An illegal immigrant – who had been deported 15 times – is accused of seriously injuring a 6-year-old boy in a Saturday night drunken driving hit-and-run crash, authorities said.
Constantino Banda-Acosta, a 38-year-old Mexican citizen, was kicked out of the U.S. 15 times in the past 15 years, with his most previous deportation coming Jan. 18, federal officials told The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Banda-Acosta is accused of running a stop sign in the San Ysidro hit-and-run. He was taken into custody, about a half hour after the crash occurred, along with another man who was also an illegal immigrant.
The injured boy, Lennox Lake, was coming home from Disneyland with his family on Saturday, and the group was about a block from their home when the collision happened.
When he was found in the wrecked vehicle, Lennox was unconscious, bleeding from several head wounds and not breathing. He had a major head injury and, as of Tuesday night, had already undergone two surgeries, The Union-Tribune reported. Lennox’s family expects him to make a full recovery.
"Right now he has a lot of swelling and can’t open either of his eyes so he’s scared about why he can’t see," his father, Ben Lake, told FOX5. "I just really care about bringing him home and making sure he’s happy again."
Banda-Acosta was being held on $100,000 bail and had an arraignment set for Wednesday. He was arrested in 2006 on a DUI charge, had his license suspended three other times and also was accused of a domestic violence incident by his estranged wife, 10 News reported.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
