Costa Mesa Contractor Held in Death of Pedestrian in El Cajon Hit-and-Run
A man died early Saturday from head injuries after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver as he crossed Main Street here, police said.
A Costa Mesa contractor, Ernest M. Saucido, 35, was arrested in the incident.
The 29-year-old victim, an El Cajon man whose name was being withheld until relatives could be notified, was crossing Main at Sunshine Avenue. He was carried on the hood of the car a short distance before falling to the street. He was pronounced dead at Grossmont Hospital at 1:35 a.m.
Using witness descriptions of the hit-run car, El Cajon Officer Phil Hurtt followed a car on Interstate 8 and arrested its driver near Interstate 15.
Saucido was held at San Diego County Jail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence; felony drunken driving; felony driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08; hit-and-run driving, and possession of a controlled substance.
Bail was set at $14,600, a jail spokeswoman said.
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