Henderson woman charged with intoxication manslaughter in wreck that killed 2 children

Published 2:27 pm Monday, February 27, 2023

Iliana Esther Ayala

An East Texas woman arrested over the weekend is accused of intoxication manslaughter in wreck that left two children dead and injured two others.

According to Rusk County judicial records, Iliana Esther Ayala, 29, of Henderson, was booked into the Rusk County Jail on two counts of intoxication manslaughter with vehicle and two counts of intoxication assault with vehicle.



Her bond was set at $220,000.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, around 7:45 p.m. May 21, troopers responded to a one-vehicle wreck on Highway 64, just west of Henderson.

The preliminary investigation indicates an SUV, driven by Ayala, was traveling east on SH 64 and for an unknown reason left the roadway on the south side.

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The SUV then traveled in the grass south of the roadway and hit a shallow creek with its front end causing the vehicle to flip end over end, ejecting three children who were passengers in the vehicle.

Ayala and Edna Grinaldo were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

DPS says a 5-year-old girl was pronounced dead at a Tyler hospital. Two other children, a 3-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl, were taken to a local hospital in serious condition. The 3-year-old died from his injuries about a week later.

Grinaldo was the only occupant wearing a seat belt, according to DPS.