An El Paso County grand jury on Friday declined to indict 62-year-old Aurora Morales on an intoxication manslaughter charge in connection with a February crash in the Lower Valley that killed 57-year-old paraprofessional Ana Maria Paniagua. Without an indictment, prosecutors will not move forward with a felony case unless new evidence surfaces, effectively closing the criminal investigation into a tragedy that rattled Jefferson High and the surrounding neighborhood.
District Attorney Outlines Grand Jury Process
In a statement to KFOX14, District Attorney James Montoya reminded the public that "Under Texas law, a grand jury must return an indictment to proceed with a felony criminal case." He said prosecutors laid out the facts and circumstances of the case for the panel before it reached its decision.
How The Crash Unfolded
According to reporting in the El Paso Times, Paniagua and her daughter stopped on Feb. 7 to check on Morales and later found her sitting in a running 1999 Ford F-350 in the parking lot of Juanito's Liquor in the 7800 block of North Loop Drive. Paniagua offered to give Morales a ride home. As Morales tried to switch seats, the truck rolled backward. The front-left tire trapped Paniagua, who was rushed to Del Sol Medical Center, where she later died. The El Paso Times also reported that the complaint against Morales was dismissed on Feb. 25 and that she was released from custody that same day.
Community Grieves As Case Stalls
Paniagua's family and co-workers remembered the Jefferson High paraprofessional as deeply devoted to her students, and relatives used the loss to plead for safer choices on the road. "Just please do not drink and drive, that is all," a family member urged, according to KVIA. Because Texas grand jury proceedings are secret, officials have not disclosed how the panel reached its decision, and prosecutors can only bring the case back if new and significant evidence comes to light, KFOX14 notes.
