Manslaughter charges dropped in Harlingen tow truck death case

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The driver accused in the death of tow truck driver, David Zapata, had his case dismissed, according to Cameron County court records. On Feb. 25, 2025, the State filed a motion to dismiss the indictment against Cristobal Stephan Garzez. Judicial Officer Adolfo E. Cordova Jr. approved the dismissal of the case and charges of manslaughter, collision involving death and possession of a controlled substance of less than one gram. The court document does not identify why the case was dismissed. As of March 21, Garzez is registered in the Cameron County inmate records. In a previous ValleyCentral report, on July 8, 2025, on IH-2 east of FM 506, a tow truck driver, identified as 46-year-old Zapata, was standing outside his 2010 Black Hino Tow Truck, securing another vehicle into the tow truck in the shoulder lane. Garzez was driving a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck going westbound on IH-2 and rammed into the back of a tow truck, subsequently killing David Zapata, according to a probable cause affidavit. Zapata was standing behind the tow truck at the time that he was struck by Garzez. Following the crash, Garzez did not pull over to render aid to Zapata, documents allege. Instead, he kept driving with blood splatter covering his vehicle from the front passenger door to the end of the truck bed. Garzez was found on West Frontage Road, North of Beddos Road, shortly after the fatal crash. Troopers found a white-powdery substance in his truck. When authorities spoke with Garzez about the incident and asked why he did not stop, he said he was scared. A field sobriety test was conducted on Garzez at the time of his arrest due to indications that he may have been under the influence of drugs, authorities said. They did not believe he had been drinking, but his eyes appeared to show constricted pupils. “Garzez was eager to provide a breath sample [but] was hesitant to provide a blood sample,” the affidavit detailed. On Nov. 4, 2025, Garzez pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, according to the Cameron County court document.  In a previous ValleyCentral report, on Sept. 17, 2025, Garzez was indicted on charges of manslaughter, collision involving death and possession of a controlled substance of less than one gram. As of March 21, 2026, charges have been dismissed according to a Cameron County case summary obtained by ValleyCentral.