Overview
- ICE filed a detainer for Fernandez-Cruz, who has a 2018 final removal order, to take him into custody when his state sentence ends, according to a DHS announcement reported by Blaze Media.
- Fernandez-Cruz pleaded guilty to hit-and-run resulting in death, and the judge imposed a one-year term with credit for 131 days of time served reported by The State.
- South Carolina corrections records show he was admitted on August 14, 2025, with a projected release date of March 2, 2026.
- The attorney general’s office said there was no plea agreement as the judge was informed of other traffic charges, while reports and jail records indicate several related counts were later dismissed.
- Authorities said the 21-year-old USC student, Nathaniel Baker, was struck while riding a motorcycle after the driver failed to yield and fled, and the Baker family forgave the defendant and agreed to the plea and sentence.