San Pedro resident pleads guilty to Causing Death by Careless Conduct

Eladio Balam

A San Pedro resident, Eladio Balam, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of causing death by careless conduct in the accidental death of an eight-year-old boy.  In May 2007, forty-five old Eladio Balam, accidentally reversed his Bobcat tractor into Jose Raudeles who was walking his bicycle from school on his way home.  This morning, Balam, who had initially been indicted for manslaughter by negligence and causing death by careless conduct pleaded guilty to the charge.  He was fined eight thousand dollars by the court and was ordered to pay ten thousand dollars to the family of the deceased.  In mitigation plea before Justice Michelle Arana, two character witnesses spoke on Balam’s behalf.  Before passing her ruling Justice Arana said that by law, the offence carries a maximum of two years; however, based on testimony by the character witnesses and the fact that he assisted the little boy after he was knocked down she would not send him to jail.