A 71-year-old San Antonio man is now sitting in the Bexar County lockup without bond after a grand jury indicted him in connection with a Northwest Side crash that killed a passenger nearly two years ago. The late-March indictment led police to arrest the driver and book him into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, marking a major new turn in a case that had, until now, largely played out as a separate DWI matter.
According to KSAT, the man is identified as Walter Allen Gutierrez. Prosecutors say a grand jury indicted him on March 26 on an intoxication manslaughter charge tied to the July 3, 2024 crash. KSAT reports the indictment names passenger Marissa Sifuentes as the person who later died from injuries she suffered in the collision. Court records reviewed by the outlet show Gutierrez had previously been booked on a July 2023 suspicion of DWI, appeared in court on April 11, 2024, entered a no contest plea and was granted deferred adjudication. According to the station, a judge this week ordered him held without bond.
What the charge carries
Under Texas law, intoxication manslaughter means a person operated a vehicle while intoxicated and, because of that intoxication, caused another person’s death. It is typically prosecuted as a second-degree felony and can carry two to 20 years in prison, along with potential fines, according to Justia. In some cases, prosecutors may also pursue statutory enhancements that can increase the penalties.
Crash on Grissom Road
Police accounts cited in the coverage say Gutierrez was behind the wheel of a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan in the 7800 block of Grissom Road near Misty Way when he tried to make a left turn into a private parking lot. A Ford F-150 that had the right of way then hit the passenger side of the minivan, KSAT reports.
The preliminary account says passenger Marissa Sifuentes was thrown around inside the vehicle and suffered severe injuries to her right leg. The Bexar County Medical Examiner later ruled her death an accident caused by blunt force injuries from the crash. The reporting notes four other people, including the driver, suffered injuries that were described as non-life-threatening.
Prior DWI and deferred adjudication
Public records and reporting indicate Gutierrez had already faced a separate DWI suspicion in July 2023. He later entered a no contest plea in April 2024, which resulted in deferred adjudication. In practical terms, deferred adjudication allows a judge to pause entering a formal conviction while a defendant serves a period of court-ordered supervision. If that supervision is violated, the court can move forward with adjudication and sentencing. The procedures and potential consequences for deferred adjudication are outlined in the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 42A, as published by the Texas Legislature…