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Abraham Watkins Files Suit on Behalf of Weslaco Family in Teen’s Death
A South Texas family is demanding answers after losing their 17-year-old daughter to what the Hidalgo County Medical Examiner determined was cardiomyopathy caused by excessive caffeine consumption. The family of Larissa Nicole Rodriguez, a cheerleader, tennis player, student council president, and honors student at Weslaco High School, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the distributors of Alani Nu energy drinks. Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner is representing the Rodriguez family in this litigation.
Who Was Larissa Rodriguez?
Larissa Nicole Rodriguez was, by every account, a teenager with a remarkable future ahead of her. She was a varsity cheerleader and tennis player, a student council president, and an honors student who had been accepted to nearly 20 universities at the time of her death. She aspired to attend the University of Texas at Austin and had plans to become a lawyer.
On October 20, 2025, Larissa died suddenly at 17 years old. Her family had no immediate explanation. She had no prior medical history. She had no diagnosed heart condition. No drugs or alcohol were found in her system. What toxicology did find was caffeine.
The Hidalgo County Medical Examiner ran extensive testing and determined that Larissa’s cause of death was cardiomyopathy, an enlargement and weakening of the heart, caused by excessive caffeine consumption. Her family’s legal team says the only substance in her system was caffeine from Alani Nu energy drinks, which she had been consuming daily, and sometimes multiple times a day, in the months leading up to her death.
What the Lawsuit Alleges Happened to Larissa Rodriguez in Weslaco
On April 8, 2026, Abraham Watkins filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Hidalgo County District Court on behalf of Larissa’s parents and her estate. The defendants named in the complaint are Glazer’s Beer and Beverage, LLC and Glazer’s Beer and Beverage of Texas, LLC, which are the distributors that supplied Alani Nu to the H-E-B location in Hidalgo County, where Larissa purchased the drinks.
The lawsuit alleges that:
- Alani Nu energy drinks are defectively designed and were negligently distributed without adequate warnings about the risks of repeated consumption, particularly for minors;
- Each 12-ounce can contains 200 milligrams of caffeine, which is double the 100 mg daily maximum that pediatric health authorities recommend for adolescents;
- The drink also contains undisclosed amounts of taurine, L-theanine, and guarana seed extract, which the lawsuit argues compound the cardiac risks of the product;
- The only warning on the can is that it is “not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women” and is printed in small, inconspicuous text that does not adequately address the serious cardiac risks of habitual consumption; and
- Glazer’s distributed the product with knowledge of prior warnings about Alani Nu’s caffeine levels, including an advisory from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency regarding the drink’s high caffeine content.
The lawsuit also challenges the way Alani Nu is marketed. The brand’s “wellness-centered” presentation, its bright packaging, and its appeal to young women specifically are central to the family’s legal theory. Attorney Benny Agosto Jr., a managing partner at Abraham Watkins who is leading the litigation, described at a press conference how thoroughly the drink had become woven into the social fabric of Larissa’s life. A homecoming proposal she received was built around cans of Alani Nu. A photo of her in her cheerleading uniform shows her holding the drink.
“Every day that goes by, we learn more and more about the method that Alani is using to capture young adolescents and young women in particular, to the use of their product,” Agosto said, without the company properly warning of the potential effects of the caffeine levels.
The family is seeking more than $1 million in damages. Agosto has indicated that additional defendants may be named as the investigation continues.
What Caffeine Does to the Adolescent Heart
The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine have each stated that energy drinks have no place in the diets of children and adolescents. The FDA recommends that adults consume no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine daily. For teenagers, medical experts advise limiting intake to no more than 100 milligrams per day, the amount already exceeded by a single can of Alani Nu.
Cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart muscle becomes enlarged and weakened, making it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively. It can lead to heart failure and, in severe cases, sudden cardiac death. Excessive caffeine consumption is a recognized risk factor for cardiac stress, particularly in young people whose cardiovascular systems are still developing.
Alani Nu is owned by Celsius Inc., which acquired the brand in 2025. In a statement following the lawsuit’s filing, Celsius said the company is “saddened by this loss” and that its products “disclose 200mg of caffeine on the can.” The company stated it does not market or sample to anyone under 18.
A Family Seeking Justice and Answers
The Rodriguez family is not only pursuing accountability through litigation, but they are also raising awareness. At a press conference held the day the lawsuit was filed, family members called on retailers, regulators, and the public to examine how heavily caffeinated products marketed with wellness imagery are reaching teenagers who may not understand the risks of consuming them daily.
For a girl who had been accepted to nearly 20 universities, had a homecoming invitation, and was described by her family and attorneys as full of life and full of love, the loss is immeasurable. Her family’s goal now is to make sure other families do not face the same outcome.
Abraham Watkins Is Here for Southern Texas Families
Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner has been fighting for Texas families since 1951—more than 75 years of standing up for people when powerful companies fail to protect them. We represent families in Houston and throughout Southern Texas, including the Rio Grande Valley, in wrongful death, product liability, and personal injury cases. You can learn more about our results by exploring our representative cases and hearing directly from clients through our testimonials.
If your family has been harmed by a defective or dangerous product, we believe everyone deserves access to high-quality legal representation without an upfront cost. We offer free consultations and handle cases on a contingency basis, and we also provide helpful guidance through our Houston personal injury resources.
Contact us online to speak with a member of our team.
Abraham Watkins has stood with injured oilfield workers for over seven decades, and our team is ready to fight for you. Contact us online to schedule a free consultation with a Houston oilfield accident lawyer today.
Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner
800 Commerce St, Houston, TX 77002, United States
About The Author
Benny Agosto, Jr. earned his J.D. from South Texas College of Law Houston and is a Board-Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer. As Managing Partner of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, he represents individuals and families harmed by negligence in catastrophic injury cases, including chemical plant explosions, workplace accidents, wrongful death, premises liability, and product liability matters.
A former NCAA Division I soccer player at Houston Christian University and educator, Benny brings discipline, leadership, and compassion to every case he handles. He currently serves as lead or co-lead counsel in major chemical plant fire and explosion cases across Texas.
Deeply committed to service, Benny is a past president of both the Houston Bar Association and the Hispanic National Bar Association, and he is the founder of the MABATx Foundation, which has raised more than $500,000 in scholarships for Hispanic law students. In recognition of his excellence, he has been consistently named to Texas Super Lawyers and honored by Best Lawyers as Houston’s 2023 Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs “Lawyer of the Year.”
