A 27 year old McAllen woman is heading to trial. She is accused of killing a man with her car in Alamo earlier this year.
A grand jury indicted Paola Monserrat Reyes on June 30. She faces a charge called intoxication manslaughter. That means police say she drove drunk and it killed someone. Reyes is set to be arraigned on Wednesday. That is when a judge will read her the charge in court.
This case hits close to home for many Rio Grande Valley families. Drunk driving crashes keep hurting our neighbors. People here want justice for the young man who died.
The man killed was Elian Ramses Ramirez. He was 20 years old. Police say Reyes hit him with her car on a dark road in Alamo.
Police got a call at 2:38 a.m. on Feb. 25. Someone found a man lying in the road on Sioux Road in Alamo. The caller thought they saw a person in a bright safety vest on the ground. They called police right away.
Officers found the man on his side. He was bleeding from his head. Alamo Fire Department workers checked him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. That man was later named as Ramirez.
Police found an electric bike near his body. The back of the bike was damaged. Officers then found security cameras at a nearby house. The video showed a gray car driving by. Then the video picked up the sound of a crash. Then it caught the sound of something being dragged on the road.
At the same time, other officers were helping a stuck driver nearby. They found an empty gray 2022 Toyota Camry close by. Reyes' driver's license was inside. The car had damage on the front left corner and the bottom of the windshield.
When police found Reyes, she said a man threw a beer can at her car in front of a school. But officers said she looked very drunk. One officer named Garcia said she had slurred words, red eyes, and smelled like beer.
Reyes told police she had gone out that night. She said she drank five drinks two hours before the crash. She said her car damage came from hitting a curb at Tower Road and Ridge Road.
Police asked her to take a breath test or give blood. She said no both times. Officers arrested her on suspicion of drunk driving. They later got a search warrant signed by a judge. Doctors at South Texas Health System then drew her blood.
Reyes was booked into jail that same day. Her charge was intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle. Her bond was set at $100,000. She paid the bond and got out of jail on March 12.
Intoxication manslaughter is a serious felony charge in Texas. It can mean 2 to 20 years in prison. A conviction also can bring a big fine.
Drunk driving crashes happen too often in Hidalgo County. Many families in the Rio Grande Valley have lost loved ones this way. Police found a damaged electric bike near Ramirez. His death is a reminder that late night roads can be dangerous for everyone, not just drivers.
Now Reyes faces the grand jury indictment from June 30. Her arraignment is set for this Wednesday. A judge will read her the charge and set new court dates.
The case is still moving through the courts. It is not clear yet when a trial date will be set. El Tejano will follow this case and share new updates as they come.
