One-year remembrance looms as family celebrates hit-and-run victim at Texas Rangers game

The family of Seth Rains marked the one‑year anniversary of his death on the baseball diamond he loved.

"We're celebrating tonight that he's been in heaven for a year, and baseball was his favorite thing," Clint Rains said. "That's all we ever did growing up was baseball. It was all baseball."

Seth Rains' family marked the one-year anniversary of his death with the thing he loved most – baseball – gathering at the ballpark to honor his memory and the joy he found on the diamond.

Rains' parents, Clint and Cyndi, his sister, his best friend, a close coworker, and about 40 others came together to celebrate his life.

"We're celebrating tonight that he's been in heaven for a year, and baseball was his favorite thing. That's all we ever did growing up was baseball. It was all baseball," Clint Rains said.

Instead of staying home in grief, his mother said being surrounded by people who loved Seth brought comfort.

"Instead of being at home and crying, and just like I wanted to. I don't want to get out of bed," Cyndi Rains said. "But being here with his friends and all the people that love him just makes us feel like we're surrounded by his presence."

Seth Rains, 23, was alive on July 24. He had moved to Austin six weeks earlier, his family said. He returned home to Dallas to attend a concert with friends before heading to Kansas for job training. Dallas police said he never made that trip – his life was cut short by a hit-and-run driver.

Police said Jose Hernandez DeLeon struck Rains and left the scene. He was arrested in August 2025 and faces multiple charges, including manslaughter, collision involving a pedestrian using a crosswalk causing serious bodily injury, and tampering with or fabricating evidence. His case has not gone to trial.

"I mean, they told us it was going to take two years. But it happened a year ago, and we don't even have an indictment," Cyndi Rains said. "He's not gone before the grand jury. So it's just shocking how long it takes to get someone…"

"To justice," Clint Rains said.

In a statement, the Dallas County District Attorney's Office said, "Our thoughts remain with the Rains family as they continue to navigate the unimaginable loss of their son. According to our records, our Vehicular Crimes Unit has been in contact with Ms. Cyndi Rains on multiple occasions regarding this case.

Because this is an active, pending case, we are unable to comment further at this time."

The family said they pray for prosecutors and hope for success in court. In the meantime, they cheered for the Rangers – because Seth would have, they said.

During the fourth inning, a message appeared on one of the stadium's large screens: "Happy Anniversary to Seth Rains in Heaven."

"It's been devastating to our family. It's been the hardest year of our life," his mother said.