Margarita containing cleaner leads to teacher’s death years later, OK family says

The mother of a 30-year-old teacher in Oklahoma is blaming a restaurant’s tainted margarita for her daughter’s unexpected death.

On Valentine’s Day in 2023, Holly Hill drank a margarita at Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill that — unbeknownst to her — contained an industrial cleaner instead of margarita mix, loved ones said.

What followed were major health complications for Hill, whose esophagus was badly damaged, according to family.

More than two years later on Oct. 23, 2025, the Elgin Middle School teacher died,

Her mother now wants the Elgin restaurant held responsible.

“The number one thing that we really want at this point, and out of this, is we want people to be aware of what happened at that restaurant and to quit supporting them,” Kelly Hunter, Hill’s mother, told KOTV. “We want them to be held accountable for taking my daughter’s life; because they did.

What happened Feb. 14, 2023

Hunter said the margarita her daughter was served on Valentine’s Day 2023 included a dangerous chemical that contained lye, damaging her esophagus, according to KSWO.

“Her mouth was on fire, and she knew something wasn’t right,” Hunter told KOTV. “She immediately jumped up and ran to the bathroom, started throwing up, started rinsing her mouth out with water.”

Hill was in the hospital for a week, but her fight was far from over, according to KSWO. It took months for the teacher’s esophagus to open, and she continued receiving medical treatment in the months and years that followed.

By October 2024, she had received her 30th procedure on her esophagus, she said in a Facebook post. A friend said that before Hill died, her number of procedures had doubled to 60.

She continued teaching during this time, according to Hunter, who told KSWO her daughter also drove buses for the school.

“Through fighting to survive countless procedures, hospital stays, and uncertain days, she met each challenge with courage, faith, and a quiet strength that inspired everyone around her,” Hill’s obituary says. “Her perseverance and love were nothing short of remarkable.”

Hill’s death two years later

Hill began to feel ill while working Oct. 22, but she decided to wait it out until the next morning, her mom told KSWO. But at 1:18 a.m. on Oct. 23, Hill called her mother unable to breathe.

“She told me I’m dying mom, but I need you to know that I love y’all,” Hunter told the station. “And I said you’re not going to die baby girl, you’re too strong for that.”

But as first responders were preparing to transport Hill to a hospital, they lost her pulse, her mom told KOTV.

“I sat there and watched my baby die right in front of me,” Hunter said, according to KSWO. “It’s like my heart broke and that’s not even scratching the surface.”

Restaurant responds as investigation continues

Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill appeared to address the incident in a May 5, 2023, post on Facebook, apologizing for “a situation that should not have occurred in the first place.”

The day after the teacher died, the Elgin Police Department said it had “been in daily contact” with state officials regarding its investigation into Hill’s death.

Officers were unable to comment further on the investigation, saying the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is the lead agency into the probe.

The restaurant said it was “deeply saddened” to learn of Hill’s death, and voluntarily closed Oct. 27 and 28 out of respect for her and her family.

Since Valentine’s Day 2023, a civil lawsuit regarding the incident was resolved, according to the restaurant, which said individuals responsible for serving the tainted drink were fired.

Following guidance with state officials, the restaurant updated its training and safeguard procedures.

“Las Margaritas continues to welcome our patrons with care, responsibility, and attention to their wellbeing,” the restaurant said on Facebook Oct. 28.

Hill’s mother, however, told KSWO she wants criminal charges filed.

Remembering Hill — a wife and mother of three

Hill, who according to her obituary married her husband in 2018, had three kids — ages 14, 11 and 6, loved ones said in a GoFundMe.

Her children, according to the obituary, “were her world, her greatest joy, and the reason behind every smile.”

“Holly will be remembered for her kindness, her bright smile, and the way she made every child feel seen and loved,” the obituary says. “She had a gift for spreading warmth — in her classroom, at home, and anywhere she went. To know Holly was to know compassion, laughter, and love.”

Since 2019, Hill taught in the Elgin Public School District. Her obituary calls it a “full-circle moment,” as she grew up in the town and graduated from there years prior.

“Holly was a dedicated teacher, Elgin Alumni, and beloved mother and wife,” EPS Superintendent Nate Meraz said in a statement. “She was an Owl through and through, and we lift her family up in prayer tonight.”

Elgin is about a 70-mile drive southwest from Oklahoma City.