A Las Vegas driver at the center of a brutal south valley wreck that killed a pregnant woman’s unborn baby and injured multiple people - including her 9-year-old son - is due back in court Thursday for sentencing.
Maximiliano Chavez, 27, is scheduled to appear at 9:30 a.m. as the long-running case moves into its next legal chapter.
Prosecutors say Chavez faces several felony counts, including three counts of reckless driving and three counts of driving under the influence resulting in bodily harm, and is set to be sentenced, according to FOX5. Police at the scene told investigators Chavez admitted to drinking three michelada beverages and using a THC vape pen earlier that day. The hearing comes roughly eight months after the Sept. 6 collision that rattled the south valley.
Las Vegas police say the crash unfolded just before 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 6, when Chavez ran a red light at Windmill Lane and Las Vegas Boulevard and hit a vehicle that was making a left turn, triggering a chain reaction that pulled in multiple cars. First responders performed an emergency cesarean section on the 37-year-old mother, but the infant later died at a nearby hospital, and about a dozen people were injured, as detailed by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "A mother lost a child that never had an opportunity to breathe," Metro Lt. Cody Fulwiler told the Review-Journal.
Family Recovering, Community Pitches In
The mother, identified in reports as Rebekah, was 28 weeks pregnant at the time of the crash. Her 9-year-old son, Isaiah, was critically injured but later reunited with his mother in the hospital as he recovered, local coverage notes. The family launched a GoFundMe to help cover medical and funeral expenses and has shared updates as both parents and children heal, according to KTNV. Prosecutors also pointed to Chavez’s prior DUI conviction in 2021 and argued in early court hearings that he "poses a danger to our community," according to court coverage.
Police Review And Legal Limits
Las Vegas Metro police later reviewed the case under department guidelines and concluded that a fetus is not counted as a separate fatality for charging purposes. As a result, Chavez was not charged with murder in connection with the infant’s death, FOX5 reported in December. The choice to pursue reckless driving and DUI-related felonies instead of homicide counts has been closely watched by prosecutors and advocates following the crash.
Charged With DUI In Unborn Baby's Death was Hoodline’s initial roundup of the case and helped compile court dates and local updates. Chavez is due in court at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, when the judge is expected to announce the sentence and court records will reflect the outcome.
