BALLSTON LAKE, NY — An 18-year-old has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with a fatal stabbing in May.
Jaiden A. Ildefonso, of New York, entered the plea Thursday before Judge James R. Davis in Saratoga County Court, according to Acting Saratoga County District Attorney Jennifer L. Buckley.
The charge stems from a May 31 stabbing that killed Simon Brault, 20, of Ballston Lake.
Brault had intervened in a physical altercation between his underage brother and another minor outside his home when Ildefonso approached and stabbed him, piercing his aorta, according to prosecutors.
Ildefonso and the other minor fled the scene.
Members of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office and emergency medical technicians arrived at Brault’s home and transported him to Albany Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.
Investigators from the sheriff’s office tracked Ildefonso’s vehicle nearly 50 miles away to Schoharie County, where they gathered evidence and took him into custody.
Ildefonso is scheduled to be sentenced March 13, 2026, to 15 years to life in state prison.
He will remain under parole supervision for life following his prison sentence and will be given full stay-away orders of protection for surviving family members.
“Our son Simon was a beautiful person and everyone who knew him will tell you how nice and kind he was,” said the victim’s father, Bernard Brault.
“This tragedy is senseless. We are relieved that Jaiden has admitted his role and that he is being held accountable.”
The Brault family has established the Simon Brault Memorial Second Chance Scholarship at Hudson Valley Community College to help students who have overcome hardship and need financial aid.
