Former U.S. Rep, wife remained hospitalized, stable

 MCALLEN - Former U.S. Rep. Eligio "Kika" de la Garza II and his wife, Lucille, remained hospitalized and in stable condition Monday, one week after they were involved in a three-car crash in North McAllen, according to officials from the office of U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes.

No details have been released about the couple's medical condition, injuries or what surgeries they underwent last week.

Hinojosa spokeswoman Elizabeth Esfahani previously told The Monitor that two cars collided last Tuesday, sending one of them into a head-on collision with the de la Garza's vehicle.

Kika de la Garza spent 32 years representing South Texas in Congress - from 1965 to 1997 - a career in which he rose to become one of the most influential Hispanic politicians in the country.

Jackie Leatherman covers Hidalgo County government and general assignments at The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4424.