Police identify suspect in hit-and-run that killed elderly Solano County restaurant owner
Investigators on Tuesday continued their search for the driver of a small sport utility vehicle they believe struck two elderly pedestrians in a hit-and-run, killing a restaurant owner and seriously injuring her husband in the Solano County town of Dixon.
Adelina Rendon Diaz, 70, was the woman who died after she was struck by a vehicle that left before authorities arrived Sunday night in Dixon, according to the Solano County Coroner’s Office. She was the owner of Taqueria Adelina, which is near the scene of the hit-and-run.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Dixon Police Department said investigators identified Jose De Jesus Arauza-Ortiz as the driver of the vehicle the struck Rendon Diaz and her husband. Police said investigators have obtained an arrest warrant for Arauza-Ortiz. Investigators believe Arauza-Ortiz, 31, might be on his way to Southern California or Mexico.
By Monday evening, Dixon police had found the white 2010 Nissan Murano that investigators initially called “a vehicle of interest.” Police officials on Tuesday said the Nissan Murano with a Virginia license plate URS-7882 has now been identified as the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run and impounded as evidence.
The deadly hit-and-run was initially reported about 8 p.m. Sunday as a call for police to check on a person on the ground near North First and East B streets, the Police Department announced Monday afternoon.
Officers arrived at the scene as other calls to dispatchers reported a hit-and-run. Police said the officers found a passerby who was performing CPR on Rendon Diaz. She was unresponsive, so officers joined the passerby trying to revive her.
Firefighters from the Dixon Fire Department arrived at the scene and took over life-saving measures, but Rendon died from her injuries.
Rendon Diaz’s 71-year-old husband was found nearby and taken by ambulance to a hospital. He was treated after suffering what appeared to be serious injuries that were not life-threatening, police officials said.
Atzimba Bocanegra said Monday on an online fundraiser that her grandparents were the victims of Sunday’s hit-and-run. She added that her grandfather was recovering from surgery.
Bocanegra started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help pay for her grandmother’s funeral expenses and her grandfather’s medical bills. She thanked all her grandmother’s friends, family and loyal customers who have supported them throughout the years.
“My Grandmother was mostly known as a sweet hardworking lady who cooked at Taqueria Adelina,” Bocanegra wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Our family is beyond grateful for all the prayers and contributions from the community.”
Police said the impounded Nissan Murano has two distinct decals on the rear window. The department on Monday released photos of the vehicle and its rear window.
Authorities asked anyone with information about Arauza-Ortiz’s whereabouts or the hit-and-run to call Dixon police Detective Alberto Oliveira at 707-678-7080.
This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 12:48 PM.
