A man was sentenced to nearly two decades in prison for a 2024 Texas Department of Public Safety chase that killed a 44-year-old woman in El Paso’s Upper Valley.
Joseph Maldonado of Horizon City was sentenced to 18 years in jail for murder on Tuesday, October 6, according to court records acquired by KTSM 9 News.
As previously reported by KTSM, at around 8 a.m. on Friday, October 4, 2024, Texas Highway Patrol troopers assisted DPS agents in attempting to stop a vehicle on Artcraft Road.
According to DPS, the vehicle, piloted by then-17-year-old Maldonado, was suspected of smuggling people who had entered the United States illegally.
According to the affidavit, investigators observed Maldonado picking up six migrants off Airport Road in Santa Teresa before to the attempted vehicle stop. DPS agents then observed Maldonado going on Pete Domenici Memorial Highway before turning onto Artcraft Road.
A DPS unit then activated its emergency lights, and Maldonado accelerated “at a high rate of speed,” continuing to proceed northbound on Artcraft Road, according to court papers.
Maldonado was observed driving “recklessly” and weaving across traffic.
At Upper Valley Road and Artcraft, Maldonado collided with a sedan and sideswiped a pickup truck. According to the affidavit, after the incident, the vehicle crashed with a traffic signal post.
DPS agents then apprehended Maldonado and the six migrants in the vehicle. According to court filings, five of the six migrants in the truck were from Mexico, while the other was from Guatemala.
First responders arrived at the scene and attempted to rescue a woman from the vehicle. According to court records, authorities attempted to extract the woman but were unsuccessful owing to “the catastrophic damage caused by the collision.”
After a few futile attempts, first responders utilized the “Jaws of Life” to extricate the woman from the vehicle, who was then transported to University Medical Center.
Wendy Rodriguez, 44, was pronounced dead at 8:44 a.m. due to “incapacitating injuries,” according to a UMC doctor.
Maldonado was transferred to a DPS facility and agreed to an interview with agents.
According to the affidavit, Maldonado was communicating with an unknown affiliate over “WhatsApp,” who was believed to be the front passenger during the chase. He told officials that he would have gotten $300 for each individual he transported, for a total of approximately $3,000.
Maldonado allegedly told investigators that he agreed to transport the migrants because he “needed money due to financial struggles,” according to court filings.
On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, Maldonado pled guilty to the following offenses, according to the 120th District Court:
- One count of first-degree murder
- One count of smuggling persons involving serious bodily injury or death
- Five counts of smuggling of persons for pecuniary benefit
- One count of evading arrest/detention, causing death
Maldonado was sentenced to 18 years on all crimes, which will run concurrently.
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