A San Antonio teenager will spend the next 25 years in prison. His carjacking killed an 80 year old man. Zachariah Aguirre is 19 now. He was only 15 when he carjacked Larry Brister and dragged him down a North Side street in February 2023.
This case matters because it shows how far some teens will go to steal a truck. It also raises a hard question for South Texas families. How should courts punish kids who commit crimes this violent? Brister lived for five months after the attack before he died from his injuries.
Prosecutors work for the Bexar County Criminal District Attorney's office. They say Aguirre and two other teens set a trap for Brister on February 11, 2023. Aguirre told Brister something was wrong with one of his tires. Brister stopped his truck near his neighborhood and got out to check it.
That is when Aguirre jumped into the driver's seat and sped off, prosecutors say. Brister grabbed on and tried to stop him. Aguirre kept driving anyway. He dragged Brister down the street as he tried to get away.
Neighbors ran out to help Brister. One of them was Bruce Bowen, a former San Antonio Spurs player. Bowen and two other neighbors worked to save Brister's life right there on the pavement.
"Three people had worked to bring him back to life, get him breathing, turned him over. One of those people was Spurs player Bruce Bowen. We have talked and prayed together," Sandra Brister, the victim's widow, told the court.
Brister survived that day, but he never fully recovered. He spent months in the hospital fighting for his life. About five months after the attack, he died from his injuries.
Aguirre pleaded guilty to his role in the deadly carjacking. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison this week. He is the first of three teens charged in the case to be sentenced. He was also the last of the three to agree to a plea deal with prosecutors.
Sandra Brister spoke directly to Aguirre in court before the sentence came down. She told him the killing never had to happen.
"This killing was so unnecessary," she said.
She also told Aguirre she had prayed for him, even after everything her family had lost.
"I, too, have prayed for you so much, and I hope in this next 25 years you can find God and ask for forgiveness and ask to be saved. I hope he will change your life," she said.
Bexar County Criminal District Attorney Joe Gonzales released a statement after the sentencing. He said the punishment sends a message about accountability, no matter how young a defendant is.
"Today's sentencing reinforces the message that every individual, regardless of their age, must face the ramifications of their actions," Gonzales said. "While no amount of time will ever bring Mr. Brister back, we wish his loved ones strength and comfort as they begin their journey toward healing."
Two other teens charged in Brister's death are still waiting for their day in court. It is not clear yet when they will be sentenced or if they will also take plea deals. Aguirre's case is the first to close, but the Brister family's fight for justice is not over.
For families across South Texas, the case is a reminder that carjackings can turn deadly in seconds. A simple lie about a flat tire led to a five month hospital stay. In the end, it led to a death that could have been avoided. The two remaining defendants face a tough choice. In the coming months, they must decide whether to fight the charges at trial or plead guilty like Aguirre.
Bexar County officials have not released a timeline for the other two cases. El Tejano will keep following this story as it moves through the courts.
