Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty in Hit-and-Run Death of California Boy

An undocumented individual, who had been deported from the U.S. on four occasions, entered a guilty plea on May 8 for the hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of an 11-year-old boy in California.

Hector Amador Balderas admitted to striking Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz with his vehicle on November 26, 2025, and subsequently leaving the scene, as reported by NBC San Diego. Witnesses said that the incident occurred around 5 p.m. while the boy was trying to retrieve a soccer ball near East Washington Avenue and Hickory Street in Escondido.

Authorities stated that Aiden was taken to Rady Children’s Hospital, where he tragically passed away early the following morning, which was Thanksgiving. Balderas turned himself in to the police a few days after the accident.

At 44 years old, Balderas is set to be sentenced in June and faces a prison term of two to three years. For now, he is being held in jail without the possibility of bail.

After his arrest, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed an immigration detainer for Balderas with the San Diego Sheriff’s Office, as noted in a December 2025 press release from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). ICE issued another detainer when Balderas was apprehended by law enforcement.

According to the press release, Balderas has a history of being deported four times.

Tricia McLaughlin, a former Assistant Secretary at the DHS, commented on the situation in a December 2025 press release, saying, “Thanksgiving should be a time for family and gratitude. Instead, the family of Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz is mourning the loss of this wonderful child because a criminal illegal alien took his life. We are concerned that sanctuary laws might allow this individual back on California’s streets.”

She continued, “Hector Balderas-Aheelor had been removed four times before he made the choice to commit a felony and return to the country illegally a fifth time. Gavin Newsom, we urge you to do the right thing and uphold ICE’s detainer.”

Officials reported that Balderas was deported once in March 2004, twice in June 2004, and again in March 2010 before he allegedly re-entered the U.S. illegally.

A GoFundMe campaign established in November 2025 raised over $23,000 to assist De Paz’s family and cover funeral costs.