Veronica Tejera has reportedly been arrested and booked on two counts of endangering her children's welfare, just hours after Dax's death from heart attack on December 23, 2022.
- Jan 5, 2023
AceShowbiz - Veronica Tejera, the wife of late ABC news producer Dax Tejera, has broken her silence after she's charged with two counts of endangering her children's welfare. In a statement, she shared what happened in the hours leading up to her husband's shocking death as report claimed that she left her young kids unattended in a hotel room alone.
"When Dax collapsed on December 23rd, I accompanied him in an ambulance to the hospital," Veronica said on Tuesday, January 3. Of their 2-year-old and 5-month-old daughters, she added, "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."
The 33-year-old went on saying, "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."
Veronica additionally called the loss of her husband a "terrible tragedy." She added, "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."
According to a report, Veronica was arrested and booked on two counts of "acting in a manner injurious to a child," just hours after Dax's death from heart attack. The couple allegedly left the girls unattended at the Yale Club while they went out to dinner with friends at Bobby Van's Steakhouse before he suffered a heart attack.
A spokesperson from NYPD's Deputy Commissioner Public Information office said in a statement that at around 11 P.M. that evening, New York City police responded to a 911 call regarding "unattended children inside of 50 Vanderbilt Avenue." A preliminary investigation revealed that "a 2 year-old female and a 5 month-old female were left alone inside of a hotel room for an extended period of time."
The police did not name the minor children in their report. Meanwhile, Veronica is due in Manhattan Criminal Court on January 12.
In the wake of Dax's passing, ABC News President Kim Godwin issued a statement which read, "It's with a heavy heart and great sadness that we share that our friend and colleague, Dax Tejera passed away suddenly of a heart attack last night. As executive producer of 'This Week With George Stephanopoulos', Dax's energy, passion and love for that show, ABC News, and you, shined every Sunday morning."
"That same love was extended to his precious girls. Our thoughts are with his wife, Veronica, the couple's two young daughters, and the entire Tejera family," the statement continued.
