ICE seeks removal of illegal immigrant criminal suspect in hit-and-run that killed 11-year-old girl

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said it has lodged an immigration detainer with the San Diego Sheriff’s Office for Hector Balderas-Aheelor, whom the agency described as a Mexican national unlawfully in the United States, following his arrest in connection with a felony hit-and-run that authorities say led to the death of an 11-year-old boy on Thanksgiving morning.

According to ICE, the child, Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz, was trying to retrieve a soccer ball outside his home in Escondido, California, on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025, when he was struck by a vehicle.

The driver allegedly fled the scene. Aiden died from his injuries the next day, on Thanksgiving morning.

ICE stated that law enforcement later apprehended Balderas-Aheelor and that the agency issued an arrest detainer, a request that local authorities notify ICE before releasing a person from custody so federal immigration officers can take them into custody.

In its statement, ICE said it anticipates the detainer may not be honored due to California’s sanctuary-state policies, which the agency said can limit cooperation between local jurisdictions and federal immigration authorities.

ICE also alleged Balderas-Aheelor had been removed from the United States four times previously.

The release included comments attributed to Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who condemned the killing and urged state officials to cooperate with ICE.

“Thanksgiving should be a day of celebrating family and giving gratitude, but instead the family of Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz mourned this beautiful child’s death because a criminal illegal alien stole his life,” McLaughlin said. “Now, sanctuary laws threaten to put this killer back onto California’s streets.”

McLaughlin added that the suspect “was previously removed FOUR times” and called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to “honor ICE’s arrest detainer.” 

The statement said the Department of Homeland Security will continue efforts to remove people it described as “murderers, pedophiles, and violent criminals,” and asserted a broader shift in enforcement priorities "under President Trump and Secretary Noem.”