SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KTLA) – Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver that struck and critically injured a toddler as the boy was trick-or-treating in San Bernardino on Halloween night.
The crash was reported about 8:15 p.m. near the intersection of 35th Street and Sierra Highway, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino Police Department confirmed Monday.
Officers arrived to find an injured 3-year-old boy who had been struck by a car that fled the area.
The boy was transported to a local hospital in critical but stable condition, according to the spokesperson.
The driver sped away in what was described as a silver Toyota Camry without rendering aid or identifying himself, police said.
The child was not named by authorities, but a family member identified him as Richard “Richie” Martinez on a GoFundMe page.
The boy had just stepped off the sidewalk while trick-or-treating with his mother and two brothers when he was struck, police said. Martinez’s grandmother said he was dressed as Batman.
On Monday, Martinez’s mother gave an update on his condition on Facebook.
“Richard has now been taken off of sedation & the breathing tubes. He’s breathing on his own beautifully. He was crying & kicking & squeezing my hands,” part of the post read.