Tony Vasquez spent his nights holding down the low end for North Texas crowds. On Friday, the 31-year-old bass player was killed while riding a scooter in Irving, and police say the driver who hit him had been drinking while watching a World Cup match.
The crash, the arrest that followed, and the charges now on the table have left a tight-knit local music scene stunned and a family facing a loss that came out of nowhere.
What police say
Irving police say the collision happened at Cantrell Street and Cibola Drive, where a vehicle struck Vasquez as he rode his scooter. A witness told investigators the driver ran over Vasquez twice before leaving the scene.
According to NBC 5 Dallas‑Fort Worth, the driver, identified by police as Noe Ibarra, later admitted he had consumed four to six beers while watching a World Cup match before getting behind the wheel. Vasquez was taken to a nearby hospital with severe injuries and later died.
Remembering Vasquez
Friends and family say Vasquez was more than just a regular on North Texas stages; he was a source of energy and joy wherever he played. He was best known as the bass player for the North Texas band Evolución Latina.
"My heart is broken in a thousand pieces," his father, Julio Vasquez, told NBC 5 Dallas‑Fort Worth, describing the shock of losing his son so suddenly. Bandmate Efrain Martinez said Vasquez "put energy on every practice," and that rehearsals this week felt noticeably emptier without him holding down his usual spot.
Charges and legal context
Police have charged the driver in the crash with multiple offenses, including intoxication manslaughter.
Intoxication manslaughter is defined under Texas Penal Code §49.08 and is generally prosecuted as a second-degree felony. The law provides for a potential prison term of two to 20 years, along with other possible penalties, according to FindLaw.
What happens next
Prosecutors are expected to review the arrest affidavit and move the case into the arraignment phase and through the Dallas County court system.
As the legal process starts to grind forward, Vasquez’s family and friends are planning tributes to his life and music and are asking for privacy while they grieve.
