Victim of El Cajon hit-and-run urges drivers to be cautious

EL CAJON, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) -- A 70-year-old man from El Cajon is recovering in the hospital after a hit-and-run incident that left him with serious injuries.

Julio Arreola was struck while crossing the street near US Bank on Fletcher Parkway and Pioneer Way around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

"I was lucky not to get killed or paralyzed," said Arreola, reflecting on his survival from the hospital.

He suffered fractures in his ribs and spine, and required staples for a head injury, according to his sister, Luz Arreola.

The suspect, 19-year-old Brian Guevara, fled the scene but was apprehended by police using license plate readers. He was booked on hit-and-run charges.

Arreola is currently unable to work at his TV repair shop due to his injuries, but he is focused on recovery and paying his bills.

This incident is part of a troubling trend of hit-and-runs in the area, including a recent case where a 6-year-old boy was killed near City Heights and another in El Cajon where a 12-year-old boy was hospitalized.

Arreola and his family are urging drivers to be more cautious to prevent further tragedies.

FOX 5/KUSI's Jennifer Franco contributed to this report.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KSWB. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KSWB staff before being published.