Driver who struck, killed 7-year-old El Paso girl in school crosswalk won’t be charged in her death

EL PASO, Texas -- Nearly three months to the day that 7-year-old Alexa Barrera was tragically hit by car and killed in a crosswalk on her way to school, authorities said there will be no charges brought in her death.

District Attorney Jaime Esparza announced late Friday that 26-year-old Marisol Cervantes, the driver of the vehicle that struck Barrera, will not be facing criminal charges.

“After careful review of the facts and circumstances of the unfortunate accident, it is the decision of the office that the accident did not involve criminal intent," Esparza said.

Cervantes had told authorities that the sun was shining in her eyes the morning of Oct. 9, interfering with her vision at the time of the accident.

A spokesperson for Barrera's family told ABC-7 that they accepted the district attorney's decision not to prosecute. They also called on the public to respect the privacy of both their family and the Cervantes family, saying there had already been enough tragedy.

In the aftermath of that deadly incident, parents around west El Paso's Oran Roberts Elementary School continue to remain vigilant when it comes to dropping off and picking up their kids.

"We remember what happened and we try to look after our children more than before because they usually don't know much better it up to us to look out for them," one parent said on Friday.

Many residents who live the neighborhood adjacent to the school said while the death of Barrera was tragic, they agreed with the prosecutor that it ultimately was an unfortunate accident.

"I feel very good about the decision because (Cervantes) is going to live with this for the rest of her life, that's her sentence," a nearby resident told ABC-7.