LABELLE, Fla. — The man convicted of killing 15-year-old Eduardo Escobedo in a LaBelle hit-and-run is heading to prison.
Fox 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski, has been following this case from the beginning and was inside the courtroom as the victim's family heard that Eduardo's killer will be spending 30 years in prison.
Hear what Eduardo's family told Austin about the sentencing after court:
Before that, Eduardo's family described how his loss still shapes their lives. "There are no more of his laughs around the house, I want to tell him to come back but it's impossible all thanks to you,” said Eduardo’s Aunt, Angelica Escobedo.
His mother, Jenny Escobedo, told the court, “Today, my son's light shines on every light. But the light in my heart has stopped shining."
Eduardo’s father, Uriber Lopez, added, "Almost two years have passed. And we live every day the same way. We smile. We look at ourselves and wonder why are we laughing or smiling."
Santiago also took the stand, still claiming he wasn't the one who killed Eduardo. "I am sorry for what happened to him. It was a tragic accident, but I am not the guy," Santiago said.
This case began in September 2023, when troopers say Santiago hit Eduardo as he biked along Case Road, then drove off. They later revealed his license had been revoked after a long history of driving offenses.
In the days after the crash, Schargorodski spoke with Eduardo's family as they tried to process the loss. "We're trying to be together, but it's hard when we're not complete," said Eduardo’s aunt, Selina Barron.
But over time, their grief turned into action. Eduardo's family pushed county leaders to make Case Road safer, and their voices were heard. Cameras went up, and streetlights and speed humps were approved.
"We all have families and we must make changes," said Laura Escobedo.
While Friday's sentencing closes the legal chapter, Eduardo's family says their greatest comfort is knowing his legacy lives on through the changes they fought for to protect other families.
"Every time we look at the light, we see the bumps. We see all those positive changes to the community and we know it also stands for the loss of his life," said Selina Barron.
ORIGINAL REPORTING:
The man convicted of killing 15-year-old Eduardo Escobedo in a LaBelle hit-and-run will spend 30 years in prison.
Fox 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski, has been following this case since the beginning, and he was in the courtroom as the victim’s family heard how long Eduardo’s killer would be in prison.
Hector Santiago Jr. learned his fate inside a Hendry County courtroom on Friday.
This case began in September 2023, when investigators said Santiago hit Eduardo while the teen was biking along Case Road, then drove off. Troopers later revealed Santiago’s license had been revoked at the time due to a long history of repeat driving offenses.
Since then, Eduardo’s family turned their grief into action, pushing county leaders for changes to make Case Road safer. I’ve shown you how their efforts led to cameras being installed on the road, along with approvals for new streetlights and speed humps.
At trial earlier this year, prosecutors used cell phone pings, fingerprints, security video, and black box data to show Santiago’s SUV was going more than 75 miles per hour and never braked. The defense argued it wasn’t enough to prove he was behind the wheel, but jurors sided with the state.
Santiago was convicted on all charges: vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of a crash involving death, and reckless driving with a revoked license involving a death.
While Friday’s sentencing may close the legal chapter, Eduardo’s family say’s their greatest comfort is knowing his legacy lives on through the changes they fought for to keep other families safe.
