Jennifer Lowery, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, was arrested Monday and is now facing a felony charge after a surveillance camera captured a black sedan slamming into another car in Houston on May 14. The other driver was injured, and witnesses said the sedan sat in the intersection for roughly two and a half minutes before finally pulling away. The case is drawing outsized attention because Lowery spent years as one of the region’s most prominent federal prosecutors, eventually leading the office she once represented at news conferences.
Video and arrest details
Surveillance footage obtained by reporters shows the black sedan heading north on Asbury Street at about 8:07 p.m. on May 14, then colliding with a car that was turning onto Memorial Drive, according to ABC13. The station reports the sedan stayed put for around two and a half minutes before leaving, at which point a witness followed the damaged car to a nearby house. That witness later gave officers a description that helped them track down the vehicle. Court records cited by the station say Lowery was arrested at her home Monday afternoon and charged with felony failure to stop and render aid, then released after posting bond.
Lowery’s career and status
Lowery was sworn in as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas in 2022 after serving as an assistant U.S. attorney and later as the office’s first assistant, the Houston Chronicle reports. The Chronicle notes that she moved up through the Southern District’s criminal divisions and became a regular presence at news conferences tied to major federal cases in the Houston area. Her promotion to the top federal prosecutor role turned her into a familiar face at local law enforcement briefings and press events.
What the charge carries under Texas law
Under Texas law, “failure to stop and render aid” after a crash that causes injury is a criminal offense, according to the Texas Transportation Code. Collisions that lead to serious bodily injury or death can bring felony charges and potential prison time. The statute requires that drivers in injury crashes stop, check whether anyone needs help, and stay at the scene until identifying information has been exchanged. Prosecutors are expected to review the surveillance footage, witness accounts, and vehicle damage as they decide whether the legal elements of a felony are fully met.
Victim's account and next steps
Gabriel Fonseca, the driver who was hit, told ABC13 that his airbags deployed and that “she didn’t even check to see if I was dead.” The station reported that the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on personnel matters, while sources said Lowery remains employed by the Department of Justice. Witnesses stayed with Fonseca at the scene, and court documents state that a neighbor followed the damaged sedan to a home where officers later found it. The case is now moving through Harris County’s courts, with prosecutors reviewing the evidence before deciding on any additional filings.
