HOUSTON – The father of slain Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla is mourning six relatives who died in Hurricane Harvey’s floodwaters.
Abraham Quintanilla said in a post on Facebook that he is related to the family members found dead in a van that was pulled from a bayou Aug. 30, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
“Manuel’s mother Carolina was my father’s 1st cousin,” Abraham Quintanilla wrote. “My condolences to their family.”
Manuel and his wife, Belia, were riding in the van with their four great-grandchildren –Devy, 16; Dominic, 14; Xavier, 8; and 6-year-old Daisy. The couple's grandson, Sammy Saldivar, was driving when rising water swept the van off the road, submerging it. Only Sammy managed to escape the vehicle.
Belia, 81, and Manuel Saldivar, 84, would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in October.
Selena was a rising star in the 1990s – breaking concert attendance records while bringing Tejano music to mainstream audiences. She was just 15 when she won female entertainer of the year at the Tejano Music Awards.
On March 31, 1995, Selena was murdered by Yolanda Saldívar, an employee who oversaw Selena's boutiques and fan club.
The Grammy-winning singer was 23 when she died.
CNN contributed to this report.
