1 year ago
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In Memoriam: Fallen Stars of 2022
Veronica Tejera is speaking retired aft being accused of endangering her children's welfare.
Veronica—the woman of precocious ABC News producer Dax Tejera—was charged with 2 counts of endangering the payment of a kid amid the passing of her husband, NYPD Lieutenant John Grimpel confirmed to E! News Jan. 4.
Dax, who produced This Week With George Stephanopoulos, died connected Dec. 23 astatine property 37 due to a bosom attack, according to a memo from web president Kim Godwin at the time.
That aforesaid evening, Veronica left the couple's 2-year-old and 5-month-old daughters successful a edifice room, she said successful a connection to Entertainment Tonight published Jan. 3.
An NYPD spokesperson told E! News that officers responded to a 911 telephone astatine 11 p.m. reporting "unattended children" who were near alone, adding, "The parent was placed successful custody and charged."
Now, Veronica is sharing her broadside of what happened that night. "When Dax collapsed connected December 23rd, I accompanied him successful an ambulance to the hospital," she said successful her connection to ET. "I asked some a adjacent person and my parents to unreserved to my children's edifice country to be to them arsenic I monitored them by camera. The edifice would not let my person successful and alternatively called the NYPD."
The 33-year-old explained, "We had 2 cameras trained connected my children arsenic they slept, and I monitored them intimately successful the clip I was distant from them. While the girls were unharmed, I recognize that it was a mediocre decision."
As for the nonaccomplishment of her husband, Veronica called it a "terrible tragedy."
"My household and I are devastated by Dax's abrupt passing," she said. "He has near down a heartbroken family, and 2 daughters helium loved with each his heart."
Following his death, respective colleagues astatine ABC paid tribute connected societal media.
Jim Avila, ABC News Senior National correspondent, called Dax a "groundbreaking" enforcement producer. "So important to abc arsenic if not archetypal latino, among the archetypal to emergence to enforcement shaper level," Jim tweeted. "I worked with him astatine fusion and abc. Always supportive and damn good. I volition miss him. And consciousness for his young family."
—Reporting by Isabelle Reich
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