San Antonio, Texas, May 20, 2016: This morning, jurors in the 226th District Court denied Antonio Flores’ application for community supervision and sentenced him to 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; jurors also assessed a $10,000.00 fine. On Tuesday, jurors found Flores, age 22, guilty of two counts of Manslaughter for the deaths of his former Brandeis High School classmates, Gabriella Lerma, age 17, and Georgina Rodriguez, age 16.
On February 19, 2013, Flores was driving during off-campus lunch along the access road off Loop 1604 and West Hausman. Witnesses saw Flores racing another vehicle moments before the crash occurred. Drivers on the road saw Flores quickly change lanes trying to use the left turn only lane to pass a Chevy work truck at a high rate of speed. Flores crashed into the truck, which was turning left, at the intersection. Lerma and Rodriguez, who were Flores’ backseat passengers, died from their injuries sustained in the crash. The driver of the truck, Rick Sandoval, was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken back. At the crash scene, Flores told the Brandeis High School administrator that he “did not know who was driving the car he was racing.” San Antonio police traffic investigators testified that the crash and accident scene corroborated the witness statements that Flores was driving at a high rate of speed and heading straight through the intersection.
During the punishment phase, prosecutors presented evidence that Flores was involved in a subsequent crash months following the crash where he killed his former classmates. The judge made a deadly weapon finding, meaning Flores must serve half of his 10-year prison sentence before he’s eligible for parole. Manslaughter is a 2nd degree felony, punishable by 2-20 years in prison and up to a $10,000.00 fine. Assistant District Attorneys Joshua Somers and Lauren Scott prosecuted the case against Flores in the 226th District Court.