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'He was a good man'| Family wants answers after man purposely hit by a car and killed in Southern California on Thanksgiving

Detectives are now asking people who were at the Silver Wing Recreation Center baseball fields to come forward.

SAN DIEGO — A man in Otay Mesa was hit by a car and killed on Thanksgiving morning and now police say it was no accident. San Diego Police initially thought it was a hit-and-run incident, but now they’re looking for witnesses and for the person who did it.

Police say they have very little information on a suspect in this case, but the man’s family wants to know who would purposely run their brother down in the street on Thanksgiving.

His name was Octavio Mendoza, he was 40-years-old and his family says they’re devastated now that he’s gone.

“It’s been hard for us since he has a baby on the way and a 10-month-old baby. He’s also a step-dad so it’s been really, really hard on us,” said Adelaida Mendoza, Octavio's sister.  

SDPD said on Thanksgiving, they received a call of a possible hit and run accident on Arey Drive around 11:30 a.m. that morning. When officers arrived, Mendoza was injured and lying in the street next to a bike. Paramedics took him to a local hospital where he died.

“He was a good man. He loved his family. He loved his kids. He wasn’t a bad person. I don’t know why they did this to him,” said Mendoza. 

After investigating the incident further, detectives determined that Mendoza was purposely run down by the vehicle and they’re calling his death a homicide. 

Mendoza’s sister says tire tracks were made in the grass when the suspect chased down her brother on his bike after an argument. 

Detectives are now asking people who were at the Silver Wing Recreation Center baseball fields, to come forward if they saw what happened.

“We just want to know the truth. We just want whoever did this to my brother, to tell us why?” said Mendoza. 

SDPD also said the vehicle involved may have been a light-colored SUV. 

Anyone with any information can call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or click HELP to contact San Diego Police.  

The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses.

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