Falling packages kill mom of 5 working at UPS facility, California family says

A woman identified by her family as a mother of five died after packages fell on her as she worked at a UPS facility, California police reported.

“It’s not just some lady. It’s a mother, somebody’s daughter, aunt,” son Aldo Icazbalceta told KTVU. “It’s somebody’s world.”

A UPS employee loading a cargo trailer alone died after several packages fell on her Sunday, Sept. 21, Richmond police said in a news release.

A co-worker later found the injured employee and called for help just after 4 p.m., police said. The injured worker died at the scene.

Her family identified the worker as Shelma Reyna, a mother of five, KGO reported.

“My mom works two jobs to take care of five kids,” Icazbalceta told KTVU. “My mom was a humble lady. She never asked for a handout, she never begged. She was a soldier, she was a warrior. She always tended to her kids.”

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating the death.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of our team members,” UPS said in a statement emailed to McClatchy News.

The Teamsters Local 315 union said in a statement that it is working with investigators to determine what happened.

Richmond is about a 20-mile drive northeast from San Francisco.

This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 9:19 AM with the headline "Falling packages kill mom of 5 working at UPS facility, California family says."