A man has been charged in connection to a fatal crash that left three dead in Houston over a year ago. Juan Depaz, Jr., 32, faces three counts of failure to stop and render aid involving death after a violent collision occurred at 2900 West Dallas Street on November 13, 2022, according to city government sources.

Authorities identified the victims as Luis Ramirez Torres, 24, Jacob Rodriguez, 23, and Johnny Aguilar, 26. The horrific incident took place around 2:15 a.m., when a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee, allegedly operated by Depaz, swerved out of its lane and rammed into a blue Maserati Ghibli. The Maserati, carrying four individuals, veered off the road, striking a utility pole and a patio fence. While the Maserati’s driver survived, Torres and Rodriguez were pronounced dead at the scene, and Aguilar succumbed to his injuries on December 2.

The crash aftermath saw the Jeep's occupants, including Depaz, allegedly abandoning the scene and their obligations to aid the injured. Houston Police Department's Vehicular Crimes Division Sergeant L. Le and Officer L. Fenoglio spearheaded the investigation following the catastrophe. Their efforts culminated in an April 25 indictment by a Harris County grand jury and Depaz’s May 2 arrest without resistance.

Evidence gathered during the extensive inquiry precipitated Depaz’s arrest, marking a significant step in the legal proceedings rooted in last year's tragedy. With three counts levied against him, Depaz’s indictment acknowledges the weight of the alleged negligence, and, the subsequent human toll extracted by that November night. In their description of the cold facts, authorities note that the Jeep continued eastbound after the initial impact, striking another utility pole at Eberhard Street before the eventual desertion by its passengers and driver. Depaz is now entangled in the judicial system.