DRIVER SOUGHT AFTER FATAL HIT-AND-RUN GLENDALE MAN WAS TO RETIRE, CELEBRATE 69TH BIRTHDAY THIS MONTH.

Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer

GLENDALE - Elias Geha had at least two things to look forward to this month.

On Christmas Eve, he would have celebrated his 69th birthday. And at month's end, he would have finished his job as a security guard, allowing him and his wife to move back to Lebanon for his long-anticipated retirement.

But Geha's life ended Saturday after he was struck by a car while crossing a street about 6:25 p.m. in Glendale. The unidentified driver fled the scene at California Avenue and Verdugo Road.

``He didn't care about himself, he cared about other people,'' said John Balta, 53, Geha's brother-in-law. ``He went out of his way to help people out.''

Geha was a school principal in Lebanon but left the country with his family in 1986 to escape the civil war.

He was a family man. After a day of work, he would often go to visit his daughter - but not before a quick stop at his Tujunga home to pick up a jar of homemade pickles or olives to give her, Balta said.

Geha died at Huntington Memorial Hospital the evening of the collision. His death followed another hit-and-run crash in Glendale on Nov. 19 that claimed the life of Oscar Torres, 18, of Burbank.

``I don't think we've had any (fatal hit-and-runs) in the last two years, but we've had two in the last three weeks,'' said Glendale police Investigator Matt Gunnell.

On the evening he was killed, Geha visited his mother-in-law at a convalescent home with his wife and the Baltas. He went to wait for the others outside just before they left.

After Geha's wife, Osanna, came out of the home, a firetruck had already arrived, and she saw a body in the street. She recognized the boots on the feet as her husband's.

Besides his wife of 36 years, Geha had two daughters and a son living in Los Angeles County.

``They're all depressed ... they're not eating even,'' Balta said.

Two witnesses told police the vehicle that struck Geha was a dark-colored car, most likely of Japanese make, Gunnell said. Police do not know if it was a two-door or four-door, but the car had a trunk, and one witness said it was not well-maintained.

The witnesses were not able to describe the driver but did see the vehicle turn west on California Avenue after the collision.

Police ask anyone with information to call the traffic unit at [phone], or the Crime Stoppers line at (818) 507-STOP.

A funeral service is set for 12:30 p.m. Friday at the church at Forest Lawn in Hollywood Hills.

Alex Dobuzinskis, [phone]

alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com