The widow of a Cameron County deputy constable who died while responding to a crash took the stand Monday during the first day in the trial of the man accused of killing her husband.

Cameron County Precinct 1 Deputy Constable Ruben Garcia died on Sept. 30, 2024 after his patrol unit was rear-ended by a vehicle driven by Jesse Edward Leatherwood.

Leatherwood, who is charged with intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle, told investigators he was on his phone when the crash happened, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

On the stand, Garcia’s wife — Mayra — cried as she described how his death has affected her and their three children.

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Jurors were shown photos of Garcia and his family spending time together. 

The second state's witness was another Cameron County Deputy Constable for precinct 1, who was also at the crash site that day helping with traffic control.

The deputy constable described to jurors the moment he saw his partner's vehicle spinning after it was hit by another car.

His body cam footage was shown in court. Jurors heard Garcia in pain, and he asked “Where am I?” and “What happened?” 

The video also showed the deputy constable holding Garcia’s hand and telling him “hang in there,” and “stay with me.”

Leatherwood was seen closely listening to the testimonies.

The trial resumes on Tuesday morning.

Watch the video above for the full story.