Dax Tejera and wife Veronica left children alone at hotel to dine out hours before his heart attack death
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: ABC News producer Dax Tejera and his wife Veronica Tejera had gone out to dine in New York City when he suddenly collapsed and died of a heart attack after the couple reportedly left their two young daughters alone in a nearby hotel for hours. Followed by his tragic death, Veronica was arrested for child endangerment after police found out the couple had left their daughters aged five months and two years old alone at the Yale Club hotel.
Dax reportedly suffered a heart attack outside Bobby Van's restaurant on Park Avenue on Friday, December 23, moments after they left the restaurant. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, alongside Veronica in an ambulance, but he was pronounced dead on arrival. Meanwhile, Veronica had asked her friends to collect their children from the Yale club, but the hotel staff did not allow them into the room and instead called the police after discovering the children had been left unattended for at least two hours.
READ MORE
11-year-old boy is accidentally shot dead by younger brother with unsecured handgun
Veronica was arrested and charged with two counts of "acting in a manner injurious to a child," reported Daily Mail. According to police, she received a desk ticket requiring her to appear in court at a further date. Hours after her release she released a statement admitting it was a "poor decision" to leave their daughters on their own. "My family and I are devastated by Dax's sudden passing. He has left behind a heartbroken family, and two daughters he loved with all his heart," Veronica said in the statement released on Monday night.
"When Dax collapsed on December 23rd, I accompanied him in an ambulance to the hospital. I asked both a close friend and my parents to rush to my children's hotel room to attend to them as I monitored them by camera. The hotel would not allow my friend in and instead called the NYPD," according to Daily Mail. "We had two cameras trained on my children as they slept, and I monitored them closely in the time I was away from them. While the girls were unharmed, I realize that it was a poor decision." "Our family has suffered a terrible tragedy. I respectfully ask for privacy while my children and I mourn Dax's death," the statement concluded.
Veronica has since raised a fundraiser through Fidelity Investments to help support her girl's education. The page reads, "Dax Tejera passed away suddenly, leaving 2-year-old Sofia and 6-month old Ella without their father. Please support the girl's education."