Costa Mesa boy, 1, killed by car after wandering from Santa Ana home

A car struck and killed a 1-year-old Costa Mesa boy Saturday night when he wandered onto the street about a block from a Santa Ana home where he was staying with a baby sitter, police said.

A Toyota Camry hit Jesus Alvarez just before 10 p.m. near the intersection of Newhope and Flight streets, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.

Police said the driver told authorities he didn’t see the boy before the crash.

Paramedics took Jesus to a hospital, where he died of his injuries, authorities said.

Traffic investigators are still working on the case, but neither speed nor alcohol appeared to be a factor, said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna, Santa Ana police spokesman.

The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with the investigation, Bertagna said.

According to police, the Toyota was headed north on Newhope when it struck Jesus, who was not in a crosswalk.

Bertagna said the Police Department’s family-crimes unit is looking into the crash to determine how the child ended up on the street.

“At this point it looks like a tragic accident, but obviously something we have questions about,” he said.