Dax Tejera's cause of death revealed: ABC producer, 37, collapsed while having dinner with wife Veronica Tejera
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: ABC news producer Dax Tejera died while intoxicated on December 23, 2022, in front of a Bobby Van's steakhouse in Manhattan. ABC supervisors, who were the first to announce his death, claimed that Tejera died of a heart attack.
Dax and his wife Veronica Tejera were enjoying the holidays living at the upscale Yale Club, which is just a short stroll from the steakhouse. It was reportedly discovered hours later that they had left their two-year-old and five-month-old daughters in their hotel room. Veronica, 33, was arrested on charges of jeopardizing the well-being of their children. Police were called when club workers learned the children had been left alone for many hours while the couple enjoyed their dinner. Apparently, Dax choked on food as a result of his intoxication, the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner informed Daily Mail on Wednesday, February 8.
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How did Dax Tejera die?
Kim Godwin, president of ABC News, broke the initial news of Dax's death, stating that he "died suddenly of a heart attack." Dax's death was officially attributed to "Asphyxia due to obstruction of airway by food bolus complicating acute alcohol intoxication," as reported by Daily Mail.
Veronica along with Dax went in the ambulance as their friends proceeded to the Yale Club to pick up the children. The ABC news producer was brought to Bellevue Hospital after passing out, where he was eventually declared dead.
Why was Veronica Tejera arrested?
On the night of the incident, Yale Club personnel learned that the children had been left unattended for at least two hours and notified the police at about 11 pm. The NYPD arrested Veronica at about 12.20 am and charged her with two charges of "acting in a manner injurious to a child." The children, who weren't hurt, were handed to their grandmother.
Veronica was reportedly released from jail at around 4 am. She has admitted that letting their daughters alone was a "poor decision." Authorities stated that the children were "left alone inside of a hotel room for an extended period of time." Veronica, a senior producer at The Washington Post, claimed that while the children were sleeping, they "had two cameras trained" at them. She received a desk ticket that required her to appear in court at a later date and was charged with two counts of "acting in a manner injurious to a child," according to the police.