An El Paso magistrate judge reduced the bond for a woman charged with intoxicated manslaughter in the death of an El Paso educator.
El Paso County Magistrate Judge Antonio Aun granted a bond reduction to Aurora Morales, 62, during a teleconference bond hearing on Thursday, Feb. 19. Morales’ bond was reduced from $250,000 to $100,000.
Aurora Morales
Morales is facing one count of intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle in connection with the Feb. 7 death of Ana Maria Paniagua, 57.
Paniagua offered Morales a ride home as she believed Morales was going to drive drunk. As Morales tried to move seats in her truck, the truck ran over Paniagua. She later died in a hospital.
Morales was a paraprofessional, a teaching assistant, at Jefferson High School in the El Paso Independent School District, officials said.
More: ‘Always putting others first:’ El Paso educator dies trying to stop alleged drunk driver
Public defender Frank Chelly, who is representing Morales, argued that the bond should be reduced because the incident was an accident, Morales is not a threat to the El Paso community and she is not a flight risk.
“The nature of the circumstances of the offense is what is really an accident,” Chelly said. “There is no threat to the community at large.”
He added that Morales has lived in El Paso her whole life, is disabled and is receiving home care. She receives only $1,000 from Social Security, so she cannot afford the $250,000 bond.
More: El Paso fatal crash tracker 2026
Assistant District Attorney Ada Nwaneri opposed the bond reduction, citing Morales’ prior criminal history, including a misdemeanor theft conviction. She was convicted of theft and sentenced to 10 days in jail in 2004, court records show.
Several other past charges against Morales, including injury to a child or elderly, aggravated assault and other theft charges, were dismissed, Nwaneri said during the bond hearing.
Aun reduced the bond and set several bond conditions. The conditions include reporting to a bond officer in person weekly, she can not drink or violate any laws while out on bond, and if she drives, she is required to install a breathalyzer in her vehicle.
Morales arrested on intoxicated manslaughter charge
The fatal Feb. 7 incident started after Paniagua and her daughter saw Morales in front of her house, appearing to need assistance. They pulled over to help her Morales.
Morales was looking for her dog at the time, Nwaneri said. Paniagua and her daughter helped Morales get back into her house.
Ana Maria Paniagua, 57, right, died after a vehicle ran her over as she attempted to help an alleged drunk driver on Feb. 7, 2026, in the 7800 block of North Loop Drive in El Paso’s Lower Valley.
Morales told Paniagua that she was drinking that day in “an attempt to forget the passing of her son,” on the eighth anniversary of his death, a complaint affidavit states.
Paniagua and her daughter left to continue selling Girl Scout cookies, Nwaneri said.
More: El Paso woman arrested on intoxicated manslaughter charge in fatal crash
They later returned to Morales’ house to check on her and saw that her truck was gone. Paniagua and her daughter drove around the area looking for Morales.
They found Morales inside her 1999 Ford F350 pickup truck in the parking lot of Juanito’s Liquor Store in the 7800 block of North Loop Drive in the Lower Valley.
Paniagua offered to drive Morales home. As Morales tried to switch seats, she released the brake and the truck rolled back, the affidavit states.
Paniagua became trapped by the front left tire, which rolled over her midsection, the affidavit states. Paniagua died from her injuries at Del Sol Medical Center.
More: El Paso women die after being struck by vehicles in separate crashes
Morales told police officers she was reversing and never saw Paniagua, the affidavit states.
Officers conducted a field sobriety test on Morales, which she failed. Morales was arrested on suspicion of intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle. She was booked into the El Paso County Jail on Feb. 9.
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso judge reduces bond for woman charged in educator’s death