An Escondido hit-and-run that shattered a family and ignited a national immigration fight took a major turn this week, as the driver behind the wheel admitted guilt in court.
Guilty plea in court
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, 44-year-old Hector Amador Balderas pleaded guilty yesterday in Vista Superior Court to a felony count of hit-and-run causing death in the crash that killed 11-year-old Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz on Thanksgiving weekend.
Prosecutors say Balderas turned himself in a few days after the November 26 collision. Court documents cited by the Union-Tribune state that he remains jailed without bail while he awaits sentencing. The outlet reports that under the plea deal and applicable guidelines, Balderas faces roughly two to three years in state prison.
How the crash unfolded
Police say the collision happened around 5 p.m. on November 26 in the 400 block of East Washington Avenue near North Hickory Street. Witnesses told investigators that Aiden ran into the street to retrieve a soccer ball when he was struck. He was rushed to Rady Children's Hospital and died the next morning, authorities said. Those details were reported by NBC 7 San Diego. Police have said that public tips helped them identify and recover the vehicle involved.
Detainer fight and deportation history
After Balderas was arrested, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an immigration detainer, and the Department of Homeland Security said he had been removed from the United States four times. That history, and what should happen next, quickly became a flashpoint, according to a release from the Department of Homeland Security and local coverage by 10News.
County officials said they reviewed the detainer under California law and rejected the hold, a decision that drew public criticism from DHS and prompted comment from the governor's office. The immigration dispute layered a national policy spotlight onto what residents experienced first as a neighborhood tragedy.
Sentence and next steps
Under the plea agreement, Balderas faces about two to three years in state prison when he is sentenced, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Prosecutors have not yet announced a sentencing date, and Balderas remains in custody as the court sets the next hearing.
Community response
In the months since the crash, neighbors and Aiden’s family have turned the site into a small but steady memorial, leaving flowers, notes, and candles. Online, friends and strangers have organized tributes and fundraisers to support the family. Hoodline reported on the neighborhood’s grief in December in a story about how the Escondido community mourns the 11-year-old.
Escondido police are still asking anyone with video or information tied to the crash to contact investigators as the case moves toward sentencing.
