LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — The wife of an Uber driver murdered in Gwinnett County on New Year’s Day is remembering him as “an exemplary man” just trying to provide for his family.
She says 58-year-old Cesar Tejada’s alarm went off at 3:30 a.m. to go to work like every other day. But when he left, he didn’t know it would be for the last time.
Lawrenceville police say Tejada was killed during a suspected carjacking by 15-year-old Christian Simmons of Lilburn after being dropped off at his destination.
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“He dumped him on the street as if he was disposing of something of no value,” his wife wrote in an online fundraiser.
Ring camera video captured a black SUV pulling up around 4:30 a.m. Thursday.
The driver stops, then the trunk opens, and the driver gets out. A couple of minutes go by, and the driver takes off, leaving the man on the ground.
Video from 15 minutes later showed the same vehicle returning to the scene and stopping next to the body.
Simmons was arrested a few hours later.
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“Cesar was the pillar of our home. He was an exemplary man and excellent husband. He was a great father to our two children. A good son, friend and human being. He wasn’t the type of person to create controversy, he was very calm, composed. He lived a quiet life working hard to provide for his family,” his family wrote.
Channel 2’s Cory James spoke with a neighbor who says his dad happened to see the body in the middle of the road while heading out for work.
“Fifteen-year-old kid, for somebody that young to do something like that, I have no words,” neighbor Hiru Lee said.
You can click here to donate to a GoFundMe that Tejada’s family has set up.
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