Texas Walmart Worker Sentenced to 20 Years for Killing Co-Worker After Drinking During Lunch Break
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — A 20-year-old Walmart employee will spend the next two decades in prison after getting drunk during his lunch break and then running down a co-worker in the store parking lot, killing her, according to prosecutors.
Authorities said Gabriel Rosas was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison — the maximum penalty — after pleading guilty to intoxication manslaughter in the April 2024 death of 49-year-old Margaret Ureste, a fellow Walmart employee.
The fatal incident occurred outside the Walmart Supercenter on Southeast Loop 410 Access Road in San Antonio, where both Rosas and Ureste worked.
Lunch Break Turns Deadly
According to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, Rosas drank alcohol during his lunch break before returning to the Walmart parking lot later that afternoon.
At the same time, Ureste was finishing her shift and walking to her car.
“As Ms. Ureste left the store at the end of her shift and walked through the parking lot, Rosas struck her with his vehicle,” the DA’s office said in a statement.
Police body camera footage from local outlet KSAT showed officers speaking to a visibly distraught Rosas after the crash. Ureste was found unresponsive at the scene and later pronounced dead at the hospital on May 1, 2024.
Prosecutors: A Preventable Tragedy
District Attorney Joe Gonzales condemned the tragedy as a “life-altering” reminder of the dangers of driving under the influence.
“This case is a reminder of the life-altering consequences that stem from drinking and driving,” Gonzales said. “We are thankful the court recognized the gravity of this offense and delivered justice for Margaret’s family.”
Rosas, who was 20 at the time of the crash, faced the maximum sentence under Texas law.
Victim Remembered as Loving Mother and Hard Worker
According to her obituary, Ureste had been a Walmart retail associate for six years and was known for her kindness and dedication.
“When she was not working, she enjoyed being with her family, going out, or just simply relaxing on the sofa playing on her phone,” the tribute read.
She leaves behind three children and a devastated family still struggling to understand how a routine workday ended in tragedy.
A Harsh Lesson for a Young Offender
Rosas’ sentence — the full 20-year term allowed by law — reflects what prosecutors called the “devastating consequences of impaired driving.”
Authorities hope the punishment serves as a warning to others about drinking and driving, especially among young adults.
“One careless choice destroyed two lives that day,” a San Antonio officer involved in the case said. “The victim’s family will never be the same — and now neither will he.”
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