Family Seeks Answers After Murrieta Man Left For Dead On MHS Road

MURRIETA, CA — Jessica Blanco is on a mission. The 24-year-old Murrieta woman knows there is at least one person who saw what happened to her beloved uncle last Thursday night.

Cesar Meza, 42, of Murrieta was walking home from work and was hit by a vehicle on Murrieta Hot Springs Road. Sadly, the driver left the scene, leaving Meza critically injured on the road.

"We got the call Thursday night around midnight from the hospital," Blanco explained of the dreaded call all families fear. He was alive, but the situation was serious.

On Tuesday, Meza remained hospitalized in critical condition, heavily sedated.

"Doctors do not want to wake him up at this time due to the severity of his injuries," Blanco said. "They are suspecting some brain damage, but cannot fully assess til he is woken up."

He has multiple fractures in his face and has undergone surgery on a broken right femur. Once he's stable, he'll be transferred to UC San Diego for further medical care. Doctors tell the family to expect hospitalization to last anywhere from 6 months to a year.

Meza was found on the roadway around 10:40 p.m., about 200 feet west of Calle Del Lago.

"He walks this route to catch the bus on his way home from work," Blanco said. "If he misses the bus, he just continues walking home."

Meza holds two jobs. He is employed by Nuristan Food Market off of Winchester Road in Temecula, and at the new Taco Bell in Wildomar, off of Clinton Keith Road, near the 15 Freeway.

"Everyone he meets knows Cesar to be a kind, hardworking man," Blanco said, noting that her uncle has many customers and co-workers "who love him."

"This has been very hard on the entire family, but we are all rallying together in prayer and working hard for answers," she continued. The tight-knit group includes eight of Meza's siblings — including a twin brother — his mother, and 16 adoring nieces and nephews.

"He is a family man who loves to work," said Blanco, who grew up in Murrieta.

Murrieta Police Lt. Jim Gruwell told Patch the department is actively investigating the incident and pursuing all leads.

"We take this case very seriously," he said, adding that the department is interviewing potential witnesses and asking anyone who saw something — or knows something — to come forward. Investigators believe the June 10 incident occurred between the hours of 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Murrieta Police Department Traffic Sgt. Williams at 951-461-6360.