A California father is facing manslaughter charges after the death of his toddler. Brandon Padilla-Aguilera was driving with his toddler son in Barstow when their car got caught in floodwater. Eventually, emergency services were able to locate them, but the father and his son had been separated by the rushing water. Although the father was quickly found, the boy had vanished. Nearly a day later, his body was found. Thus far, no details have been given about why police decided to press charges.
Detectives from the Barstow Police Department arrested 26-year-old Padilla-Aguilera at his home “without incident” on October 17, 2025, they noted in a news release. It was announced that he was arrested on murder charges.
Those charges changed, however, according to a release from the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. Ultimately, Padilla-Aguilera was charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and child abuse/endangerment under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death. The second count “includes a special allegation of willful harm or injury resulting in death,” the district attorney’s office noted.
Padilla-Aguilera has pleaded not guilty to both charges. His bond has been set at $200,000, and he will next appear in court on October 27.
“After our office reviewed the evidence and facts submitted, we determined that the appropriate charges that we believe we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt are the ones filed,” the district attorney’s office declared in a statement shared by KABC.
The charges stem from the disappearance and eventual death of Padilla-Aguilera’s 2-year-old son, Xavier Padilla-Aguilera.
On September 18, officers from the Barstow Police Department and the Barstow Fire Protection District responded to a call about a vehicle that was swept away in floodwater, they shared in their statement. As the vehicle was carried down Main Street, Padilla-Aguilera and Xavier managed to escape, but the father and son were then separated.
Padilla-Aguilera was found on an island created by the water, the police department said at the time. He was rescued by the fire department and taken to Barstow Community Hospital before being released.
Xavier had celebrated his second birthday only days before the incident, his aunt, Leeanna Kay, told Fox 11. She also shared that the boy had autism and was nonverbal. Sadly, after a 20-hour extensive search, Xavier’s body was found in the San Bernardino County Flood Control channel south of the Mojave River, the police shared in a statement.
In their announcement, Barstow police didn’t give details about what led to Padilla-Aguilera being arrested. “Over the course of the month-long investigation, detectives spoke with witnesses and gathered evidence. Based on evidence obtained, detectives secured an arrest warrant for him,” the statement read.
