Texas Cop Suspected In Lake Elsinore Dad's Hit-And-Run Death

BEXAR COUNTY, TEXAS — The search for a hit-and-run driver, suspected in an Interstate 215 crash that left a Lake Elsinore dad dead, ended this week in Texas with the arrest of a lawman, the California Highway Patrol announced.

Giovanni Ceja, 31, of San Antonio was taken into custody Monday by the Bexar County Sheriff's Department on an arrest warrant issued in Riverside County, the CHP confirmed.

Ceja, a Bexar County sheriff's deputy, was on vacation in California and had borrowed a vehicle from a relative when the fatality occurred, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.

Ceja is suspected of hitting Gilberto Sotelo as the 38-year-old father of seven poured gasoline into his stalled pickup truck on the freeway shoulder.

Instead of stopping, Ceja left the man to die, according to the CHP. The incident occurred around 1:45 a.m. Aug. 7 on the southbound side of I-215, just north of La Cadena Drive, in Riverside.

A five-year veteran of the Bexar County Sheriff's Department, Ceja was working in uniform at the county jail when the Riverside County Sheriff's Department called to say they had a warrant for him, according to a report from local news outlet KENS5.

Ceja was asked if he wanted to resign or go through the process of termination and he chose to submit a resignation letter, which was accepted on the spot, KENS5 reported.

"He's wearing orange and being booked into the same jail he came to work at this morning," Salazar told reporters Monday.

The search for Ceja began after a preliminary CHP investigation showed the driver of a Honda sport utility vehicle or truck was heading south on I-215 and allowed the vehicle to drift onto the right shoulder where Sotelo was tending to his stalled Chevrolet Silverado.

The Honda fatally struck Sotelo and the driver fled the scene, according to the CHP.

With the assistance of community tips, however, on Aug. 9 a Honda Ridgeline pickup found at a Riverside repair shop was tracked to Ceja.

Salazar told KENS5 that Ceja concocted a story about hitting a truck on the side of the road when he returned the damaged vehicle to his relative. That person called authorities after seeing reports of the hit-and-run.

"The outcome of this incident may not have been resolved if not for the collaborative efforts from our community and media partnerships," said Riverside Area CHP Commander Captain Steve Branconier.

“I’m extremely disappointed. Quite frankly, I’m furious," Salazar told KENS5. "My understanding is [Ceja] was talking to California authorities ... and couldn’t even get his story straight.”

Following his extradition to Riverside County, Ceja is expected to face felony charges of murder, manslaughter with gross intoxication, driving under the influence causing injury, and hit and run, according to the CHP.

As of Tuesday afternoon, a GoFundMe page established for Sotelo's family had raised $41,000.

The investigation is ongoing and any witnesses who saw the incident are asked to call the CHP Accident Investigation Unit at 951-637-8000.