A Daly City mother will spend four months in county jail and four years on probation after a Hillsdale Shopping Center shoplifting case spiraled into a dangerous police chase with her 1-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old niece in the car. Estrella Paniagua, 26, pleaded no contest in San Mateo County court and was ordered to complete a one-year parenting program, in a case that has lingered in local conversation because it mixes low-dollar theft, a high-speed pursuit and very young passengers.
Yesterday, the Henry K. Lee posted on X that Paniagua had pleaded no contest and been sentenced to four months in jail and probation, crediting the outcome to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office. The post said the plea resolved felony counts tied to child endangerment and driving against traffic while fleeing officers.
UPDATE: Estrella Paniagua,26, gets 4 mos. in jail & probation after pleading no contest to child endangerment & wrong-way driving in chase w/1yo daughter & 15yo niece in car after she stole $135 in merch from @Macys @HillsdaleSC & hid it in stroller, per @SanMateoCoDA @SanMateoPD pic.twitter.com/BupSbNMb7j
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) April 27, 2026
The incident started on Nov. 27, 2023, at Macy’s in the Hillsdale Shopping Center, where loss-prevention staff accused Paniagua of hiding about $135 worth of clothing and cosmetics in the base of a baby stroller and trying to walk out without paying. Reporting at the time described an altercation with store security, after which Paniagua allegedly drove off with the toddler and teenage relative in the vehicle. Officers later tracked down the car and a pursuit played out on Peninsula streets, per the San Francisco Chronicle.
Chase, Plea Terms and Sentence Date
Prosecutors said the driver at points sped through residential neighborhoods and headed the wrong way toward oncoming traffic, behavior that led officers to briefly call off the chase after an officer collided with another vehicle. AOL reported that under the plea deal, Paniagua received a 120-day jail sentence, four years of probation, and a requirement to complete a one-year parenting program, with a future court date set for her to report to custody. Several other counts originally filed in the case were dismissed as part of the agreement.
Legal Notes
According to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, as summarized in the police statement, Paniagua pleaded no contest to felony child endangerment and to driving against traffic while fleeing officers. Other felony and misdemeanor charges were dropped under the plea arrangement, significantly cutting the potential sentence she might have faced at trial.
When the case first surfaced in 2023, authorities said both minors were released to family members and that no serious injuries were reported, even as the incident stirred debate about the dangers of high-speed pursuits involving children. For a look back at the arrest and initial chase coverage, see Hoodline.
