SAN ANTONIO – It took a jury more than 10 hours to decide that Antonio Flores, 20, should be sent to prison for 10 years and fined $10,000 in the deaths of two Brandeis High School classmates.
According to prosecutors in Flores’ manslaughter trial, he was racing with another car and going 90 mph on Feb. 19, 2013, when he crashed into a truck at the intersection of Hausman Road and the Loop 1604 access road.
Georgina Rodriguez, 17, and Gabriella Lerma, 16, who were back-seat passengers as the students drove to lunch, were killed in the crash.
“In order for us to be able to move on and continue, I needed to forgive him,” Georgina's mother, Yvonne Rodriguez, said after the verdict.
She had just finished addressing Flores in the courtroom after Judge Sid Harle read the jury’s sentence Friday morning.
“I told him that even though he’s never reached out nor apologized for what he did, that I still forgave him,” she said.
Gabriella Lerma’s mother, Leticia Lerma, also spoke of forgiveness.
“Not that there’s really a sense of moving on, there’s some closure and forgiveness," Lerma said with tears in her eyes. “We have to forgive him and his family, as well.”
Tears also filled Flores’ eyes as deputies escorted him from the courtroom. His mother wept as family members left after the verdict.
Flores must serve at least half of his 10-year sentence before he can be considered for parole.