The crash killed three valet workers: Eric Orduna, 18-year-old Fnan Measho and 23-year-old Nick Rodriquez. Ahmedal Modawi, 18, pleaded guilty to killing them, and Judge Chris Morton sentenced him to 10 years in prison, according to FOX 26 Houston.
Investigators said the three men were working as valets alongside a fourth coworker when Modawi did donuts and burnouts in the parking lot. He then drove away at high speed to avoid police and struck the group, according to FOX 26 Houston.
Families Challenge the Sentence
The district attorney's office had recommended a 35-year sentence for Modawi. Instead, Morton's 10-year sentence means Modawi could be released after serving just five years, as reported by FOX 26 Houston.
Parole Eligibility Does Not Guarantee Release
FOX 26’s report that Modawi could be released after five years describes a possibility, not a guaranteed release date. According to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, a parole panel is not obligated to approve parole at an initial or later review.
For Orduna’s relatives, the difference between the sentence and what prosecutors sought felt like a betrayal. “I really thought he was going to get at least 50 years or 30 years not 10. It's just a slap in my family's face,” a family member told FOX 26.
Relatives Point to Modawi’s Age
Relatives also said they believed Modawi’s age worked in his favor, while their own children lost the chance to build futures. “He's young another chance at life so he's going to give him 10 years,” one relative said, according to FOX 26.
A separate video report from FOX 26 Houston, covered by reporter Randy Wallace, described the case as involving a woman killed on her 19th birthday and quoted a mother who said the sentence was not enough. That framing conflicts with the station's own written report identifying three young male victims — Orduna, Measho and Rodriquez — and the case's precise details remain tied to that written account.
Related crash cases and citywide context
A separate case offers a comparison, though the circumstances differed: the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that a November 2022 street-racing crash on River Oaks Boulevard/Texas 183 northwest of Fort Worth killed three people and resulted in a 10-year sentence for Nelson Ramirez. That crash involved racing on a roadway, unlike the parking-lot conduct described in this case. Separately, Houston Public Media reported that TxDOT data counted 301 traffic-crash deaths in Houston in 2024, compared with 271 in 2023. That citywide figure does not establish anything about this specific parking-lot crash.
What Comes Next
For now, the families of Orduna, Measho and Rodriquez are left processing a sentence they say does not reflect the lives lost in the parking lot crash. No further information on appeals or additional proceedings has been reported.
