Houston — A man accused of slamming into an SUV head on, killing a young mother and injuring her baby and her mother had been drinking for six hours before the crash, police say.
Erick Hernandez, 19, had more than a dozen alcoholic drinks, including three tequila shots, according to the DA's office. Investigators say surveillance video shows some bar employees drinking shots with him.
Five employees of Servi-Car El 3 bar where Hernandez was drinking were arrested Wednesday.
"A visibly intoxicated Hernandez left the bar at 10:49 p.m. Sunday," the DA's office said in a press release. "At 10:51 p.m., the pick-up he was driving swerved across three lanes of College Avenue and crashed into a car driven by Taylor Phillips, 23."
She was killed instantly.
“This family should be celebrating the holiday, but is instead planning a funeral,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. “This tragedy should never have happened.”
Hernandez is charged with intoxication manslaughter and faces up to 20 years in prison.
"They were there for six hours and they never stopped drinking the six hours. So, as you can imagine,a 19 year old drinking for six hours straight, he’s going to get more demonstrative, more dancing, more grabby of people and patrons there,” said Vehicular Crimes Division Chief Sean Teare, of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Teare said over six hours, no one ever asked Hernandez for his ID.
"Six hours on a Sunday evening, and then just cutting him loose with a 5,000 pound deadly weapon. It's unacceptable," Teare said.
Phillips' mother and one-year-old son were injured when Hernandez crashed into their SUV. Both were taken to the hospital but are now recovering at home.
“Right now there are Christmas presents under a tree for a mother who will never open them, a child who will never know his mother because of the irresponsible actions of all six individuals charged in this tragedy,” District Attorney Kim Ogg said.
Hernandez is out on a $30,000 bond.
He is required to wear an ankle monitor and is not allowed to drive, do drugs or drink alcohol.
The bar's general manager and four servers were arrested Wednesday.
- Mildred "Milly" Garcia, 21, is charged with making alcohol available to a minor and serving an intoxicated person.
- Anna Evelyn Lule, 19, faces the same charges.
- Jazely Marie Barrera, 21, is charged with sale of alcohol to a minor.
- Jaquin Guadalupe Gonzalez, 19, is charged with making alcohol available to a minor.
- Gustavo Tejada-Garcia, 28, who is the bar's manager, is charged with possession of an unauthorized beverage. Investigators say they were serving tequila but only have a license for beer and wine.
The charges come days into an investigation led by the District Attorney’s Office in partnership with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the South Houston, Pasadena and Houston police departments.
The charges come as part of ongoing efforts by a District Attorney’s Office task force targeting overserving, as well under-age and after-hours drinking.
The public is encourage to report tips to the following email address: bartips@dao.hctx.net
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