Teen Boy Run Down In Dana Point Hit-And-Run Honored At Candlelight Vigil

DANA POINT, CA — The life of a 13-year-old boy gone too soon was honored Thursday during a special candlelight vigil.

The vigil was held at Doheny State Beach and brought out dozens of people, all of whom have been impacted by the sudden loss of 13-year-old Luis Adrian Morales-Pacheco, a 13-year-old boy who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Dana Point.

"When we were all sitting down on the lunch table, and he was so happy, he told me, 'I can't wait for you, me and my brother to go to high school," one of his classmates recalled at the vigil.

The crash happened Tuesday morning near Park Lantern and Dana Point Harbor Drive.

Morales-Pacheco was walking to school with his brother at the time of the crash, according to reports.

"Deputies located the juvenile victim with pretty severe injuries," Sgt. Lizbeth Gwisdalla said.Sheriff's officials said the motorist apparently drove onto a curb and struck the boy, who was walking to school with his brother, who was not injured.

Funk fled after striking the boy, but witnesses helped deputies identify and locate the driver about two or three miles away from the crash scene, Gwisdalla said.

Sheriff's officials said they believed Funk was driving impaired.

"Unfortunately, the 13-year-old boy was pronounced dead (at a) hospital," Gwisdalla said.According to court records, Funk accepted a plea deal on July 22, 2021, that resolved two DUI cases against him. As a result of that deal, he is on probation until July 21, 2026.

Funk pleaded guilty to misdemeanor hit-and-run with property damage and driving under the influence of alcohol for an incident July 13, 2020, according to court records.

He also pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol on July 10, 2020, according to court records.

Both DUI cases occurred in San Juan Capistrano, with sheriff's deputies arresting him in one case and the California Highway Patrol in the other, according to court records.

As part of his plea deal, he was sentenced to 240 days in jail with 180 days stayed pending completion of his probation. He was also ordered to complete an 18-month multi-offender alcohol program.

Whenever defendants are convicted of DUI they are given what is known was a Watson Advisory, which warns them that if they are caught driving under the influence again and someone is killed they could face an upgraded charge from voluntary manslaughter to second-degree murder. A manslaughter conviction carries a set time in prison as punishment, but a murder defendant can only go free by winning parole.