Motorist Charged With Killing Murrieta Man In Temecula DUI Crash

The victim was walking within a Rancho California Road intersection when he was struck, authorities said.

By Corey Washington, Patch Staff

Jul 29, 2026 1:02 PM PDT

Jonathan Ruiz (above) is suspected of driving under the influence and striking and killing Murrieta resident David Heard. (Riverside County Sheriff's Department)

MURRIETA, CA — A 38-year-old motorist accused of killing a pedestrian from Murrieta in a DUI collision in Temecula last week was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder and other offenses.

Jonathan Ruiz, 38, of Bellflower, was arrested Friday night following a Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation into the death of 39-year-old David Heard.

Ruiz was also charged with DUI resulting in injury or death and several sentence-enhancing great bodily injury allegations.

The defendant, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center, was slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

According to Riverside County Sheriff's Department, shortly before 7 p.m. Friday, Ruiz erratically drove through the intersection of Rancho California Road and Riesling Court, triggering a three-vehicle wreck that caused major damage to all of the vehicles involved.

Heard was walking within the intersection at the time and was struck, authorities said.

Authorities said patrol deputies and paramedics reached the location a short time later and pronounced Heard dead at the scene.

Two passengers from one of the vehicles were transported to a hospital in stable condition, authorities said.

Both passengers were recovering Wednesday.

Ruiz, who was not injured, stayed at the scene. Deputies confirmed Ruiz was under the influence, and was taken into custody without incident, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

The defendant has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County. But information on possible convictions in other jurisdictions wasn't available on Wednesday.

When a DUI murder charge is filed, it's generally because the accused has a prior conviction for intoxicated driving or a related offense, and should have been aware of the risks involved with repeating the behavior.

City News Service contributed to this report.