Dax Tejera, the executive producer ofThis Weekon ABCwho died in December, choked to death while intoxicated, according to officials.
The death was accidental, the office says.
In December, a memo from ABC News president Kim Godwin that was shared with staff previously said Tejera died from a heart attack.
The same night as Tejera’s death, officers were called to the hotel he and Veronica were staying at near Grand Central Terminal regarding unattended children.
Dax Tejera with his wife, Veronica, and two young daughters.Stephanie Honikel
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Veronica was arrested for two counts of “acting in a manner injurious to a child,” the New York Police Department’s Deputy Commissioner Public Information Office tells PEOPLE.
The agency says the two young girls were left alone inside a hotel room for an extended period.
For more on this story, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.
Veronica’s attorney Phillip C. Hamilton did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment late Wednesday.
However, Veronica spoke toEntertainment Tonightabout the incident last month.
In a statement, the mother of two said she made a “poor decision” leaving the children alone.
ABC/Danny Weiss
“Our family has suffered a terrible tragedy. I respectfully ask for privacy while my children and I mourn Dax’s death,” Veronica added.
Tejera served as the lead producer onThis Week with George Stephanopoulos.
In the nearly three years since taking over the show, Tejera turned the once-straggling political broadcast into a Sunday morning sensation.
Tejera’s position at the program started just before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, three years after he joined ABC News in 2017 as a senior producer, perThe Hollywood Reporter. Before that, he worked as an executive producer for Jorge Ramos' program on Fusion and as a producer at MSNBC.
“Despite his age, he was already one of the most talented news producers in America,” Univision anchorJorge Ramospreviously told PEOPLE of his former colleague. “Nothing seemed impossible for him.”
source: people.com
