Gina Heslop
The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner has released a report stating that the cause of death for Dax Tejera, an executive producer for ABC News, was due to asphyxia caused by food bolus obstruction while he was intoxicated.
Tejera passed away on December 23, 2021, and initially, it was reported that he had a heart attack while dining at a restaurant with his wife. A waiter had noticed he looked unwell, and Tejera subsequently excused himself and started choking outside the restaurant. He leaves behind his wife, Veronica Tejera, and two daughters, aged two and seven months.
Following his death, Veronica was arrested and charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child after their daughters were found alone in their hotel room. In a statement, Veronica admitted that they had left their children unattended and had cameras fixated on them.
When Dax collapsed outside, Veronica rode in the ambulance with him and called her parents and a close friend to check on their children in the hotel room. However, the hotel staff called the police, who subsequently arrested her.
Dax was highly regarded among his colleagues at MSNBC and ABC News, and he received two Emmy nominations for his work as an executive producer for This Week with George Stephanopoulos. His death was confirmed by Kim Godwin, president of ABC News, in a memo to staff, and many of his friends and colleagues expressed their condolences on social media.
