back," said Avila.
His family is hoping to raise enough money to fly his grandchildren to Mexico to say goodbye. If you'd like to donate, click here.
The CHP believes the driver was in a Ford SUV or possibly an F series pick-up truck. The right front headlight was left at the scene.
CHP is asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact the Oceanside Area CHP office at 760-643-3400.
