The executive producer of This Week with George Stephanopoulos , Dax Tejera , 37, passed away on December 23. According to ABC News President Kim Goodwin, the producer died of a heart attack.
Swipe to see more.
Died From Acute Alcohol Intoxication
According to ET , Tejera choked to death while out to dinner at Bobby Van’s Steakhouse with his wife and friends. The incident happened because he was intoxicated. According to a New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner representative, Tejera died from:
His Wife Was Detained
His wife Veronica Tejera, 33, was detained on suspicion of child endangerment hours after he passed out. She was charged with leaving their two-year-old and five-month-old daughters unattended in a Yale Club hotel room.
Announcing His Passing
When Tejera passed away just a month ago, Godwin issued the following statement:
He Passed Out While Having Dinner With His Wife
The couple enjoyed dinner at Bobby Van’s steakhouse, a short distance from the hotel.
After passing out in front of the steakhouse, Dax was taken by ambulance, along with his wife, to Bellevue Hospital. When he got to the hospital, he was pronounced dead.
The Children Were Left Unattended
Around 11 pm, hotel staff learned that the mother had left the children unattended for two hours and called the police.
Veronica Was Detained
Around 12:20 am, police detained Veronica and accused her of acting in two separate instances that were “injurious to children.” The mother, who insisted that she was keeping an eye on the children, was let go after 4:00 am.
Veronica Apologized For Her Poor Decision
The mother-of-two apologized for her “poor decision” to leave their daughters alone on December 23rd in a statement given to ET. Veronica said:
Her Reason For Leaving The Children
She claimed in her appeal that she drove her husband to the hospital in an ambulance after he passed out on December 23.
She Monitored Her Kids Via Camera
She defended herself by pointing out that the hotel wouldn’t let her friend in and instead called the NYPD. She said:
RELATED STORIES
She Was Charged
She was detained and charged with two counts of “acting in a manner injurious to a child.”
The Grand Mother Was In Charge Of The Kids
The grandmother was responsible for watching over the children after the mother was taken into police custody following her arrest.
Dax Was ABC News Senior Producer
Dax has been an ABC News senior producer since 2017, and in February 2020, he switched to the Stephanopoulos show.
Graduated From Columbia University
He previously worked for NBC News and graduated from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
His Colleagues Paid Tribute
Following Tejera’s passing, his coworkers led memorial services for the producer.
