Perris hit and run injures boy, 9 – Suspect arrested with witnesses’ help
PERRIS, Calif., — Authorities say a man who fled the scene of a traffic collision involving a nine-year-old boy was arrested after other motorists witnessed him leave the scene and followed him for several miles in Perris on Friday afternoon, Aug. 19.
The boy who was struck was hospitalized with minor head injuries along with abrasions and bruises and is expected to make a full recovery according to officials, who have since reported the collision occurred at the intersection of Redlands Avenue and Mildred Street.
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Deputies from the Perris Sheriff’s Station and other emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene around 2:30 p.m. after receiving reports of a hit and run traffic collision involving a juvenile, according to a Sheriff’s social media release.
While headed to the scene, deputies learned the driver who had struck the child and fled the scene was being followed by witnesses, ultimately leading to the man being stopped and detained for further investigation. He was stopped near the intersection of Murrieta and Ethanac roads, more than four miles from where the collision occurred.
The child struck by the vehicle was found to have sustained minor injuries and was transported to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
During their subsequent investigation, deputies learned the boy had been crossing the street at the intersection of Redlands Avenue and Mildred Street when he was struck by a passing vehicle, later described as a blue sedan, that failed to stop for a posted stop sign.
Witnesses also reported the driver who struck the child failed to stop or render aid and immediately fled the scene after the collision.
Based on their investigative findings and witness statements deputies arrested the driver, since identified as Jesus Blanco Molina, 27. He was subsequently booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on suspicion of felony hit and run resulting in bodily injuries.
Online jail records indicate Molina was released the day after his arrest after posting $25,000 bail or bond and is no longer in custody. He is scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall of Justice on Nov. 3.
Anyone with further information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact the Perris Sheriff’s Station at (951) 210-1000. Callers can refer to incident file number PE222310070 and can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 51, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and operates Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS). Both are stringer organizations, providing breaking news coverage and community interest stories for other mainstream media organizations throughout the two regions they serve.
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.