In a case that has stirred ample debate on justice and accountability, an undocumented individual from El Salvador received a mere one-year sentence following the tragic hit-and-run death of University of South Carolina student, Nathaniel Baker.
On April 2, 2025, Baker, a 21-year-old motorcyclist, was struck by 24-year-old Rosali Fernandez-Cruz, who reportedly ignored traffic laws and fled the scene post-collision.
The family of the victim, in a remarkable display of compassion, chose to forgive Fernandez-Cruz, a factor that was communicated to the judge, according to Robert Kittle, spokesperson for the state attorney general’s office, during his remarks to Fox News.
The judge ultimately sentenced Fernandez-Cruz to just one year in prison—an outcome that has raised eyebrows and questions about the intersection of immigration status and legal consequences.
Kittle further noted that Baker’s family did not wish for the case to become a focal point of public discourse or political debate.
After serving his sentence, Fernandez-Cruz is set to be deported back to El Salvador.
As reported by Fox News, the details unfold:
An undocumented immigrant who admitted guilt in the fatal hit-and-run that claimed the life of a South Carolina college student will walk free next year, completing his one-year prison term.
Rosali Fernandez-Cruz was committed to the South Carolina Department of Corrections on August 14, 2025. His anticipated release date is March 2, 2026. Charged with the most severe count of hit-and-run resulting in death, he pleaded guilty to it—although there was no plea deal involved. Prosecutors informed the judge of other traffic violations related to Fernandez-Cruz’s record, according to Kittle.
“The decision regarding sentencing was solely in the judge’s hands, resulting in the one-year term,” he stated.
This lenient sentence follows the death of 21-year-old Nathaniel Baker in Columbia. Baker was a junior at the University and a proud member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
SOFT SENTENCE: An undocumented immigrant from El Salvador will serve only one year in jail after killing University of South Carolina student Nate Baker, 21, in a hit-and-run crash. pic.twitter.com/MfAjfyq4UL
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 8, 2025
