A West El Paso bar has been cleared by state alcohol regulators in connection with a crash that killed a 56-year-old father in April, even as the 19-year-old driver accused of causing the wreck faces two second-degree felony charges, and her family's attorneys hunt for the older man who allegedly bought her drinks that night.
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission closed its investigation into Hope & Anchor in July, finding a lack of substantiating evidence against the bar after opening a source investigation in April, according to KFOX. Regulators looked into whether the West El Paso bar, which has operated in the community for more than 16 years, illegally served Ambar Chavira before she got behind the wheel of a silver 2016 BMW 428i on the night of the crash.
Chavira, 19, was driving at roughly 9:15 p.m. when she failed to control her speed and rear-ended an SUV in the 6300 block of North Desert Boulevard, according to a police complaint affidavit reported by WOAI. The impact triggered a four-vehicle chain reaction that struck Jaime Andrade's Subaru Outback. Andrade, 56, was found unresponsive at the scene and was taken to University Medical Center, where he later died.
What Chavira Told Investigators
According to the affidavit, Chavira admitted to drinking several drinks with an older companion she described as her “sugar daddy” at Hope & Anchor before the crash. Officers reported that she showed signs of intoxication, and authorities allege she fled the crash scene on foot rather than remaining to render aid or provide information, as required by law. Investigators eventually tracked her to a home on Rosa Gandara Drive after her own mother reported her to police, per the affidavit.
Chavira was arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and collision involving death. She has since posted bond and is out of jail. A jury trial is scheduled for April 19, 2027.
How the Bar Defended Its Service Practices
Hope & Anchor told investigators it checks every guest who appears to be under age 30 and maintains ID verification protocols alongside legally vetted employee handbooks. The bar said Chavira presented what appeared to be a valid, government-issued ID, and it noted that fake IDs remain a persistent challenge for licensed establishments across El Paso and Texas broadly. In a statement released after the crash, Hope & Anchor said it cooperated fully with the TABC investigation and stands by its staff's training, adding that it takes its responsibilities as a licensed establishment very seriously.
The bar's clearance rests on Texas's so-called Safe Harbor defense under Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code § 106.14, which shields permit holders from administrative and civil liability for illegal service as long as all servers hold active TABC certification and management did not directly or indirectly encourage violations, according to Winocour Law. All three statutory criteria must be met for an establishment to keep that immunity.
Family's Attorneys Still Searching for the Older Man
While the bar itself has been cleared, the search for the man who allegedly bought Chavira's drinks is not over. Attorneys from Cesar Ornelas Injury Law, representing Andrade's family, launched a public appeal in April seeking information to identify the adult male who accompanied the 19-year-old and allegedly purchased her alcoholic drinks before the fatal crash, according to a report cited in dossier research. Buying, providing, or making alcohol available to a minor with criminal negligence is a Class A misdemeanor under Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code § 106.06, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine, with exceptions limited to an adult parent, legal guardian, or spouse.
Chavira's own two felony charges each carry significant exposure. Intoxication manslaughter is a second-degree felony under Texas Penal Code § 49.08 that treats the crime as strict liability, requiring no proof of intent, with penalties ranging from 2 to 20 years in prison and fines up to $10,000. Collision involving death, charged under Texas Transportation Code § 550.021, carries the same second-degree felony range of 2 to 20 years.
Advocacy Groups Push for Tougher Penalties
After Chavira's arrest and release on bond, the advocacy group Sober Streets Movement, made up of Texas families affected by impaired driving, publicly called for stricter state penalties for impaired driving offenses, according to WOAI's reporting. The case adds to a steady drumbeat of alcohol-related crashes in El Paso: the El Paso Crime Lab and TxDOT recorded 56 alcohol-related traffic crashes citywide in July, resulting in two fatalities and 46 injuries, consistent with a monthly average of 50 to 60 such crashes through mid-2026.
El Paso County logged 80 traffic fatalities in 2024, down from 101 the year before, for a regional fatality rate of 9.13 per 100,000 residents compared with the national average of 11.6, per TxDOT and local safety reporting. Statewide, Texas recorded more than 4,100 traffic fatalities in 2024.
This case echoes another recent Hoodline report on a fatal Lower Valley crash with no indictment, in which an El Paso County grand jury declined in April to indict a 62-year-old woman on an intoxication manslaughter charge following a February parking-lot crash, prompting prosecutors to close that criminal investigation. Grand jury indictments are legally required to move felony prosecutions forward in Texas, illustrating the evidentiary hurdles that can arise even in alcohol-involved fatal crashes.
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