An ABC News producer who sadly died last month at the age of 37 choked to death while he was intoxicated.
Dax Tejera died on December 23 from "asphyxia due to obstruction of airway by food bolus complicating acute alcohol intoxication," the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner has confirmed, per People.
It has also been confirmed that his passing was accidental.
Contrary to what ABC News president Kim Godwin said in a staff memo last month, he did not die from a heart attack, the outlet confirms.
Dax is survived by his 33-year-old wife Veronica and their daughters, two-year-old Sofia and seven-month-old Ella.
On the night he died, police were called to the hotel where he and Veronica were staying near Grand Central Terminal in connection with their young children being left unattended.
The New York Police Department's Deputy Commissioner Public Information Office confirmed that Veronica was arrested for two counts of "acting in a manner injurious to a child".
The two young girls were left by themselves inside a hotel room for a lengthy period.
The mom of two was charged with child endangerment but claims she had been monitoring her children.
Defending herself against the charges, the widow said she was taking her husband to the hospital and had asked friends and family to look after the two young infants while she monitored them on camera.
But according to The New York Post's sources, Dax and Veronica left their children at home to go for dinner with friends at Bobby Van's 230Park.
A staff member there said that the TV exec appeared under the weather at the start of their meal, which led a waiter to check on him.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Veronica addressed the incident, admitting that leaving her kids alone had been a "poor decision".
"When Dax collapsed on December 23rd, I accompanied him in an ambulance to the hospital. 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 statement said.
"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."
"Our family has suffered a terrible tragedy. I respectfully ask for privacy while my children and I mourn Dax's death," Veronica added.
Dax worked as a producer on This Week with George Stephanopoulos.
He very much hit the ground running when he started on the show, turning into a real sensation for Sunday morning TV viewers.
Dax started on the show just before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. He previously worked as a senior producer at ABC News. Prior to that, he served 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 anchor Jorge Ramos told People of his former co-worker. "Nothing seemed impossible for him."