In the quiet hours of New Year’s Day in Lawrenceville, Georgia, a routine ride request ended in unspeakable tragedy when 15-year-old Christian Simmons allegedly shot and killed 58-year-old Uber driver Cesar Tejada, police said. Tejada’s body was later found lying in the roadway, and Simmons has been charged as an adult with murder and other serious offenses.
Shortly before 4:15 a.m. on January 1, Tejada picked up Simmons from a home on Rangewood Drive after the teenager requested an Uber ride, according to investigators and police reports. The driver, a married father of two from Grayson who worked late shifts to support his family, had no known connection to his passenger before that morning.
Police say the trip continued to the 600 block of Groveland Parkway in Lawrenceville. There, Simmons exited the back seat, approached the driver’s door and shot Tejada, then pushed him out of the vehicle and drove away in the SUV, officials said. There was no evidence of an argument or previous dispute between them, and detectives believe the motive was to steal the vehicle.
At about 5:20 a.m., a 911 call reported a person lying in the street. Responding officers found Tejada unresponsive with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene just as the sun’s first light began to break over Groveland Parkway.
Using Flock license-plate reading cameras, Ring video clips and Uber’s cooperation, police tracked Tejada’s stolen SUV to a residence on Hardwood Circle in Lilburn. Detectives then began surveillance before taking Simmons into custody without incident as he walked in the neighborhood later that afternoon.
Law enforcement described Tejada as a hardworking, peaceful man who was “just out trying to make extra money for his family,” a sentiment echoed by community members struggling to process the violence. Uber said it has banned Simmons’ account and offered condolences to the victim’s loved ones, noting that it is cooperating with authorities and emphasizing its in-app safety features.
Neighbors on Groveland Parkway recall the horror of finding the street blocked off with crime scene tape and struggling to grasp how the first day of a new year could bring such loss. The investigation into the shooting and vehicle theft continues as police ask anyone with information to come forward.
