San Diego Airport Hit-And-Run Suspect Captured 1 Year Later

SAN DIEGO, CA — A 58-year-old Mission Hills man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of fleeing after the car he was driving fatally struck a pedestrian last year near the San Diego International Airport, authorities say.

William John Christian is suspected of driving the hit-and-run vehicle. He was arrested and was being held at San Diego Central Jail on $100,000 bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Monday afternoon.

Shortly before 8:30 a.m., officers took Christian into custody in the 3400 block of Pringle Street in connection with the 13-month-old traffic fatality, according to the San Diego Police Department.

Christian allegedly was driving a white 2017 Dodge Challenger that struck a 69-year-old unhoused man in the 2100 block of Hancock Street shortly before 5 a.m. on March 6, 2024. The driver fled the scene. Investigators have sought the suspect and the vehicle ever since, according to Sgt. Victoria Houseman.

Paramedics took the victim to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not been released.