SAN ANTONIO — The Ochoa family has filed a new lawsuit against CPS Energy, formally closing out their original legal action stemming from a devastating home explosion in northeast San Antonio.
The lawsuit, filed May 5 in Bexar County district court, names the City of San Antonio, acting through CPS Energy, as the defendant and alleges negligence tied to a natural gas leak that led to the explosion.
The blast occurred April 21 at Mayte Reeves and Jose Ochoa’s home on Preston Hollow Drive. Attorneys say in the filing that natural gas from a CPS Energy pipeline leaked into the residence, ignited and caused a violent explosion.
The family survived but suffered what the lawsuit describes as “catastrophic” and “permanent” injuries, including severe burns that will require extensive long-term care.
Ochoa and Reeves are still in the hospital recovering.
Allegations of preventable failure
In the newly filed case, the family’s attorneys argue the explosion was entirely preventable and point to what they describe as a pattern of failures within CPS Energy’s natural gas system.
“The Explosion was the result of CPS Energy’s poorly maintained, leaking, and deteriorating natural gas system,” the lawsuit states.
Attorneys allege the utility had prior knowledge of risks within its gas distribution network, citing previous incidents, investigations and regulatory scrutiny involving similar explosions.
The filing also claims CPS Energy failed to properly inspect, maintain or repair aging infrastructure and did not adequately warn residents of potential danger.
The lawsuit also highlights that the Ochoa family’s home was not the first to explode that day.
Another home just two houses away exploded roughly two and a half hours earlier, which attorneys argue should have prompted immediate action.
Tim and Kim Nowell, who lived in that home, are still in the hospital in critical condition. They have not filed a lawsuit at this time, but News 4 and Fox SA has confirmed that they’ve retained the same attorneys as the Ochoa family.
Despite that earlier explosion, the Ochoa family alleges CPS Energy failed to warn nearby residents or take sufficient steps to prevent a second blast.
The lawsuit claims the family had briefly evacuated but was later told it was safe to return, not knowing gas was still leaking into their home.
Attorneys also accuse CPS Energy of maintaining a “wait-and-see” approach to gas leaks, addressing problems only after they become visible rather than proactively fixing underlying issues.
Ongoing scrutiny
The explosion, and others like it, have drawn increased scrutiny toward CPS Energy’s natural gas infrastructure and response protocols.
The lawsuit argues that without significant changes, similar incidents could happen again.
“This tragedy was preventable,” the petition states. “So too is the next one.”
CPS Energy said they do not comment on active litigation, in a statement to News 4 and Fox SA on Wednesday.
State records indicate that gas leaks are being reported far more frequently than many may realize.
From July through December 2025, 1,043 gas leaks were reported in Bexar County alone, according to the Texas Railroad Commission.
You can see a statewide map of gas explosions and their level of severity here.