Memorial site where Balderrama was killed
TEHACHAPI — Two Tehachapi residents are behind bars after allegedly killing a 14-year-old girl in a felony hit and run incident on Saturday.
Isaac Macias, 20, and 19-year-old Ibrahim Essa Gomes were booked into the Mojave Jail.
Macias, the driver of the vehicle, was booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit and run while Gomes, his passenger, was booked on suspicion of accessory to a felony.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the incident took place on the early morning hours of Saturday, October 10, when officers received a call of a person on the side of Highway 202 at Sage Lane in Tehachapi.
When officers arrived they said they found a deceased female, later identified as 14-year-old Leslie Elaine Balderrama of Tehachapi, who had apparently been struck by a vehicle while walking along the roadway.
Investigators were able to link physical evidence found scene at the accident site to a nearby apartment complex, where they located a 2014 Dodge Ram 2500 truck that had damage consistent with the evidence located at the scene.
Both suspects were taken into custody on Sunday morning. Police say that alcohol may have been a factor in the accident.
Friends have established a GoFundMe page to raise money to support Leslie Balderama’s family.
