The wife of ABC news producer Dax Tejera, who was arrested on child endangerment charges just hours after he died of a heart attack two days before Christmas, said she monitored her young children as she went to the hospital with her dying husband.
Veronica Tejera was arrested by NYPD officers Dec. 23 and charged with two counts of “harmful conduct toward a child” after police were called to the Yale Club Hotel.
In a statement, Tejera said after her husband collapsed on the 23rd, she “accompanied him to the hospital in an ambulance.”
“I asked both a close friend and my parents to rush to my children’s hotel room to take care of them while I was monitoring them on camera. The hotel wouldn’t let my friend in and called the NYPD instead,” she continued.
“We had two cameras on my children while they slept and I kept a close eye on them when I wasn’t with them. While the girls were unharmed, I realize it was a bad decision.
“Our family has suffered a terrible tragedy. I respectfully ask for privacy while my children and I mourn Dax’s death.’
She added that she and her young family are “devastated by Dax’s sudden death.
“He left behind a heartbroken family and two daughters whom he loved dearly.”
Police received an 911 call at 11 p.m. about “unattended children” at 50 Vanderbilt Avenue in Manhattan, home of the Yale Club members-only hotel.
They discovered that “a two-year-old woman and a five-month-old woman were left alone in a hotel room for an extended period of time.” Police did not identify the children, but they are the same age as the Tejeras’ daughters.
Veronica Tejera received a ticket obliging her to appear in court at a later date, police said.
Dax Tejera with his children and his wife Veronica, who was arrested on child endangerment charges just hours after his death on December 23
Veronica Tejera was arrested by NYPD officers and charged because her husband died of a heart attack
Variety, which first reported her arrest, said Veronica did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Yale Club is an exclusive club for Yale University alumni. It includes guest rooms ranging from budget studios to luxurious 556-square-foot suites.
Police have not released details of the arrangements under which Tejera or her children were staying.
The Yale Club features luxurious rooms for weddings and private events, as well as fitness facilities and a library.
Dax Tejera died suddenly of a heart attack. The 37-year-old has worked with George Stephanopoulos and Martha Raddatz and recently traveled to London to contribute to the network’s coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Tejera has worked at ABC since 2017, when he started as a senior producer in the station’s Washington DC office
In a memo on Christmas Eve, ABC News President Kim Godwin said: “It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that we announce that our friend and colleague Dax Tejera passed away suddenly last night of a heart attack.
“As the EP of ‘This Week with George Stephanopoulos’, Dax’s energy, passion and love for this show, ABC News and you every Sunday morning shone brightly. The same love extended to his precious girls.
“Our thoughts are with his wife Veronica, the couple’s two young daughters and the entire Tejera family.”
Honors were also shared by colleagues on social media.
Good Morning America correspondent Gio Benitez said in a touching Instagram post, “As you celebrate Christmas Eve with your families, please keep Dax Tejera’s family in your thoughts and prayers.
“He was the Executive Producer of This Week ABC, a friend of all of us, and most importantly, a loving husband to Veronica and devoted father to two beautiful little girls, Sofia and Ella.
“Dax has been a champion for so many at ABC News and a leader in groundbreaking television specials.”
Tejera with Katie Couric and Jorge Ramos at the 2016 Republican National Convention
Tejera with ABC colleagues at a meeting with President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden
Benitez posted a photo of the couple at the White House, explaining that it was taken “for a one-of-a-kind Pride special from the network” after an interview with spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.
“We’ve often referred to being exactly the same age: 37. Far too young to be gone now. We will miss you very much, Dax. Good luck my friend,” Benitez wrote.
Cecilia Vega posted her own tribute, writing alongside a photo of Tejera: “Your smile. Your laugh. Your engagement. Your deep love for Veronica and your beautiful daughters. Your pride in your work. The way you cared about the next generation and fought to pave the way for aspiring Latinos.
“How you broke through barriers yourself. How you always cheered me on and believed in me. Your sleek Miami style and the fact that you never wore socks even on the coldest of days. Dax Tejera, you left way too soon.
“We will miss everything about you. Your family was so lucky to have you. Your legacy lives on in all those you have championed and cheered on.’
Tejera has worked at ABC since 2017, when he started as a senior producer in the station’s Washington DC office.
He previously worked at NBC and holds degrees from both Dartmouth and Columbia.
Tributes to the 37-year-old father-of-two on LinkedIn and on social media following news of his death