Police categorized the Oct. 24 incident as a “sudden death case.” But H-E-B has disputed details given by law enforcement.
SAN ANTONIO — A federal agency which looks into workplace deaths confirmed it was investigating a fatal October incident centered around an H-E-B employee who San Antonio police say was found unconscious inside a warehouse freezer.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), said it began its investigation on Oct. 24 – the day local authorities said 27-year-old Teresa Dominguez died – but hasn’t been able to provide updates for the last few weeks due to the federal government shutdown. On Thursday, with the shutdown lifted, the agency said it began its investigation “without incident or delay.”
According to an SAPD incident report, Dominguez had “sustained an injury from possibly a forklift” at the facility before she was found in a freezer. She eventually died at a local hospital.
SAPD categorized it as a “sudden death case.”
H-E-B officials confirmed the death of an employee, but disputed the details that she was found in a freezer and hurt in an forklift accident, calling them “not accurate.” The company did say Dominguez was on a forklift but that a coworker “noticed she was showing signs of distress,” at which point EMS was called to the scene.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office, meanwhile, concluded Dominguez died of blunt trauma to her lower left extremity and ruled her manner of death an accident.
An OSHA spokesperson said the incident was being investigated under Section 9 of the OSHAct of 1970, pertaining to the possible issuance of a citation related to workplace safety.
“OSHA has six months to inspect, investigate and issue citations,” the spokesperson said.
Records confirm OSHA is looking into the death at the distribution center located at the intersection of Space Center Drive and Industry Park Drive; as of Thursday, that investigation was still open.
In 2024, H-E-B was issued a $9,219 penalty for not ensuring proper emergency evacuation protocols at its Kirby distribution center, OSHA records show.