East County Man Arrested for Allegedly Running Down Another with Car

A 19-year-old Spring Valley man was behind bars today for allegedly running another man down with a car during a fight that began at a fast-food restaurant near Cuyamaca College, leaving the victim gravely injured and likely to succumb to his injuries, authorities said.

Darius Watkins-Risberg was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the hit-and-run crash that left Jorge Alberto- Rocha Osuna of National City on life support at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, according to the sheriff's department.

Osuna, 26, was admitted in critical condition following the alleged assault at about 2:30 a.m. Monday in a drive-through lane at the McDonald's on Avocado Boulevard in Rancho San Diego, according to sheriff's officials.

Osuna and a companion were waiting for a food order when two other vehicles pulled in behind them, sheriff's officials said. A man exited one of the newly arrived cars and started banging on the windows of the business and on the leading vehicle, prompting the victim and his companion to get out and confront him, sheriff's Lt. Glenn Giannantonio said.

An ensuing argument quickly turned physical, according to the lieutenant. After the scuffle broke up, Osuna and his companion got back into their vehicle and drove to their nearby home in the 3600 block of Avocado Village Court.

However, the drivers of the other two vehicles followed the victim to the residence. Once there, they revved their engines and squealed their tires on the driveway, after which one of them drove toward Osuna, who was on foot in front of his home. The vehicle swerved past him, making no contact, authorities said.

The other driver then did the same thing, but then allegedly backed up and rammed him in reverse, pinning him up against a wall and leaving him with broken bones and serious head trauma, sheriff's officials said.

The assailant drove off, abandoned the damaged vehicle nearby and fled on foot.

Osuna was hospitalized and was not expected to survive, sheriff's officials said.

Sheriff's officials said Watkins-Risberg returned to the fast food restaurant where the altercation began Monday afternoon and voluntarily went with investigators to a sheriff's station. He was arrested and booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and other violations, according to sheriff's officials and jail records.

—City News Service