A man who federal officials said was in the country illegally and had been removed from the United States four times before striking an 11-year-old boy with his vehicle in Escondido, then fleeing the scene, pleaded guilty to a felony count of hit-and-run causing death.
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Hector Amador Balderas, 44, whose case sparked a public debate among federal and state officials due to his immigration status, pleaded guilty Friday to hitting Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz with his vehicle on Nov. 26, 2025, then driving away from the scene.
Court documents indicate he is facing between two and three years in state prison when he is sentenced, with the hearing scheduled early next month. Amador Balderas remains jailed without bail pending sentencing.
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Witnesses said Aiden went into the street to retrieve a soccer ball when he was hit about 5 p.m. near the intersection of East Washington Avenue and Hickory Street. He was taken to Rady Children’s Hospital, where he died Thanksgiving morning, police said.
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Prosecutors said Amador Balderas turned himself in a few days later.
