A Texas man, accused of intentionally running over and killing the mother of his one-year-old child, will maintain his parental rights as he awaits trial for his alleged role in her death. Ulise DeLao, 28, is currently out on bond after being charged with manslaughter in the death of Brittney A. Torres. The decision to uphold DeLao’s parental rights was made by Randall County Court Judge James W. Anderson, who rejected a plea from the victim’s mother to terminate DeLao’s rights.
The civil case was initiated by Torres’ mother, Jaqueline Sanchez, who sought to terminate DeLao’s parental rights and assume legal guardianship of her grandson. The case was sparked by the tragic incident that occurred in the early hours of May 27, 2024, when Canyon, Texas, police responded to a report of a vehicular crash involving a pedestrian.
According to the police report, DeLao allegedly struck Torres, who was standing outside of the vehicle at the time. The incident took place in the 1900 block of 10th Avenue, a location approximately 380 miles northwest of Dallas, Texas. Torres was pronounced dead at the scene.
DeLao was initially arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter. However, a grand jury later indicted him on one count of manslaughter. Security footage presented in court reportedly showed DeLao physically dragging Torres out of a pickup truck twice before allegedly running her over in front of their shared residence.
When questioned by police, DeLao reportedly admitted to running Torres over. In June, authorities upgraded the charges against DeLao to first-degree murder. However, a grand jury in August declined to indict DeLao on the upgraded charge. He was released from detention in October after a judge reduced his bond from $500,000 to $250,000.
As part of his bond conditions, DeLao is required to wear a GPS tracking device, adhere to an 8 p.m. curfew, remain within the surrounding counties, surrender his passport, install an ignition interlock device on his vehicle, and abstain from possessing a firearm or using or possessing any drugs or alcohol. The date of DeLao’s next court appearance remains unclear.
Alysia B. Cordova, the attorney representing Torres’ mother in the civil case, has not yet responded to requests for additional information on the matter.