15-Year-Old Charged as Adult After Allegedly Executing Uber Driver and Abandoning His Body on Georgia Road
A Georgia community is reeling after a 15-year-old boy was charged as an adult for allegedly murdering an Uber driver, shooting him without provocation and leaving his body in the road in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
According to police, Christian Simmons, 15, is accused of fatally shooting Cesar Tejada, a 58-year-old husband and father of two, during what investigators believe was an attempted vehicle theft.
Officers from the Lawrenceville Police Department were dispatched to Groveland Parkway in Lawrenceville around 5:20 a.m. on Jan. 1 after reports of a body lying in the street. Tejada was found suffering from a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators say Tejada had picked up Simmons for an Uber ride shortly after 4:15 a.m. When the vehicle arrived on Groveland Parkway, police allege the teen exited the back seat, shot Tejada, and left him dying in the roadway—making no effort to render aid or call for help.
Authorities stated there was no evidence of an argument or dispute prior to the shooting. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, police believe the motive was simple and chilling: car theft.
Using FLOCK license-plate reader cameras, detectives traced the ride and later located Tejada’s vehicle near the pickup location. Surveillance led officers to Simmons, who was detained without incident after exiting his residence.
“This was a senseless act,” police said during a press briefing, describing the killing as a brutal way to begin the new year—one that left a family shattered and a man dead for doing his job.
Tejada’s wife, Evelyn Tejada Tatis, described her husband as the backbone of their household—a quiet, hardworking man who woke every morning at 3:30 a.m. to provide for his family. “He left the house not knowing it would be the last time,” she wrote.
An Uber spokesperson confirmed the rider account involved was permanently banned and said the company is cooperating with investigators. The company reiterated its use of in-app safety tools, though none prevented the fatal attack.
A GoFundMe organized by Tejada’s family has raised more than $8,000 as of Jan. 4 to cover funeral and living expenses.
The case has renewed scrutiny over violent juvenile crime, ride-share safety, and the grim reality that a teenager can allegedly end a life in seconds—and walk away, leaving a father’s body in the street.
Tejada is survived by his wife and two children. His accused killer now faces adult murder charges, while a family begins a lifetime of grief.
