El Paso dad charged with murder had beers before crash that killed his 3 kids, police say

The father arrested in the deaths of his three children had three tall-boy beers before the deadly traffic collision in Northeast El Paso last week, court documents allege.

Juan Angel Loera, 28, was arrested on three counts of murder and two counts of intoxication assault after his children's funeral Thursday.

Criminal complaint documents filed by El Paso police investigators allege Loera was driving drunk and none of the children were buckled in safety seats as the family returned home from getting hamburgers.

Three children, 1-year-old Celeste Ariane Loera, 5-year-old Gustavo Alfredo Loera and 6-year-old Juan Angel Loera Jr., were killed in the Sept. 20 wreck at Titanic Avenue and Howard Street.

The intoxication assault charges are in regard to two other children critically injured in the tragedy.

The surviving children were identified in complaint documents as 2-year-old I.A. Loera and 13-year-old E. Angeles. The children's first names were not disclosed.

Documents state the 13-year-old girl had injuries to her head, liver, kidneys, a broken wrist, cuts and other injuries. The surviving boy had a facial fracture, a broken leg and other injuries.

Juan Angel Loera and front-seat passenger Raquel Angeles, 29, had minor injuries, police said.

The documents state that Loera is charged with murder for committing "an act clearly dangerous to human life" by allegedly driving while intoxicated with unrestrained children and failing to yield at a stop sign to an incoming car.

Investigators reported that officers noted that Loera had the faint smell of alcohol and failed a field sobriety test and a pair of breath-alcohol tests.

Loera had breath-alcohol test results of 0.098 and 0.096, surpassing the 0.08 breath-alcohol concentration legal limit in Texas, the complaints state.

Deadly collision

The children were in a red 2001 Ford Expedition driven by their dad as the family was returning to their home on Clio Street, documents state.

The documents mention Juan Angel Loera told police that the family was returning from buying hamburgers at the corner of Dyer Street and Diana Drive. A Carl's Jr. restaurant is located at that corner.

Police were wrong at first when they said the Expedition was westbound on Titanic Avenue and turning left. Loera actually was on Howard, going south. There is a stop sign on Howard, but no stop sign on Titanic.

The investigation revealed the Expedition then collided with a black Lincoln LS heading east on Titanic, officials said.

In an interview with a special traffic investigator, Loera said that he stopped at the stop sign on Howard Street at the intersection, according to the complaint documents.

Loera told the investigator that he saw "headlights at a distance to his right and believing he could cross safely, he entered the intersection," the complaints state.

Loera then "observed that he would not be able to beat the vehicle and then accelerated rapidly in an attempt to beat the vehicle and attempt to avoid the collision."

"The Defendant (Loera) advised that he was not able to pass and a collision occurred," documents state.

The Expedition collided with the Lincoln LS, which police said was speeding.

Police and neighbors said the Expedition slammed into a rock wall, then knocked down a community mailbox before hitting a parked pickup and stopping.

The children were ejected from the SUV and their bodies were found on the ground.

More: 3 children killed, 2 injured in 2-vehicle collision on Titanic Avenue in Northeast El Paso

In the SUV before the crash, the 1-year-old baby had been in the arms of the 13-year-old girl and the two boys who died had been sitting on the floor behind seats in the SUV, police said.

Loera told the investigator that no child was in a safety seat, the complaint added.

Police: Driver drank before crash

Police stated that Loera admitted to drinking three 24-ounce beers, two Michelob Ultra cans and a Bud Light, before the crash. While returning from buying food, he had stopped to buy six cans of Michelob Ultra.

Officers at the crash scene noted that Loera, who was wearing a white soccer jersey and gray shorts, had a cut to his forehead, bloodshot eyes and was crying and very emotional and had the faint smell of alcohol.

Loera was arrested and remains held at the El Paso County Jail in Downtown under bonds totaling $3.75 million.

Jail records show he had traffic warrants from 2016 and 2018 for not having a valid driver's license, no insurance and unrestrained child passengers.

More: Together in life, 'dancing in heaven'; funeral honors 3 children killed in El Paso crash

Luis Javier Ortega, 18, also was arrested last week, accused of driving the Lincoln and running off after the crash.

Ortega, of the 8600 block of Lawson Street, was arrested on three counts of accident involving death and two counts of accident involving personal injury, police said.

Jail records show Ortega had traffic warrants from June for not having a valid driver's license and a previous charge for failure to remain at the scene of an accident.

Ortega remains held at the El Paso County Jail in Downtown under bonds totaling $1,150,000.

Daniel Borunda may be reached at 915-546-6102; [email protected]; @BorundaDaniel on Twitter.

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More: 2 children killed in Northeast El Paso crash were students at Sunrise Mountain Elementary

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso dad charged with murder had beers before crash that killed his 3 kids, police say

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