Mexico

Suspect in San Ysidro Hit-and-Run Crash Deported 15 Times in 15 Years: ICE

Lennox and his parents were returning from a trip to Disneyland when the crash occurred.

A man accused in a traffic collision that injured a boy Saturday has been deported at least 15 times in the last 15 years, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson.

Constantino Banda, 38, faces charges of driving under the influence, driving without a license and felony hit and run following the collision at Camino De La Plaza and Dairy Mart Road in San Diego's San Ysidro district.

The victims in the traffic collision included 6-year-old Lennox Lake, who was listed Tuesday night in serious condition at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego.

Lennox and his parents were returning from a trip to Disneyland when the crash occurred.

"We heard the tires screeching but it wasn't like the screeching of stopping, it was like the screeching of accelerating into the turn.  I saw bright lights and the next thing I know I woke up with airbags deployed," said Lennox's father, Benjamin Lake.  

Lennox was strapped into a car seat in the backseat. His mother found Lennox unconscious from the impact.

He added, "the first thing he (Lennox) asked was if mommy was okay."

Lennox suffered a long list of injuries, some including a fractured skull and bleeding from his nose and ears. 

Banda was arrested after U.S. Border Patrol agents approached the driver of a Chevrolet pickup truck found at Vista Lane and Corte Amelia, officials said.

Both the driver and passenger were determined to be Mexican nationals in the country illegally, officials said.

ICE Public Affairs Officer Lauren Mack said the agency is seeking to take Banda into custody if and when he’s released by San Diego police.

Mack said Banda has been “repatriated to Mexico at least 15 times since 2002, most recently in January 2017.”

The passenger who was not identified by police was also taken to a U.S. Border Patrol station for processing, officials said.

Lennox's parents said they are staying positive because that's something their son needs most.

"We'll hold each other and cry a little bit but we're just thankful he's around still. We can't imagine our life without him," the boy's father said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Lake family. 

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