Police Seek Hit-and-Run Driver Who Injured Teens

Police are seeking the public's help in identifying the driver of a pickup truck that jumped the curb and struck three teenage boys in Menifee Sunday night.

The hit-and-run incident occurred about 6:20 p.m. in the 29900 block of Menifee Road, just north of the Arco gas station at Newport Road and near the fire station, according to Deputy Armando Munoz of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. The incident was reported by a juvenile who said the vehicle struck the boys and fled the scene, Munoz said.

The boys were traveling north on the sidewalk on the east side of Menifee Road, said their mother, Michelle Redondo. She said the boys included her 14-year-old son and her two stepsons, ages 14 and 16. Two were riding bicycles and one was on a skateboard. Without warning, they were struck by a truck they said ran onto the sidewalk, knocked them down and sped away.

There were no serious injuries, although all three boys suffered cuts and abrasions, one has a sprained ankle and one is being evaluated for a possible torn ACL in his knee, Redondo said (see photos above).

The Sheriff's Department could not confirm the type of vehicle involved, but the boys told their mother it was a gray or black Nissan Titan pickup. The boys said they could not tell whether the driver was a male or female or whether anyone else was in the vehicle.

"The driver took off and a guy on a motorcycle tried to catch up to it," said Redondo, a Menifee resident who works in San Diego. "The truck was running stop signs going north on Menifee Road and the motorcycle couldn't catch it.

"I don't know if this is a random act, someone driving drunk, texting or what. The kids don't go to Menifee schools, so they don't really know anyone here who would do this. I would love to catch the person who did this. It worries me for all the other kids walking around our neighborhood."

Anyone who witnessed this incident or has any information should contact the Sheriff's Department at 951-210-1000.