Overview

• Rosali Fernandez-Cruz pleaded guilty to hit-and-run resulting in death, and a judge imposed a one-year sentence.
• He was admitted to the South Carolina Department of Corrections on August 14, 2025, with a projected release date of March 2, 2026.
• Immigration officials are expected to take him into custody after his release to begin deportation proceedings.
• Authorities say he failed to yield, struck 21-year-old Nathaniel Baker on a motorcycle, fled the scene, and was detained nearby as two passengers also ran.
• The attorney general’s office says there was no plea agreement, prosecutors advised the judge of other traffic-related charges, and Baker’s family supported the plea and sentence while requesting no politicization.