11-Year-Old Killed By Hit-And-Run on Thanksgiving — Suspect Was Deported Four Times, DHS says

Thanksgiving morning wasn’t supposed to look like this for the Torres de Paz family. A heavy silence fell over their Escondido home. Aiden Antonio Torres de Paz, their 11-year-old boy, was gone. According to what the family told NBC San Diego, Aiden was playing outside. He was near East Washington Avenue and North Hickory Street on Wednesday evening when he was trying to retrieve a ball with another child when a car struck him. By the time his mother María de Paz rushed outside  she found her little boy lying unconscious in the street. “He had a very low pulse,” she recalled in Spanish. Neighbors came running, the driver was gone with no hesitation at all. Aiden was then rushed to a nearby hospital and later airlifted to Rady Children’s Hospital. But the battle didn’t last long, as he died early Thanksgiving morning.

Scoop: A Mexican migrant who has already been kicked out of the US four times is accused of killing an 11-year-old boy in a heinous hit-and-run on the outskirts of San Diego before Thanksgiving, DHS officials tell The Post.

Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz was playing with another… pic.twitter.com/rxGyL2bf5I — Josh Christenson (@jchristenson_) December 2, 2025

The deceased boy's mom said:

“He was really friendly and loved (...) He didn’t deserve this.”

Aiden was the kind of boy who even made coming home from school feel like a party for everyone, as is being said. A neighbor and family friend, Irene Gonzalez, told NBC the family is trying to be grateful where they can, though it's challenging. “We do give thanks that Aiden is no longer in pain,” she said, as watching him suffer was unbearable. “But we’re not celebrating Thanksgiving.” As for where the crash happened, there is a vigil now. There are balloons, Candles, flowers, handwritten notes, and a single tiny shoe that was left at the crime scene is now gone as well. Gosh, that's so heartbreaking. For nearly a week, the case was simply a tragic hit-and-run. But then the Department of Homeland Security (or DHS) pointed out an issue that made headlines again. According to DHS, the alleged driver was Hector Balderas-Aheelor. he is a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico who had been removed four times before re-entering the United States.

Mexican migrant who killed 11-year-old in LA hit-and-run was previously kicked out of US four times: DHS officials https://t.co/roqapMS8b3 pic.twitter.com/TQOu7i5eic

— New York Post (@nypost) December 2, 2025

ICE has also lodged an immigration detainer for him after his arrest for felony hit-and-run. Still, the agency has warned that California’s sanctuary laws may prevent the hold from being honored. It’s becoming a political flashpoint on both sides.  DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the situation and said that Thanksgiving should have been a day of celebration and that sanctuary policies could allow the suspect “back onto California’s streets.” Meanwhile, the Escondido Police are urging anyone with information to step forward. Please note that Officer Paul Smyth can be reached at 760-839-4423. NEXT UP: $30M Settlement After Boy Killed on Washington Highway – State Knew the Signal Was Broken