Teresa Gonzales Obituary, Death; – The daughter of a woman from Dallas, who allegedly lost her life after falling into a sewer system, is seeking clarity regarding the circumstances surrounding her mother’s death.
The remains of 66-year-old Teresa Gonzales were found on October 25, approximately nine and a half miles from the location where she fell through an open manhole cover on October 22, as reported by her daughter, Cynthia Gonzales, and attorney Ramez Shamieh.
Cynthia and Shamieh conducted a live news conference on Instagram, during which Cynthia, visibly emotional, expressed her desire for justice for her mother. “It is painful because no one should have to endure such a situation, no one,” Cynthia stated in the video shared on December 11. “Regardless of who you are, no one should experience that… not such a tragedy.”
Shamieh informed local news outlet NBC DFW that Teresa was walking in the 1600 block of Record Crossing Road when she encountered an open manhole in a construction area and subsequently fell into the city’s sewer system.
The attorney noted that her body was located three days later at the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant in southeast Dallas, over nine miles from the site of the incident, as reported by NBC DFW.
WFAA-TV also referenced the Medical Examiner’s Office, which confirmed that Teresa’s body was retrieved from a city wastewater treatment facility. “I couldn’t comprehend why this occurred. I still cannot,” Cynthia remarked during the news conference, as she wiped away her tears.
“This is not something any family should have to endure, learning that your mother fell and ended up nine and a half miles away,” she added. Shamieh indicated his intention to file a lawsuit but is currently awaiting a public records request to gather additional information. He also presented a photograph taken a week after the incident, which he claimed illustrated gaps in the metal covering the manhole.
“We believe that one of the primary factors contributing to this tragedy was the unreasonably hazardous conditions at the site, which led to her fall,” he stated, clarifying that foul play is not suspected. As reported by WFAA-TV and NBC DFW, the results of an autopsy are still pending. According to WFAA-TV, the City of Dallas has declined to comment.
