With profound sadness, we remember 23-year-old Cesar Amilcar Zuniga Ruiz of Los Angeles, whose life was tragically cut short after he was struck by a vehicle while crossing the roadway in San Juan Capistrano early Monday morning.
The fatal collision occurred shortly after 12:30 a.m. on August 17, 2026, near the intersection of Ortega Highway and La Novia Avenue. Orange County Sheriff’s deputies were in the area when they discovered Cesar lying injured in the roadway.
Cesar had suffered severe injuries in the collision. Deputies and emergency personnel responded to the scene, but despite efforts to help him, he was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Orange County Fire Authority.
According to the preliminary investigation, Cesar was crossing the road when he was struck by a vehicle. The driver did not remain at the scene following the collision, turning the incident into a tragic hit-and-run investigation.
Authorities continued investigating and were ultimately able to identify the driver as 85-year-old Anthony Konstantine Kalomas of San Juan Capistrano. Kalomas was arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of California Vehicle Code 20001(A), hit-and-run resulting in injury or death.
The circumstances surrounding the collision remain under investigation as authorities work to establish the full sequence of events leading up to the crash.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) is conducting the investigation. Investigators are asking anyone who may have witnessed the collision, seen Cesar in the area before the crash, or has other information that could help clarify what happened to come forward.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators can contact MAIT at (949) 425-1860. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Orange County Crime Stoppers at (855) TIP-OCCS.
For Cesar’s family and friends, the circumstances surrounding his death make the loss even more difficult to comprehend. At only 23 years old, he had so much of life ahead of him. His future, dreams, plans, and opportunities were suddenly taken away in a devastating moment.
A death on the roadway does not only leave an empty space at the scene of a collision. It leaves an empty chair at home, unanswered calls, memories shared with loved ones, and a community left wondering how someone so young could be gone so suddenly.
Cesar will be remembered by those who knew him as more than a name connected to a traffic collision. He was a son, a friend, a loved one, and a young man whose life mattered to the people around him.
As investigators continue working to understand the circumstances of the crash, his loved ones are left to grieve and remember the life he lived.
May Cesar’s family find strength during this painful time, and may the memories they shared with him bring comfort in the days ahead.
Rest in peace, Cesar Amilcar Zuniga Ruiz.
23 years old. Gone far too soon, but never forgotten.
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