Texas dad was seen on video pulling his child’s mother out of a truck twice before running her over, and now he’ll serve 5 years

A Texas father who was once charged with first-degree murder has been sentenced to five years in prison. He was sentenced for running over the mother of his child with a pickup truck outside their home. Ulise DeLao, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter in the death of 27-year-old Brittany Torres on the day his jury trial was set to begin.

According to Law&Crime, Randall County District Judge Titiana Frausto sentenced DeLao to five years in a state correctional facility. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped one count of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle. Court records show a victim impact statement was read in open court, and DeLao waived his right to appeal before deputies took him into custody.

The case dates back to May 2024, when officers responded to a report of a crash involving a pedestrian. Police said at the time that DeLao struck Torres while she was standing outside the vehicle, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Footage later shown in court captured what happened in the moments before.

The video shown in court depicted DeLao dragging Torres out of the truck twice

The footage depicted DeLao twice dragging Torres out of the pickup truck before she was run over. When police questioned him in May 2024, the Texas father allegedly admitted to running Torres over. It was unclear whether he told investigators that he intended to hit her with the truck.

Authorities upgraded the charge against DeLao to first-degree murder in June 2024. However, a grand jury declined to indict him on that count two months later, and the case moved forward on lesser charges. As the murder count fell away, the Texas father was left facing manslaughter and intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle.

DeLao was released from detention in October 2024 after a judge ordered his bond cut from $500,000 to $250,000. While out on bond, he kept his parental rights to the 1-year-old child he shared with Torres. Her mother had tried to have those rights revoked, and a judge allowed DeLao to retain them ahead of trial.

Custody questions have surfaced in other recent cases from the state, including a Texas custody ruling that police say was followed hours later by two deaths. In the DeLao case, the dispute over the child played out while the criminal case was still pending. The plea deal now closes the criminal side, as DeLao gave up his right to appeal.

Assistant District Attorney Lacy Miller said prosecutors took the plea offer to Torres’ family after DeLao’s defense attorney approached the state with the proposal last week. Miller said relatives were told the state would go to trial if that was what they wanted. They chose to accept the plea and see DeLao go to prison, according to the prosecutor.

Miller also said she hoped the outcome would give both families some measure of peace. Nothing the court or a jury could do would bring Torres back, the prosecutor said. However, she added that DeLao admitting what he did and walking into prison could offer relatives some relief after more than two years of proceedings.

The five-year term closes a case that once carried a first-degree murder charge, as that count never reached a trial jury. The Texas father had been free on bond for roughly two years before the plea. He was taken into the custody of the Randall County Sheriff’s Office after the hearing and is expected to be moved to a state facility.

With the appeal waived, the remaining questions are likely to center on the child DeLao shared with Torres, as any further dispute over parental rights would be handled outside the criminal case.