A local pastor was arrested for intoxication manslaughter after hitting and killing 59-year-old Lawrence Mourel Price on the northeast side April 2.
SAN ANTONIO — Family members are mourning the loss of a man they describe as the “heart of their home”—after he was struck and killed while riding his bicycle earlier this month on San Antonio’s northeast side.
The victim, 59-year-old Lawrence Mourel Price, was hit around 11 a.m. on April 2 while riding on the grass near O’Connor Road and Weidner Drive. Police say the driver of a green SUV veered off the road and slammed into him. Price was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
The driver, identified as 58-year-old Michael Anthony Hilliard Jr., a local pastor, was arrested at the scene and charged with intoxication manslaughter. He remains out on bond and is expected back in court later this year.
“He was a friend to everyone he met,” Monique Price said about her brother Lawrence, who everyone referred to by his middle name, Mourel. “It’s a great loss to all of us. That love he shared—it’s a void now.”
“He was a trained chef,” she added. “He hurt his arm at a factory job, so he had been doing handyman work since.”
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Price had moved to San Antonio from Dallas to help care for Monique after she suffered a back injury. To her, he was more than a brother—he was a constant presence.
“Because I could not stand long, he made sure he cooked,” she said. “He did light housekeeping. He took the dogs for a walk. He made sure I got to my doctor’s appointments. He stayed and paid attention. Whatever the doctor said he made sure he did when we got home.”
Price once served as a maintenance manager and had a knack for problem-solving. If something broke, loved ones say he’d figure out how to fix it.
Even after switching careers, Price never lost his touch in the kitchen. He still cooked holiday meals for the family, working the stove like a pro and doing the heavy lifting to bring everyone together.
During his stay in San Antonio with Monique, even though Price would prepare lavish meals, she always craved the same thing — a dish no one else could prepare as deliciously as Price even if they tried.
“I’m a very simple person. He would make these big meals and all I wanted was a grilled cheese sandwich,” said Monique, laughing.
Wednesday morning, family members gathered recently for a butterfly release in his honor.
“Let the butterflies do their work and go out into the community and say, ‘I’m still here. I’m still valued. I’m still loved,’” Monique said.
Price’s ashes have since been returned to Wisconsin, where loved ones continue to grieve the man they say was loved immensely—beyond measure.