LOS ANGELES, CA – A 13-year-old Menifee boy riding an electric bicycle was killed after a vehicle fleeing from police ran a red light and struck him during a brief pursuit following a reported burglary, authorities said.
The fatal collision happened Sept. 15 at the intersection of Holland Avenue and Evans Road after Menifee police responded to a reported burglary in progress in the 27000 block of Hemingway Court at about 4:54 p.m.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office coroner’s records identify the victim as Cody Garcia, 13, of Menifee, and list the fatal injury location as the intersection of Evans Road and Holland Road. The case was being investigated by the Menifee Police Department.
Burglary call leads to pursuit
According to the Menifee Police Department, an officer arrived at the Hemingway Court location as a vehicle believed to be connected to the burglary was leaving the area.
The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but police said the driver failed to yield.
That led to what authorities described as a brief vehicle pursuit.
Police said the suspect vehicle traveled westbound on Holland Avenue at a high rate of speed before reaching Evans Road.
At the intersection, the driver failed to stop for a red traffic signal and struck the teenager, who was riding an electric bicycle northbound on Evans Road.
Officers immediately provided emergency medical aid to the boy. CAL FIRE personnel later arrived and continued lifesaving efforts, but the teenager died from his injuries.
The coroner’s records place the time of injury at approximately 5:22 p.m. and the time of death at approximately 5:51 p.m. Sept. 15.
Driver continued fleeing after crash
Authorities said the vehicle did not stop after striking the teenager.
Instead, the driver continued fleeing until the vehicle eventually became disabled and came to a stop.
Police identified the driver as Melody Valdez, 21, of Temecula, and said she was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
Valdez was taken into custody and booked at the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center on multiple felony allegations, including homicide.
The criminal allegations remain subject to the court process.
The fatal collision and the criminal case are being investigated separately. The California Highway Patrol Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team, known as MAIT, was requested by Menifee police and assumed responsibility for investigating the traffic collision.
Menifee police, meanwhile, are coordinating the associated criminal investigation with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
Teen identified as Cody Garcia
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office publicly identified the deceased as Cody Garcia, a 13-year-old Menifee resident, in its coroner records.
Family members have publicly identified his full name as Cody Valentino Garcia Villatoro.
A memorial grew in the Menifee community in the days following the crash as friends, classmates and other residents gathered to remember the teenager.
The death also affected students at Menifee Valley Middle School, where Cody attended school. Community members described the teenager as a friendly and well-liked young person, while his family remembered him as a kind and joyful child.
Investigation continues
The collision investigation is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the crash, including the vehicle’s movements, the traffic signal, the pursuit and what happened immediately before and after the impact.
Authorities have not announced a final reconstruction of the collision.
The investigation also remains separate from the underlying burglary case that prompted the initial police response.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Coroner lists the case under investigation number MN26-4649 and directs inquiries to the Menifee Police Department.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has surveillance footage, dash-camera video or other recordings showing any portion of the pursuit or crash to contact Menifee Police Detective Garcia at 951-723-1641 or [email protected].
The case remains active as investigators work to establish the full sequence of events surrounding the pursuit, the collision and the death of the 13-year-old rider.
