Ex-Donna soccer coach disappears before receiving sexual assault sentence

EDINBURG — An Hidalgo County jury sentenced Donna High School's former soccer coach to 13 years in prison Friday for sexually assaulting one of his team members two years ago.

But 33-year-old Edgar Flores did not show up to court to learn his fate.

Visiting Judge Fred Hinojosa issued an arrest warrant Friday afternoon after the ex-teacher failed to appear at the sentencing phase of his trial - a day after jurors convicted him on one count of sexual assault and two counts of having an improper relationship with a student.

"This is not a laughing matter," said Assistant District Attorney Catarina Alvarado. "This is not a joke. He did not show up today because he was scared."

But Flores' attorney - David Higdon - cautioned against assuming that his client had fled to avoid incarceration. His family members, who testified at the trial, said they had last seen him early Friday morning and worried something might have happened to him since then.

"He's been here every single day," Higdon said. "We've had at least 10 pretrial hearings. This is extremely out of character."

Prosecutors alleged Flores gave an underage male team member beer, waited for him to pass out and then forced oral sex upon him while the two were spending time together in a car wash parking lot near the intersection of Business 83 and Val Verde Road.

Several witnesses reported seeing Flores and the teen drinking together at the car wash - a popular hangout for team members - on the night of Nov. 17, while others reported seeing them there the next morning.

Flores, who had worked for the district for four years prior to his arrest, took over the varsity soccer team's top coaching job that season. He also taught Spanish at the high school, but has been suspended since then.

The then 17-year-old, whose name has been withheld because he is the victim of sexual assault, has since graduated from the high school and is currently attending college, Alvarado said.

As of late Friday night, Flores remained at large.

Jeremy Roebuck covers courts and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4437.