On October 3, 2024, Roberto Cisneros, 34, was found guilty of Intoxication Manslaughter and Accident Involving Death, stemming from a fatal crash that occurred on April 23, 2017, in Dallas. The incident took the life of Tommy Gaines after Cisneros, driving nearly double the speed limit, ran a red light at the intersection of Mahanna Street and Lemmon Avenue, t-boning Gaines' vehicle.
The crash happened around 2:30 a.m. that Sunday. Despite suffering a broken leg, Cisneros attempted to walk away from the scene, heading about 100 yards to a nearby gas station. Dallas police identified him at the gas station, where he admitted to having been drinking at a bar in Uptown before driving. He refused EMS treatment, declined Standard Field Sobriety Tests, and refused to provide a blood specimen. Dallas police secured a warrant, and his Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was found to be double the legal limit, approximately 2.5 hours after the crash.
The case, investigated by the Dallas Police Department, was prosecuted by the Dallas District Attorney's Office. The lead prosecutor was Andrew James, with Priscilla Pelli and Kristin Treager serving as second chairs. DA investigators Ron Cathcart and Bill Martinez, paralegal Maria Cantrell, and victim advocate Sandra Walker were also involved in the case.
Cisneros had no prior criminal history and maintained zero bond violations over the 7.5 years while awaiting trial. Despite this, he refused any plea deals that involved prison time. The State argued for a minimum sentence of 10 years, while the defense requested probation.
The jury deliberated for approximately 30 minutes before sentencing Cisneros to 10 years in prison. The Gaines family expressed gratitude for the outcome and the efforts of the prosecution to hold Cisneros accountable after years of delay.
The Vehicular Crimes Unit took over the case when it was formed in 2022, ultimately securing the conviction and sentence.
