Man Dead, Woman Booked Into East County Detention Center

SANTEE, CA — Police found a man with fatal injuries on the side of a road Friday after conducting a traffic stop on a nearby car with what authorities described as "recent" front end damage.

The California Highway Patrol pulled over Janet Rivera Mendoza, 27, after observing "recent right-front-end crash damage" to her blue Nissan Altima on Interstate 5, near the I-8 interchange, at 12:23 a.m. Friday.

The enforcement stop led officers to conduct a search on state Route 67, according to CHP Officer Travis Garrow. He said that a man was found suffering major injuries "consistent of being struck by a vehicle" on SR-67 near Woodside Avenue around 12:45 a.m.

The man, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mendoza was arrested and booked into Las Colinas Women's Detention Facility on suspicion of a felony hit-and-run.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will release the name of the victim following an investigation into his identity.

— City News Service