The wife of an ABC producer who died suddenly last month has been arrested in connection with her actions on the night of his death.
Veronica Tejera was charged with two counts of child endangerment, according to Variety.
Dax Tejera, the executive producer for ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” died on Dec. 23 as the result of a heart attack, according to ABC. He was 37.
Dax Tejera, Executive Producer of ABC’s ‘This Week,’ Dies at 37 https://t.co/1vF3Aoshl0
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) December 24, 2022
“It’s with a heavy heart and great sadness that we share that our friend and colleague, Dax Tejera passed away suddenly of a heart attack last night,” ABC President Kim Godwin wrote in a Dec. 24 memo to staff, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
According to Variety, a representative of the New York Police Department said that at about 11 p.m. on the night Dax Tejera died, police received a report there were “unattended children” at 50 Vanderbilt Ave. in Manhattan.
The address is the location of the Yale Club, a members-only hotel, according to Variety.
An investigation “revealed that a 2-year-old female and a 5-month-old female were left alone inside of a hotel room for an extended period of time,” the NYPD said in a statement, according to Variety.
As a result, Veronica Tejera was handed a desk appearance ticket on charges of “acting in a manner injurious to a child” and is ordered to show up in court on the charges at a later date, Variety reported.
ABC News Face Dax Tejera Died On December 21, and Wife Veronica Was Arrested Just Hours Later https://t.co/rYfB6JCaVR
— Hiptoro (@HiptoroNews) January 2, 2023
Veronica Tejera disputed the charges in a statement to the New York Post.
She said she and her husband were out when he collapsed. She went with him to the hospital and made arrangements to have the children watched.
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“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,” she told the Post.
“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,” she said
Veronica Tejera said the charges came at a time of heartbreak for her and her family.
ABC News producer Dax Tejera’s wife, Veronica Tejera, was arrested for two counts of child endangerment hours after he suddenly died of a heart attack.
Tejera, is alleged to have left a 2-year-old and 5-month-old female alone inside a hotel room for an extended period of time. pic.twitter.com/26QHJmBe7z
— The Canadian Independent (@canindependent) January 1, 2023
“My family and I are devastated by Dax’s sudden passing. He has left behind a heartbroken family, and two daughters he loved with all his heart. Our family has suffered a terrible tragedy. I respectfully ask for privacy while my children and I mourn Dax’s death,” she said in the statement.
Dax Tejera joined ABC News in 2017 and produced “This Week” since 2020.
Veronica Tejera is a senior producer at The Washington Post, according to the U.K. Daily Mail.
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