Late on New Year’s Day, a quiet Lawrenceville street turned into a crime scene that’s left a family and a community shaken. Cesar Tejeda, a 58‑year‑old husband and father from Grayson, Georgia, was found dead in the roadway of Groveland Parkway just after sunrise, after being shot and left there in what police are calling a senseless carjacking.
It was around 5:20 a.m. on Thursday when Lawrenceville officers got a 911 call about a person lying in the road. When they arrived on the 600 block of Groveland Parkway, they discovered Tejeda’s body. He had suffered at least one gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators quickly began piecing together what happened in the early morning hours. Video from a nearby Ring doorbell camera showed a black SUV stop on the street, a rider get out, and the vehicle drive off, leaving Tejeda on the ground. Using that footage and license plate technology, detectives identified the SUV as belonging to Tejeda and determined he had been carjacked before being killed.
Police and partner agencies then tracked the stolen SUV to a home on Hardwood Circle in Lilburn, about ten miles from the shooting site. Around 1 p.m. the same day, officers took a 15‑year‑old boy into custody without incident. The teen, whose name is withheld due to his age but has been identified by authorities as Christian Simmons, is now being charged as an adult with murder.
Officials say Simmons used the Uber app to request a ride that brought him and Tejeda to Groveland Parkway just before the shooting. Police believe the motive was to steal the vehicle, not a personal dispute, and that Simmons had no known connection to Tejeda before that morning.
Neighbors in the Meadow Grove area told reporters they were stunned to see a body on their street and watch law enforcement work through the morning. One witness described the discovery as “horrible” and “scary,” especially for a community not used to violent crime.
Uber released a statement expressing deep sorrow for Tejeda’s loss and noted it is cooperating with police. The company also confirmed it has banned the rider account linked to the incident. Meanwhile, Tejeda’s family and friends are left grappling with the loss of a devoted father and hard‑working man who was just trying to support his loved ones.
