The Travis County District Attorney’s Office has announced charges against Harvest Renaissance – Austin, LLC and two former employees over the death of 73-year-old Cynthia Pierce during the winter storm in 2021.
Travis County District Attorney José Garza stated that on July 22, 2025, a grand jury indicted Harvest Renaissance – Austin, LLC, along with its former Executive Director Mendi Ramsay and Wellness Director Rochelle Alvarado, for causing Injury to an Elderly Person.
On February 17, 2021, amidst a winter storm and power outages, employees at the Renaissance Austin Assisted Living Facility allegedly failed to relocate Pierce, an elderly and disabled resident, to a warmer area, leaving her in a cold room with open windows. She was later taken to a hospital where she succumbed to hypothermia.
The grand jury’s indictment accuses the staff of negligence in failing to care for Pierce and not informing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission about the power outage. The DA’s Office claims that Ramsay and Alvarado, as senior managers, sanctioned the staff’s actions as part of their official roles.
In January 2024, the Public Integrity & Complex Crimes Division of the DA’s Office began reviewing the case upon a complaint from Pierce’s family. The DA’s Office collaborated with the Austin Police Department to present the case to the Grand Jury.
Travis County DA José Garza expressed condolences to Pierce’s family and emphasized that assisted living facilities should ensure the safety of residents, pledging accountability for those responsible for negligence.
Holly Ferguson, Pierce’s daughter, expressed appreciation for the DA’s pursuit of justice, criticizing Harvest for misrepresenting its capabilities and failing to protect her mother—a situation she hopes the case will rectify to prevent future incidents.
The Public Integrity & Complex Crimes Division is handling the prosecution, and all cases are currently in the 403rd Judicial District Court.