A 13-year-old boy on his way to school in Dana Point was killed Tuesday morning after a driver suspected of being under the influence jumped the curb and hit him, and then fled the scene. Authorities later identified the suspect as 59-year-old Bradley Gene Funk from San Juan Capistrano, a man who was already on probation and had two prior DUI arrests. He’s now facing charges including felony DUI, felony hit-and-run, and murder.
The 13-year-old, Luis Adrian Morales-Pacheco, also from San Juan Capistrano was a student at Niguel Hills Middle School and had been walking with his older brother when the crash happened. According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called to the intersection of Park Lantern and Dana Point Harbor Drive a little after 8:20 a.m.
Investigators say that Luis had been standing on the curb with his brother, waiting for the light to change so they could cross the street. His backpack was left on the ground at the scene. Sergeant Lizbeth Gwisdalla explained that the pickup truck suddenly veered off the road, jumped the curb, slammed into Luis, crossed over a center median, and then went back onto the road before speeding away toward Pacific Coast Highway. His older brother was not hit.
Witnesses were horrified, but they didn’t hesitate to help. A lot of them gave detectives descriptions that helped officers track down the suspect’s truck about two to three miles away in San Juan Capistrano. Aerial footage later showed the white GMC pickup with major front-end damage and a damaged driver’s side wheel. Funk was detained shortly after and taken into custody on suspicion of murder and DUI-related charges.
Luis was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he didn’t survive his injuries. Sergeant Gwisdalla called the situation an unimaginable tragedy, especially for the boy’s family, saying it’s “every parent’s worst nightmare.”
As the day went on, people from the community began bringing flowers and candles to the site of the crash. One of Luis’s friends, an 11-year-old girl named Ireland, came with her mother and left a bouquet. She said she wanted to support him and make sure he was remembered.
Authorities asked drivers to avoid the area while they continued investigating the deadly hit-and-run.
