Trinity Towing — the towing company affiliated with many of UTSA’s student apartments as well as the surrounding area — towed a vehicle from an apartment complex near Blanco Road with a 5-year-old girl inside on Monday, Sept. 9.
The company discovered a five-year-old girl in the vehicle who was allegedly on the floor of the car and went unnoticed during the driver’s inspection. The mother of the girl, Dolores Bueso, had stepped out of her car to visit a family member only to turn and see her car had been taken.
A bystander was willing to lend a hand. The man responsible for bringing the mother and daughter back together was resident Gilbert Ramirez. Witnessing Bueso scream after her child he sprung into action to aid her. They pursued the truck until they lost sight of the vehicle and had to pull over.
Eventually, after speaking with the authorities, they reached the tow company and the mother and daughter were reunited, both unharmed.
The initial reports from the driver and the Bueso differ. Bueso claimed she left the running with the hazard lights on and was only gone for a few minutes. However, Trinity’s driver claimed the vehicle was off and during his inspection, he did not notice the girl.
Since the incident, Trinity Towing has stood by their driver’s actions stating that he followed protocol, but it could have been much more serious. The Paisano reached out to Trinity for comment, but they declined to answer.
There is currently an ongoing investigation and the driver could be charged for child endangerment. Currently, it is not believed that Bueso will be charged with child endangerment, however in accordance with Texas Penal Code Section 22.10 if her child was left alone in the vehicle for more than five minutes she could be charged with Leaving a Child in a Vehicle, a Class C misdemeanor, and could be fined up to $500.
