A California father is now facing serious criminal charges after his 2-year-old son died in a flooding incident that has left many people with questions about what really happened.
According to Court TV, Brandon Aguilera-Padilla, 26, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and child abuse following the death of his young son, Xavier Padilla. The incident happened on September 18, 2025, when emergency responders in Barstow got a call about a vehicle that had been swept away by floodwaters.
The Barstow Police Department said both Brandon and Xavier were in the car when floodwater took over the vehicle. They both got out of the car, but the father and son got separated in the water. What witnesses told police reveals something disturbing, as investigators spent the next month talking to people who saw what happened and collecting evidence. Emergency crews started looking for the missing toddler right away, but Xavier’s body was not found until the next day, September 19.
The Charges Changed Pretty Dramatically After His Arrest
Things took a turn after Brandon was arrested on October 17, 2025. Police first arrested him on murder charges based on what they found during their investigation. But then the district attorney’s office changed that charge to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and added a child abuse charge on top of it.
Brandon went to court for his arraignment and said he was not guilty to both charges. The judge set his bail at $200,000 and told him to come back to court on October 27. Police have not said what exactly the witnesses told them, but whatever they said was apparently serious enough for prosecutors to file criminal charges against the father.
This case shows how serious the legal problems can be when children end up in dangerous situations, even when bad weather or natural disasters are involved. Similar questions about following the right rules have come up in other recent cases, like an Illinois police officer who was recently arrested by ICE after working for over a decade.
The vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence charge means prosecutors think Brandon was driving in a way that put his son in real danger. The child abuse charge means they believe what he did was bad enough to count as criminal neglect or putting his child in harm’s way.
The investigation is still going on as the case moves through court. Just like dangerous vehicle problems on highways can lead to bad outcomes, this case is a reminder that drivers need to keep their passengers safe. Brandon is still in custody while he waits for his next court hearing later this month.
Published: Oct 24, 2025 06:30 pm