Suspect in deadly hit-and-run not old enough to drink, but had twice legal limit, prosecutors say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man accused of leaving the scene of an accident after hitting and killing a pedestrian may not have had a driver's license, according to the prosecutors.

The suspect, 20-year-old Yimy Ricardo Ulloa-Padilla, was in court for the second time in 24 hours.

Prosecutors say the suspect isn't old enough to drink alcohol, but he had twice the legal limit in his system when he fled the scene of a deadly collision.

During a short court appearance on Monday, Ulloa-Padilla stood before a judge in district court, but prosecutors say when police found him two hours after and three miles away from a deadly collision in southwest Houston, he had trouble maintaining his balance. They say late Friday, he drove his Ford F-150 into 34-year-old Ricky Ornelas and killed him.

"When officers spoke to (Ulloa-Padilla), he gave two different names. Very similar names but different names, and he did not have any identifying information on him," Harris County Assistant District Attorney Connor Lancaster said. "Officers observed the strong odor of alcohol, slurred speech, red, bloodshot eyes, and swaying, and the suspect was disoriented."

Investigators say they spoke to him after finding his damaged truck at this gas station. Not only did prosecutors tell a judge that Ulloa-Padilla had alcohol in his system, but he also possessed what appeared to be a bag of marijuana and a vape pen.

"And they also observed what they believed to be blood matter on the top of the F-150," Lancaster said in court. "The defendant was concerned about where his marijuana was and was asking questions about where the marijuana was located."

He is currently in jail on a $100,000 bond and a charge of DUI and failure to stop and render aid at an accident involving death. But the native Honduran also has what's called an immigration hold.

An ICE spokesperson confirmed to ABC13 that Ulloa-Padilla entered the US illegally in 2022 and never showed up to any of his court dates. The charges against him could be upgraded.

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