SAN ANTONIO – A 28-year-old man is expected to take a plea deal in connection with a crash that killed a woman.
Jose Alfredo Nino Lopez is charged with manslaughter in a crashed that caused the death of Crystal Mendoza, 40. The crash happened around 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 13 in the 1700 block of Martinez Losoya Road.
Two other people inside Mendoza’s vehicle, her daughter and nephew, were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Lopez was charged with manslaughter, injury to a child — reckless bodily injury, and aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, Bexar County jail records show.
‘There isn’t going to be a sentence that’s going to be justified’
Veronica Garcia says her sister, Mendoza, was her best friend.
“My sister was the one I counted on. We saw each other every day,” said Garcia. “If I couldn’t be there for my kids, she was there. She was a phone call away for all of us.”
Mendoza was driving her daughter and nephew to school when the crash occurred.
“It was a routine morning. The kids had early practice. I usually left the house first,” Garcia said. “My youngest was taking forever to get dressed. So I sent Chris with my sister.”
Garcia had received a call informing her of Mendoza’s death, and she couldn’t believe it.
It’s been eight months since the crash. Garcia said it’s taken a toll on everyone in their family. Her parents have health issues, and Mendoza was their caretaker.
Mendoza’s only daughter celebrated her 15th birthday without her mother. The family says they don’t want a long lengthy trial.
“We just want to move on. There isn’t going to be a sentence that’s going to be justified. It isn’t going to bring her back,” said Garcia. “So to sit here and be angry about what’s going to happen, that’s no way to live. We just wanna close this chapter of our lives that we wish we never started.”
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