On a quiet Tuesday morning, the Dana Point community was rocked by a devastating loss. Thirteen-year-old Luis Adrian Morales‑Pacheco, a student from San Juan Capistrano, was struck and killed by a pickup driver as he walked to school with his older brother. The crash happened around 8:18 a.m. near the intersection of Park Lantern and Dana Point Harbor Drive, a normally peaceful stretch where students make their way to class.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the driver—a 59-year-old man identified as Bradley Gene Funk of San Juan Capistrano—appeared to lose control, mount the curb, and slam into Luis. Miraculously, Luis’s brother was unharmed, but Luis suffered critical injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
Adding to the heartbreak, the driver fled the scene immediately after the collision. Witnesses, however, sprang into action. Thanks to their help, deputies located the white GMC pickup approximately two to three miles away in San Juan Capistrano and arrested Funk shortly afterward.
Authorities say Funk has two prior DUI arrests and was already on probation. In fact, prosecutors revealed he had just been arrested for DUI three days before the fatal crash. Investigators strongly suspect he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the collision.
Following his arrest, Funk was booked on felony charges, including murder, hit-and-run, and felony DUI. The case is now under investigation by the Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
For many in the community, Luis’s death is not only a heartbreaking tragedy—it’s a call to action. Neighbors and classmates have gathered at a makeshift memorial near the crash site, leaving flowers, candles, and handwritten notes in his memory. One of his friends, an 11-year-old girl, tearfully said she just wanted people to remember him.
Sgt. Lizbeth Gwisdalla of the OCSD captured the raw grief felt across Dana Point: “Our worst nightmare,” she told reporters. As authorities work toward justice, Luis’s family, school, and neighbors are left to mourn a young life cut painfully short—and to push for stricter measures against impaired driving.
