He Ran a Red Light at 60 MPH and Killed a Woman Who Had the Green. He Got 5 Years Probation.

A man from Pharr ran a red light and killed a woman in Hidalgo. He was 71 years old. He was going 60 miles per hour. He did not brake.

Javier Garza pleaded guilty Monday. A judge gave him 5 years of probation and 120 hours of community service. He will not go to prison.

The woman who died was Dolores Acevedo. She was a passenger in her daughter's car. They were on their way home.

Her daughter, Rosario Navarro, was driving. Navarro had a green arrow. She was turning east on Dicker Road from South 23rd Street in Hidalgo. She had the right of way.

Garza was heading north on 23rd Street. He had a red light. He did not stop. He drove right through the red at 60 MPH in a 55 zone.

His car slammed into Navarro's car. The crash was so hard that Navarro's vehicle rolled over twice.

Acevedo died at the scene. Navarro, her daughter, survived. She suffered several broken bones.

This happened on February 2, 2025.

Investigators got a search warrant for Garza's car. The data showed he was doing 60 MPH. He did not touch his brakes before the red light.

Garza pleaded guilty to criminal negligent homicide. That is a state jail felony. It means a person caused a death by acting without care for others. The more serious charges, manslaughter and aggravated assault, were dropped as part of the plea.

Starr County District Attorney Toribio "Terry" Palacios announced the sentence.

Five years of probation means Garza stays out of prison. He has to check in with a probation officer. He has to complete 120 hours of community service. If he breaks the rules, he could go to prison.

The sentence has drawn attention from people who think it is not enough. A woman died. She had the green light. She was not doing anything wrong. A man blew through a red light at 60 MPH and she is gone. He goes home.

Garza is 71. His age may have played a role in the sentence. Judges can consider a person's age, health, and background when deciding on punishment. But Texas law still allows prison time for the crime he admitted to.

Rosario Navarro lost her mother that day. She also broke bones in the crash. She had to heal from her own injuries while dealing with the loss of Acevedo.

The family has not spoken publicly since the plea deal was announced.

In Texas, this charge carries up to 2 years in jail and a fine up to $10,000. Probation is allowed. Judges have room to decide.

Garza is now living under the terms of his probation. He has 120 hours of community service to complete. He will be on probation for 5 years.

For Dolores Acevedo's family, the road through Hidalgo will never look the same.

Crashes at red lights kill people in South Texas every year. Speed matters. A car going 60 MPH hits with much more force than one going 35 MPH. Not braking at all going into a red light means full speed at impact.

The intersection of South 23rd Street and Dicker Road in Hidalgo is a regular road. People use it to get home. Rosario Navarro was doing just that. She was driving her mother home when Garza blew through.

Dolores Acevedo never made it.

The community in Hidalgo and Pharr has followed this case. Some feel 5 years of probation for taking a life is too light. Others say Garza is old and likely not a danger going forward.

The law gives judges room to decide. In this case, the judge chose probation over prison. That choice is final unless Garza breaks the terms of his deal.

Garza must complete his 120 hours of community service. He must report to a probation officer. For 5 years, his freedom has limits.

Only Dolores Acevedo's family can say if it was enough.