Police say the 15-year-old shot 58-year-old Cesar Tejada during a carjacking, then left his body in the street.
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — A 15-year-old boy from Lilburn has been charged as an adult with murder after police found Uber driver Cesar Tejada, 58, shot to death in the roadway early New Year’s Day on Groveland Parkway, authorities said Saturday.
Investigators said the teen, identified as Christian Simmons, requested a ride and was dropped off in a Lawrenceville subdivision before the shooting. Police recovered Tejada’s SUV hours later and detained the teen near his neighborhood in Lilburn. Detectives say camera footage and Uber trip records created a minute-by-minute timeline of the pickup and drop-off. The case comes as families marked the start of the year, leaving relatives and neighbors stunned by the violence and raising immediate questions about motive, charging decisions and what else investigators may learn from video, license plate data and phone records.
Officers were called just after 5:20 a.m. Jan. 1 to the 600 block of Groveland Parkway, where a 911 caller reported an unresponsive man in the street. Responding officers found Tejada with at least one gunshot wound and pronounced him dead at the scene, police said. Investigators said Tejada had picked up a passenger at 4:13 a.m. on Rangewood Drive in Lilburn and drove to the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Ring doorbell video and traffic-camera images show a dark SUV stopping, the passenger exiting, and the victim being left in the roadway before the vehicle drove off. “This is not the way any family would want to start a new year,” Capt. Dena Pauly of the Lawrenceville Police Department said in a briefing. Police said there was no argument in the car and that the suspected motive was to steal the vehicle.
Detectives said license plate readers and neighborhood cameras helped them trace the route of Tejada’s SUV after the shooting. The vehicle was located around early afternoon in the Hardwood Circle area of Lilburn, roughly 10 miles from the scene, and officers soon detained a teenage suspect walking nearby. Police identified him as Christian Simmons and said he ultimately complied with commands and was taken into custody without incident. Tejada, of Grayson, was driving for Uber at the time to support his family, police said. Uber said in a statement it had banned the rider’s account and was working with detectives. Officials have not said how many times Tejada was shot or what weapon was used. Investigators continued to review additional camera footage and records to confirm the sequence of events, including a brief return of the SUV to the scene minutes after the initial drop-off.
Neighbors told officers and local reporters they awoke to flashing lights and crime-scene tape on their normally quiet street. A resident said his father spotted the body as he left for work before dawn. Ring videos reviewed by residents show the SUV pausing and the trunk opening prior to the vehicle leaving the area, and another clip shows the same vehicle returning about 15 minutes later. Police emphasized that homicides are uncommon in Lawrenceville, a Gwinnett County city northeast of Atlanta, and said the location of the pickup and where the car was later found gave them a clear path to the suspect. Tejada’s relatives were notified Thursday; police described him as a husband and father from Grayson who was working the early-morning shift.
Records show Simmons is charged as an adult with murder and related counts tied to the suspected carjacking. Authorities said they are consulting the district attorney on additional charges that could include aggravated assault, hijacking a motor vehicle and weapons offenses. Police did not report any prior connection between the suspect and the victim. An autopsy is planned, and ballistics testing is underway to match any recovered shell casings to a firearm if one is found. Detectives said they are also compiling a digital evidence file that includes license plate reader hits, timestamps from apps and camera videos gathered under warrant. A court appearance is expected early next week, with bond decisions to be made by a Superior Court judge because of the adult charges.
The scene on Groveland Parkway remained taped off for hours on New Year’s Day as technicians photographed the roadway, marked evidence and canvassed for cameras. By midafternoon, officers in Lilburn had located Tejada’s SUV and secured it for processing; a tow truck carried the vehicle away as neighbors watched from porches. “Horrible, scary—we’re still shocked,” said Hieu Lee, who lives near the spot where Tejada was found. In a written statement, Uber said, “We’re saddened by this devastating loss, and our condolences go out to the driver’s family,” adding that the company is assisting investigators. Residents said they planned to leave porch lights on in memory of the victim as they awaited updates from police.
As of Sunday, police said the investigation was active. Detectives were awaiting autopsy results and additional camera reviews, and prosecutors were preparing initial filings ahead of a first appearance scheduled as early as Monday. Authorities said they will release further details on exact charges and the timeline once evidence is processed and interviews are completed. A department spokesperson said information updates will come through official releases and briefings from Lawrenceville police and the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office.
Author note: Last updated January 4, 2026.