A Texas woman accused of murdering her boss had previously been convicted in an incident involving a gun and an authority figure.
Deputies from the Dallas Sheriff’s Office arrested Patricia Ruth Holt, 57, after she allegedly shot Carl Donaldson, 47, in the head, according to a copy of the arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE.
Carl was the safety manager at Sun Transportation Systems, where Holt had been employed as a tractor-trailer driver for just over a month.
This is not the first time Holt has faced criminal charges; she previously pleaded guilty to attempted assault in the first degree. This occurred after she brought a loaded shotgun to her high school in 1986 in response to threats to kill her teacher, according to New York state court documents.
Tonya Donaldson, the shooting victim’s wife, called Texas dispatchers around 5:35 p.m. on July 24, 2025.
Tonya “stated that her husband had been shot in the head but was still breathing,” according to the affidavit.
Deputy Sanchez stated in the affidavit that he and another deputy arrived on the scene at 5:46 p.m. to find Holt leaving the shooting location in a white tractor-trailer truck.
Despite attempts to stop her, Holt made her way out of the lot, where deputies said spike strips were placed, puncturing the tractor-trailer truck’s back tires.
According to the affidavit, Holt continued to drive the disabled vehicle for only 1,000 feet before being forced to stop.
According to the affidavit, Holt refused to exit the vehicle and stated that her plan was to kill herself or attempt suicide by cop.
“The suspect said that they have been f—ing with her for too long and that she has been waiting for two years to get paid for a job,” Dep. Sanchez wrote in the affidavit.
A hostage negotiator eventually convinced Holt to surrender at 7:08 p.m., slightly more than an hour after Carl was declared dead on the scene at 6:06 p.m.
The Daily Freeman first reported Holt’s previous arrest in September 1986.
She was a student at Red Hook High School at the time, and after being dismissed for disrupting class, she was sent home and returned with a 12-gauge loaded shotgun.
The teacher was not in the classroom when she returned, and faculty members were able to tackle and disarm Holt when she returned to the lounge.
She was given five years probation.
Holt remains in jail after a judge set a bail of $1,000,000. She has not entered a plea and does not have an attorney at the moment.
