PHOENIX, AZ – Phoenix police have arrested a 35-year-old man accused of striking and killing a 1-year-old boy with his vehicle before fleeing the scene over the weekend.
Tragic Driveway Collision
The incident occurred on Sunday, June 7, at a Phoenix intersection. According to the Phoenix Police Department, the toddler, identified by his family as Baby Lupe, had wandered into a driveway unsupervised when he was struck.
Emergency responders rushed the child to a local hospital in critical condition, where he was later pronounced dead. The Department of Child Safety also responded to the scene to assist.
Suspect Flees, Attempts to Escape to Mexico
The driver, identified as Carlos Rojas Mora, allegedly stopped his vehicle immediately after the collision but then left the area in a different vehicle.
According to court records, prosecutors allege that Mora asked a friend to drive him to Mexico to escape arrest. Instead, the friend contacted police in nearby Goodyear, Arizona, to turn him in. After a brief period where Mora hid at another acquaintance’s house, officers captured him during a traffic stop while he was riding in the backseat of a car.
Claims of Fear and Family’s Grief
Upon his arrest, Mora told detectives that he fled the scene because he feared the toddler’s father—who was his neighbor—might have a gun and harm him.
During Mora’s initial court appearance, the grieving parents faced the suspect. “It just hurts that he just left them there to die without helping us,” the victim’s father stated. The mother added, “I lost my 1-year-old son, and I’ll never be able to get him back.”
Mora has been officially charged with hit-and-run resulting in death or injury. Information regarding his legal representation or plea has not yet been released.
