Travis County District Attorney's Office

In 2021, our office committed to holding powerful actors who engaged in criminal conduct accountable. In the past two weeks, we have announced cases involving corporations and their employees engaging in criminal activity that exposed people to dangerous working or living conditions.

Last week, we revealed that a Travis County grand jury indicted Harvest Renaissance – Austin, LLC, along with two former employees, for the offense of Injury to an Elderly Person.
This incident occurred during the winter storm in February 2021 that caused widespread power outages in our state. Employees at the Renaissance Austin Assisted Living Facility, operated by Harvest Renaissance – Austin, LLC, failed to promptly move and transport a 73-year-old disabled resident, Cynthia Pierce, to a warmer area of the facility, even though a warmer area in the facility was readily available. Mrs. Pierce was found in an unheated room with the windows open and was later transported to a hospital, where she ultimately died of hypothermia.

The grand jury indictment alleges that the staff’s criminal negligence resulted in bodily injury to Mrs. Pierce. They failed to provide proper care and did not notify the Texas Health and Human Services Commission about the power outage during the winter storm. The staff's conduct was authorized by high-level managerial agents who acted on behalf of Harvest Renaissance – Austin, LLC, within the scope of their official duties.

“Our hearts continue to break for the family of Cynthia Pierce,” said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. “All families should know that when their loved ones reside in an assisted living facility, they will be safe. When employers and their employees engage in criminal conduct and expose vulnerable people to dangerous living conditions, this office will hold them accountable.”

“We are grateful that the District Attorney’s Office is pursuing justice in this case,” said Holly Ferguson, Cynthia Pierce's daughter. “Harvest misrepresented themselves as a licensed care facility, able to provide care rooted in dignity, safety, and compassion. Their misrepresentation and their gross negligence led directly to my Mom’s death. My Mom was left alone and freezing, and it shouldn't have happened. We hope this criminal case will force Harvest to take responsibility for their failings and make permanent changes so that something like this never happens again.”

The Travis County District Attorney’s Office’s Public Integrity & Complex Crimes Division is prosecuting the cases against the defendants and the corporate defendant in the 403rd Judicial District Court.

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/frozen-to-death-nursing-home-management-charged-in-73-year-olds-death/

In case you missed it…
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/26/g-s1-85388/texas-company-pleads-guilty-to-2021-construction-worker-trench-death
NPR reported DA Garza’s announcement that, on July 31, 2025, the construction company D Guerra Construction LLC pleaded guilty to Assault Causing Bodily Injury for the trench collapse in October 2021, which buried their employee, Juan José Galvan Batalla, 24. Mr. Galvan Batalla died as a result of his injuries.
This marks the first time since the early 1990s that a corporation has pleaded guilty to a worker's death within Travis County.
As part of the plea deal, the corporate defendant agreed to complete various pre-sentencing conditions, including implementing safety training requirements for all employees hired to perform construction work in Travis County, creating a process that allows employees to anonymously report safety concerns without fear of retaliation, and hiring an independent safety monitor approved by the Travis County District Attorney's Office to oversee compliance with the terms of this agreement for a 12-month period. The State agreed to ask the court to postpone the corporate defendant's sentencing for up to 15 months while they complete the pre-sentencing conditions.

"At the end of the day, we simply cannot tolerate employers in Travis County who create such unsafe work conditions where their employees could become seriously injured or die,” said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. "What is really important to us, and what was really important to the family, is that we had processes in place to try to change the culture of this work. There will be specific training for trenches and how to prevent trench collapse."

"I think I've had justice. It did comfort me a little that the company said 'yes, I'm guilty,' because they were guilty–for me–and now they're guilty before the law."
Rosa Isela Batalla Morales, the mother of the victim, Juan José Galvan Batalla

Last week, DA Garza congratulated and honored the families who recently completed the Travis County Transformation Project, a community-based restorative justice pilot program specifically designed for teenagers involved in violent incidents with their caregiver.
“We take immense pride in the children and their caregivers who have made the empowering choice to engage in this program, which is truly guiding their journey toward healing and growth,” said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. “Our office extends heartfelt gratitude to our community partners, Excellence and Advancement Foundation and LifeWorks Austin. Their meaningful support brightens the lives of these families, showcasing the incredible strength of community and the resilience of the human spirit”
The program offers a pre-arrest, community-based alternative for 13–16-year-olds involved in family violence, allowing caregivers and their children to choose a restorative path as opposed to juvenile detention and further system involvement. It was developed through a joint effort between our law enforcement partners, The Travis County Juvenile Probation Department, The Excellence Project, LifeWorks, and our office.
Families involved in the program go through a transformative experience that lasts around eight months to a year, depending on their needs. They work on understanding the root causes of violence, rebuilding family bonds, and reducing the need for child welfare interventions.
Upon completing the program, families celebrate a fresh start connected to much-needed resources and community support, free from further engagement with law enforcement, with no
juvenile record in the juvenile justice system.
Since the program launched, 82 kids have been deflected from the juvenile justice system and have been provided respite and a cooling off period and connected to individual counseling and peer coaching through LifeWorks. After a thorough intake process with the community partners at the Excellence Project, youth and their families are paired with a youth and family advocate and begin the restorative circle process. Currently there is a 7% recidivism rate over a two year period for the youth that have participated in the program as designed compared to an 40% average recidivism rate for youth that go through the system on the same offense.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1372382961461473&set=pcb.1372383048128131

This past Monday, our DA and team joined community partners, city and county leaders, violence reduction experts, and law enforcement partners at the 4th Annual Gun Violence Prevention Summit to discuss ways to continue reducing and preventing gun violence and to build safer, stronger communities across Central Texas.
The summit featured impactful panels that amplified the lived experiences of youth affected by violence—what they’ve endured, what healing looks like, and how they want leaders to support their future. It also showcased frontline organizations that have reduced violence in key areas and emphasized the need for ongoing investment throughout the city. Additionally, it highlighted the collaboration among community groups, courts, county and city leadership, and law enforcement to continue developing sustainable efforts aimed at preventing gun violence.
The summit was also a special moment to celebrate how community-led efforts have built an ecosystem to reduce gun violence, and the results are becoming evident.
According to APD Crime Statistics, Austin experienced a 20% decrease in homicides from 2021 to 2024. Through the ATX Peace initiative, our partners, Jail to Jobs, collaborated with Life Anew to reduce gun violence and retaliation within our community by using CVI-trained violence interrupters to prevent violent incidents. Their proactive efforts have stopped over 50 shootings and provided personalized support to over 280 high-risk individuals in the past two years.
We thank our partners, Life Anew Restorative Justice, ATX Peace, Jail to Jobs, Cities United, and the Community Justice Action Fund, who organized and participated in the 2025 Gun Violence Prevention Summit. Together, we are continuing to develop solutions to tackle the gun violence crisis and create the public safety system our community needs.

Earlier this week, our DA participated in the press conference organized by CAIR Austin after the defacement of three mosques last week.
During the press conference, DA Garza emphasized that in Travis County, if you target someone because of their race, religion, color, s*x, disability, s*xual orientation, age, or national origin, you will be found, arrested, and held accountable.
We thank the Austin Police Department for investigating these incidents and will work with them to evaluate evidence once an arrest is made.
Each year, the District Attorney’s Office collaborates with law enforcement, including the Austin Police Department and the Travis County Sheriff's Office, to prosecute hate crimes.
To our Muslim community, these incidents do not represent the love Austin has for you. You make Austin vibrant and strong, and we stand with you.

Last week, our DA joined county leaders, law enforcement officials, and community partners at the Travis County Commissioners' proclamation and press conference to declare April as Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month.
In 2024, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office oversaw 634 criminal cases of child abuse and filed 328 civil intervention cases to ensure the physical and emotional welfare of Travis County children.
We prioritize child welfare with over 20 specialized attorneys addressing exploitation, abuse, and neglect.
Our commitment is about more than just pursuing justice; it’s about ensuring each child is treated with dignity and respect and feels supported and respected throughout the process. Knowing that our work can positively shape a child's life for years to come motivates our team.
Among our professionals is a prosecutor at the Center for Child Protection who provides legal support and fosters collaboration to better serve families.
It takes a community of dedicated professionals to protect children, seek justice, and facilitate healing. The District Attorney's Office is proud to be part of this vital team dedicated to the safety and well-being of families.
Together, we are building safer communities and brighter futures for Travis County families.

This , we honor the strength and resilience of crime victims. Our office is committed to pursuing justice and providing support to those impacted by crime.
Last week, our DA José Garza, along with Travis County leaders, local safety leaders, and community partners, updated our community on our collaborative efforts to implement a comprehensive countywide gun violence reduction ecosystem that is meeting the needs of victims of violence and reducing acts of gun violence.
In November 2022, our Travis County Commissioners Court approved the “Safer Travis County” Resolution to reduce the number of gun violence deaths in our community. Key items approved included implementing a Hospital-based Violence Prevention Program (HVIP) to meet the needs of victims of violence and a Prosecutor-led Gun Violence Prevention Program that directs those at high risk of committing acts of gun violence to violence prevention programs.
In October 2024, Ascension Seton launched its Hospital-based Violence Prevention Program and established social work offices at Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas and at Dell Children's Medical Center. Their staff connects victims of violence with community partners specializing in mental health, substance abuse stabilization, shelter, food, financial resources, legal advocacy, and employment assistance.
Since the launch, Ascension Seton’s HVIP social workers have served more than 350 people, with fifteen percent of those cases caused by gun violence.
In December 2024, the Travis County Commissioners approved a contract for the Prosecutor-led Gun Violence Prevention Program.
According to APD Crime Statistics, the city of Austin has experienced a 20% decrease in homicides since 2021. Our leaders attribute these results to the coordinated efforts between our office, local law enforcement partners, and community partners to reduce gun violence across the county.
“We are grateful for our partnerships and programs that are creating a long-term positive impact in preventing future gun violence in Travis County”, said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. “Together, we are working tirelessly to support victims of violent crime, implement strategies to prevent and reduce gun violence, and keep our community safe.”
We are committed to working alongside our community partners to provide comprehensive support for those impacted by crime to ensure that Austin and Travis County remain the safest communities in the state and across the nation.
https://www.kvue.com/article/news/health/reduce-austin-gun-violence-hospital-based-violence-intervention-update/269-31abaf39-00d9-45b1-8b67-f9067786d528

Yesterday, our office joined the Travis County Commissioners during their proclamation of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Our team has made significant progress in increasing the number of s*xual assault convictions secured by our office. We have doubled the number of convictions in s*xual assault cases compared to any year in the past six years.
In 2022, the District Attorney's Office embedded a prosecutor with the Austin Police Department specifically to work on s*xual assault cases. As a result, communication at the case level has improved, strengthening our cases for prosecution.
The collaboration between our office and the Austin Police Department is crucial, as it allows us to receive evidence more quickly and leads to faster prosecutions.
https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/travco-da-reports-increase-in-s*xual-assault-convictions-during-public-safety-meeting #

We are thrilled to ask for your vote to have DA José Garza and our community partners as speakers on a panel proposed for SXSW 2025, “Ending the Arrest of Children Can End Violence in the Home”! To see them on the SXSW stage, vote here >>> https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/153177
Voting ends this Sunday, August 18th!
During the panel, they will discuss our Travis County Transformation Project, a pre-arrest, community-based pilot program for 15- to 16-year-olds involved with family violence in the home that provides an alternative to juvenile detention.
Visit this link to vote and find out how the restorative justice pilot program diverts youth from the criminal legal system into an evidence-based program to repair harm, restore connection to the community, and disrupt intergenerational cycles of violence. >>> https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/153177

We are excited to ask for your vote to have DA José Garza as a speaker on a panel proposed for SXSW 2025, “Ending the Arrest of Children Can End Violence in the Home.”
To see him on the SXSW stage, vote here >>> https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/153177
During the panel, DA Garza and our community partners will discuss how our restorative justice pilot program diverts youth from the criminal legal system into an evidence-based program to repair harm, restore connection to the community, and disrupt intergenerational cycles of violence.

Our office celebrates Investigator Michael Henderson as our Employee of the Month! Michael joined our office in 2008 as part of our Trial Divisions Investigations Unit. Thank you, Michael, for all you do to help our team and community!

Our office also congratulates Kiera Kilday as our Assistant District Attorney of the Month! ADA Kilday is our Team Lead in the 167th Trial Court. She started working in our office in 2020 and earned her law degree from the University of Texas at Austin.