An illegal alien who was released into the U.S. by the Obama administration has been charged following a hit-and-run collision that ended the life of a University of South Carolina student this week, according to reports.
The horrifying wreck unfolded at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday in Columbia, SC.
The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Rosali I. Fernandez Cruz, allegedly failed to yield the right of way when making a left turn and crashed into a motorcyclist.
“After the collision, Fernandez Cruz is accused of not stopping or rendering aid to the victim or reporting the incident to police. He’s further accused of driving away from the scene and running from the vehicle,” the Columbia Police Department (CPD) explained in a press release.
Nathanial G. Baker, 21, was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
CPD arrested Fernandez Cruz shortly after the crash and charged him with Hit and Run Resulting in Death, Failure to Give Information and Render Aid, Failure to Yield the Right of Way, and Driving Without a License.
Investigators also discovered the suspect had been wanted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement since 2018 when a federal immigration judge ordered him deported, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources told the New York Post.
Fernandez Cruz, a citizen of El Salvador, was reportedly caught in Hidalgo, Texas, by U.S. Border Patrol in 2016 after illegally crossing the southern border.
The next day, he was released into the interior with a notice to appear before an immigration judge in the future and has apparently been on the loose ever since.
Tributes to Baker from family, friends, and fellow students have been numerous.
“Yesterday, 21-year-old USC student Nathanial ‘Nate’ Baker was driving a motorcycle when he was hit by a truck driver who fled the scene. The hit & run driver was in our country illegally. Nate should be alive today,” wrote Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of DHS.
Yesterday, 21-year-old USC student Nathanial “Nate” Baker was driving a motorcycle when he was hit by a truck driver who fled the scene. The hit & run driver was in our country illegally.
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) April 3, 2025
Nate should be alive today. @DHSgov prays for Nate’s family, friends, and loved ones and… pic.twitter.com/BKtVVJuqM9
“Yesterday, we lost not just a brother, but a leader, a role model, and a true embodiment of what our fraternity stands for,” Baker’s fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, wrote on Instagram.
Tributes are flowing for 21-year-old University of South Carolina student Nathanial Baker after he was tragically killed in a hit-and-run near campus on Wednesday.
— WACH FOX (@wachfox) April 3, 2025
Full story: https://t.co/LE7kma3aNI pic.twitter.com/5TuhkOFWdZ
An investigation is ongoing.
Authorities continue to catch dangerous foreign criminals in the U.S.
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