A Dallas woman says she wants accountability after her mother died when she fell through a manhole cover in October.
Teresa Gail Gonzales, 66, was walking in the 1600 block of Record Crossing Road on Oct. 22 when she stepped on a manhole cover and fell into the sewer system, according to a lawyer for the daughter. Her body was found at the wastewater plant, more than nine miles away at from the apparent drowning, her lawyer said.
Her daughter, Cynthia Gonzales, said during a press conference Tuesday her mother’s body was discovered three days after the accident, and she didn't even know her mother was missing or had passed away until her cousin notified her.
“I didn’t get a call from the city, I didn’t get a call from the detectives,” Gonzales said. “I didn’t get any kind of call except from my family.”
Detectives later told Gonzales they discovered her mother’s body after 911 calls from alleged witnesses, she said.
Her lawyer Ramez Shamieh said there were gaps in between the manhole cover, which he said likely caused her to fall through.
“I want to see all the responsible parties that could have contributed to this,” Shamieh said. “And the next step is to file a suit.”
The city declined to comment to KERA.
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