Man charged with intoxicated manslaughter of Edinburg woman pleads guilty

EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A man accused of drunkenly killing a woman while behind the wheel has pleaded guilty to an indictment.

^{Juan Pablo Torres (Hidalgo County Jail records)}

Juan Pablo Torres entered a plea of guilty Tuesday for the Sept. 9, 2023, intoxication manslaughter of 26-year-old Adrienne Ann Garza, who died as a result of a crash.

A probable cause affidavit obtained by ValleyCentral provided details in the suspected drunk-driving crash in Edinburg that left Garza dead.

A probable cause affidavit stated that at 2:37 a.m. Sept. 9, 2023, an officer was dispatched to a major accident on the 100 block of E. Trenton Road.

At the scene they found a white Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck upside down on the corner of the road and a white BMW.

^{(City of Edinburg)}

The driver of the Chevrolet, identified as Torres was pulled out of the driver side window by police and a witness of the crash.

Officers tried to make contact with the driver of the BMW, identified as Garza, but she was pinned inside and unresponsive. The Edinburg Fire Department assisted in extracting Garza from the vehicle, where she was then transported to an Edinburg hospital. Once there, she died from her injuries.

On the morning of the crash, the white Chevrolet truck had been rolled over by a wrecker, and a black Ruger 5.7 .22 caliber handgun was recovered. During the interview, investigators asked if he carried anything inside his truck, to which he said he carried a pistol and a machete. Torres was then additionally charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon.

The officer at the scene suspected alcohol played a role in the crash when he smelled alcohol on Torres's breath and a beer can in the vehicle.

^{(City of Edinburg)}

This however, was not the only time Torres was suspected of driving under the influence.

Court records show that on March 21, 2019, Torres was arrested on a charge of DWI BAC>=0.15. A year later, he was sentenced to 180 days in county jail with nine months of probation, including taking alcohol classes, a driver’s license suspension of 90 days, an interlock device for 4.5 months and random drug and alcohol evaluations.

As part of his plea deal, Torres is subject to be confined to s state jail facility for a term of no more than two years or less than 180 days if convicted.

He must also pay a fine not to exceed $10,000.

If granted a suspension from confinement, a judge will place Torres on community supervision for a period not less than two years and not more than five.

For more details on the fatal crash, read our previous coverage.