Escondido Driver Arrested for Murder After Fatal Hit-and-Run in Carlsbad
CARLSBAD, CA – Authorities arrested a 26-year-old Escondido resident following a hit-and-run collision that killed a pedestrian Tuesday evening.
Officers with the City of Carlsbad Police Department responded to the 3800 block of Carlsbad Boulevard at approximately 7:46 p.m. on September 15, 2026, to investigate reports of a collision between a motor vehicle and a pedestrian. Upon arrival, emergency personnel located a severely injured pedestrian in the roadway. Paramedics transported the individual to a local hospital, where medical staff pronounced the victim deceased.
The involved driver fled the scene prior to law enforcement’s arrival. Utilizing physical evidence left at the location, community input, automated license plate readers, and aerial support from the San Diego Police Department and San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, officers discovered the suspect’s vehicle just over one mile from the crash site.
Police identified the driver as Fernando Saldana. Investigation revealed Saldana has a previous DUI conviction. Officers arrested Saldana and booked him into the Vista Detention Facility on charges of murder, gross vehicular manslaughter, DUI causing injury or death, and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in injury or death.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the victim’s identity at a later date. While the cause of the crash remains under investigation, police suspect alcohol was a contributing factor. The Carlsbad Police Department asks witnesses to contact Traffic Accident Investigator Officer Nicholas Alvarado at 442-339-5136 or Nicholas.Alvarado@carlsbadca.gov.
