LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A drunk driver that ran a red light and caused a multi-vehicle crash that killed an unborn child and injured several others has been sentenced.
In February, Maximiliano Chavez agreed to plead guilty to two charges of driving under the influence resulting in bodily harm and one count of reckless driving with death or substantial bodily harm.
On Thursday, he was back in court where Judge Tara Clark Newberry sentenced Chavez to spend between 16 and 40 years in prison.
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The incident happened on Sept. 6, 2025. An arrest report states that Chavez ran a red light at Windmill Lane and South Las Vegas Boulevard and crashed into several vehicles.
Rebekah Dauz and her son Isaiah were critically injured in the crash and have since recovered. However, Dauz was pregnant at the time and according to the police report, after arriving at the hospital, an emergency C-section was performed. While doctors worked on the child for 20 minutes, they were unable to save the baby, who was pronounced deceased.
When police arrived at the scene, an arrest report states Chavez told officers he had been driving from a swap meet when his vehicle was "hit out of nowhere". He also admitted to drinking three micheladas and using a THC pen, according to the report.
"His speech pattern was slurred, mumbled, confused, and slow. His gait was unsteady, and he was crying," a Metro Police officer observed.
Previous court records show this was not the first time Chavez has gotten in trouble for speeding and he has a previous misdemeanor DUI conviction out of Nye County.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson previously told Channel 13 that this case is another example of people needing to be careful on valley roads.
SEPTEMBER 2025: DA urges valley drivers to slow down
"Talk to your family and relatives and friends, and tell them to slow down," he said. "If people did, then lives would be saved."
He also spoke to the need for the Nevada legislature to pass harsher DUI penalties.
"I don't believe the DUI penalties in Nevada are severe enough," Wolfson said. We achieved a couple of things this legislative session, but the legislature didn't pass a law to increase the penalties in felony DUI cases such as this."
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