Boy Dies Following Temecula Crash, Murder Charge Filed

TEMECULA, CA — A Temecula man is now behind bars facing murder and other charges for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run crash last summer that led to a boy's death.

Matthew Thomas Jackson, 37, was arrested at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 17, in Los Angeles's 8000 block of Venice Boulevard by deputies stationed out of Southwest Riverside County. He was subsequently booked into French Valley's Southwest Detention Center and is being held in lieu of a $1 million bail bond, jail records show.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Jackson was under the influence when he was involved in a May 26, 2024, crash at the intersection of Butterfield Stage Road and Channel Street in Temecula that left multiple people injured.

Instead of remaining at the multi-vehicle crash scene, however, Jackson allegedly fled on foot. He was later captured, arrested and booked into Southwest Detention Center on suspicion of DUI resulting in great bodily injury and hit-and-run resulting in injuries before being released on bail.

The case against Jackson became more serious on June 12, 2024, when one of the crash victims — a boy — died as a result of his injuries. Authorities have not identified the child.

The case continued being reviewed by the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. On Dec. 30, 2024, the agency filed additional charges against Jackson, including the murder count, and a warrant for his arrest was issued.

It's not clear how investigators tracked Jackson down in Los Angeles, but Riverside County jail records show he is now facing felony charges of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, reckless driving, reckless driving causing great bodily injury, and DUI causing great bodily injury — all felonies. He is due in court on Wednesday.