An El Paso bar where a 19-year-old woman was allegedly drinking with her “sugar daddy” prior to a fatal collision said it is cooperating with an investigation by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
Hope and Anchor, located north of the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso, said in a statement on Monday, April 13, that “fake IDs are a persistent challenge” and the bar was presented with what appeared to be a valid, government-issued identification card on the evening of April 6.
Ambar Chavira told El Paso police that she drank four alcoholic beverages with her “sugar daddy” at Hope and Anchor, according to a criminal complaint affidavit obtained by the El Paso Times. The legal drinking age is 21.
While driving to her Upper Valley home, Chavira crashed her silver BMW 428i into the back of a silver Subaru Outback that was stopped on North Desert Boulevard because of a previous traffic accident.
The Subaru’s driver, Jaime Humberto Andrade, 56, died from his injuries at University Medical Center of El Paso.
Chavira was arrested on a charge of collision involving death, accused of leaving the scene of the crash on foot and going home. The police investigation continues.
The Cesar Ornelas law firm representing the Andrade family said that it is asking the public to identify the unnamed “sugar daddy,” alleging he may share responsibility in the fatal crash.
Hope and Anchor issues statement
“Our hearts go out to the Andrade family. Jaime Andrade was a member of this community and his loss is a tragedy,” Hope and Anchor said in a statement.
“Hope and Anchor has been part of the El Paso community for over 16 years. We are a neighborhood bar and wetake our responsibilities as a licensed establishment very seriously. It’s how we have operated since our inception.
“We are cooperating fully with TABC and stand by our staff’s training, our ID verification protocols, and our legally-vetted handbooks. Fake IDs are a persistent challenge facing every licensed establishment in El Paso and across Texas, and we card every guest who appears to be under the age of 30.”
Hope and Anchor opened in the fall of 2009 and added that it has never received a citation or violation from the TABC in its more than 16 years. The bar is located at 4012 N. Mesa St. in the Kern Place neighborhood.
Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com and @BorundaDaniel on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso bar Hope and Anchor under TABC investigation after fatal crash
Reporting by Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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