FORT WORTH, Texas — Family always came first for 68-year-old Elena Rios.
“She loved everyone individually,” said Bianca Villanueva, Rios’ daughter. “She made any day special.”
Rios particularly made Easter special as it was her favorite holiday.
“She'd always call us and tell us, ‘Hey, I have eggs and I need you to come color them,’” said Villanueva.
This Easter will be different for Villanueva and her family.
“It’s frustrating, and it hurts me. It hurts me because my mom’s not here,” said Villanueva.
On February 16, Rios was working at a Walmart Distribution Center in Fort Worth ready to leave for her granddaughter, Danielle Rios’ softball game.
“We were warming up and my coach said you have to go home. There's a family emergency,” said Danielle.
When she got home, she saw a family gathering. “There’s a bunch of cars in the street…I didn’t see my grandma’s car,” said Danielle.
Watch the full interview with Bianca Villanueva and Danielle Rios here:
Fort Worth fire officials say just after 6 a.m., Rios died after being crushed between a forklift and a pallet rack. Despite being her emergency contact, Villanueva said she learned of her mom’s death from media outlets and co-workers before Walmart called hours later.
“As much as Walmart values their employees, that day, where was the value? Where was the value? Where was the humanity in it? What's the reason of them having emergency contacts,” asked Villanueva.
More than three weeks have passed, and they still don’t have answers.
“We’ve been receiving conflicting stories of what happened that day,” said Ty Stimpson, Varghese Summersett law firm. He is representing the family.
Stimpson said Rios was a 10-year Walmart employee.
“She was actually certified forklift operator and was actually transferred to this particular location to train other Walmart employees on how to operate forklifts,” said Stimpson.
“She was always by the books, no accidents,” said Villanueva. “She made sure if someone wasn't following the rules, she made sure to let them know.”
No lawsuit has been filed as the family and their attorney wait for the autopsy report. Stimpson said Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Walmart are investigating the incident.
“It’s upsetting to know that what if something could have been prevented,” said Danielle.
“To them, it’s just another number, someone they can replace. We loss someone that we can’t replace,” said Villanueva.
WFAA reached out to Walmart on Thursday and has not heard back. However, on the day of the incident, Walmart closed its facility and offered counseling services. It issued a statement saying the company was “heartbroken over the passing of one of our associates.”
Rios’ family is asking anyone with information on her death to call Varghese Summersett Law at 817-207-4878. They have also created a webpage where anyone can submit information. Click here.