Boy’s Death Brings Out Generosity of Strangers

Strangers dug into their pockets and purses Sunday to help the family of an 8-year-old Santa Ana boy who was killed by a hit-and-run driver while walking home from a Christmas shopping trip with his mother and siblings.

The boy was killed Saturday evening by a sport utility vehicle that jumped the curb on Grand Avenue in Santa Ana and mowed down a mother and her three children before crashing into a wall, police said.

The young boy, identified as Marcos Chico, was thrown more than 30 feet by the impact and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said his 11-year-old sister was thrown about 75 feet and is in critical condition at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana with leg and head injuries.

Their 6-year-old brother suffered a broken leg, and the mother, Sarah Jimenez, 36, was also taken to Western Medical Center with moderate injuries, police said.

The names of the two injured siblings were not released.

A mangled shopping cart from a nearby Target store, along with toy cars, clothing, Christmas cookies and other items were strewn along Grand Avenue where the collision occurred.

Manuel De La Torre, 30, who lives two houses away from the accident site, said he heard the crash and dialed 911 on his cell phone. By the time he went outside, he said, people were running around hysterically.

A young girl who appeared to be one of the victims was sitting on the curb shaking her hands up and down, he said.

“I couldn’t take it,” De La Torre said, explaining why he stayed back from the accident scene, where the mother and the young children were lying injured.

According to Lt. Alan Caddell, the four family members were walking south on Grand Avenue near 14th Street about 5:40 p.m., pushing a shopping cart.

A white Dodge Durango, driven by Marisela Cesena, 25, was traveling on Grand Avenue at an unknown rate of speed when the vehicle jumped the curb and struck the family, police said.

The vehicle continued, knocking down several small trees before crashing into a concrete wall and coming to a stop, Caddell said.

Cesena and a male adult passenger and a child ran from the scene, abandoning the vehicle, police said.

A short while after, however, Cesena returned and admitted to being the driver, Caddell said.

The adult passenger is still being sought, he added.

Cesena was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where she was treated for a broken left arm. She is being held there on suspicion of felony hit and run, Caddell said.

Investigators are still trying to determine why the Dodge went up on the sidewalk.

The vehicle may have swerved to avoid another vehicle, police said. It was unknown if drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident.

On Sunday, a white crucifix and two $1 bills had been left at the accident scene.

Someone, De La Torre said, made a donation box out of a shoebox, and the spontaneous collection began.

He said neighbors had been in contact with the mother, who was worried about how the family would pay for the funeral expenses.

“Donations come from the heart,” De La Torre said.

“You don’t need to know people when you’re giving donations. This man walking by just pulled out his wallet, and people are being generous.

“There has not been one person who has driven by who has not given,” he said.