Feds: Man Who Allegedly Killed Escondido Boy, 11, Deported 4 Times

VISTA, CA — A man who federal officials say was deported from the United States four times before allegedly fatally striking an 11-year-old boy with his vehicle in Escondido, then fleeing the scene, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a felony count of hit-and-run causing death.

Hector Amador Balderas, 44, is charged with hitting Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz with his vehicle last Wednesday, then driving away from the scene.

Witnesses said Aiden went into the street to retrieve a soccer ball when he was hit at about 5 p.m. near the intersection of East Washington Avenue and Hickory Street. He was rushed to Rady Children's Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries Thanksgiving morning, police said.

An Escondido Police Department statement indicated tips from the public aided in Amador Balderas' capture.

"We are grateful and appreciative for the trust and partnership our police department shares with the community, which aided in the identification and arrest of the driver in this tragic incident," Police Chief Ken Plunkett said.

Amador Balderas was booked into county jail on Saturday on $100,000 bail, but his bail was increased during his Wednesday afternoon arraignment to $300,000. He faces up to four years in state prison if convicted.

The death prompted a public back-and-forth on social media between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Gov. Gavin Newsom, due to Amador Balderas' immigration status.

The DHS stated that Amador Balderas had previously been removed from the United States four times and that following his arrest in the hit-and-run case, ICE filed what's known as an immigration detainer, in which local law enforcement agencies are asked to notify ICE when someone who they believe is deportable will be released from custody.

DHS officials said California refused to honor the detainer, prompting Newsom to refer to the allegation as "a complete lie."

In a statement, Newsom's Office said, "Nothing prohibits the federal government from doing its job in this case. Unlawfully returning to the United States after deportation is a federal criminal offense and California honors federal criminal warrants. The federal government admits a failure to apprehend the suspect when he unlawfully entered the U.S. California law does not prevent them from acting now."

Homeland Security officials criticized Newsom over the case.

"You're playing word games to keep an illegal alien murderer in America. California REJECTED the ICE detainer for an illegal alien charged with killing an 11-year-old boy," the DHS said in a post on X Wednesday.

"Gavin Newsom says he'll only cooperate with ICE if the criminal illegal alien is CONVICTED, meaning California will let him roam free even though he's been arrested for FELONY hit-and-run. Hector Balderas-Aheelor has been previously deported FOUR times and committed a felony when he illegally entered for a fifth time. This violent criminal must be deported ASAP."

— City News Service