An El Paso-area man was sentenced to prison in Mexico for a vehicle collision that killed three teen girls going to pick up quinceañera dresses in Juárez.
Henry Raygoza was sentenced on May 27 to three-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted on homicide and injury charges in a crash in downtown Juárez on June 24, 2024, the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office said.
A judge ordered that Raygoza serve his time in the Cereso No. 3 state prison in Juárez, the attorney general’s office said.
Raygoza was only identified as Henry R. by the state attorney general’s office in keeping with rules in Mexico regarding the identification of crime suspects; but, he was fully named by several news outlets, including Channel 7-KVIA.
Teen girls killed in crash with U.S. driver in Juárez
The fatal crash occurred near Juárez city hall on Bernardo Norzagaray Boulevard, which runs parallel to the Rio Grande between the Stanton and Paso Del Norte international bridges, prosecutors said.
The girls — ages 13, 14 and 16 — were riding in a Honda going to try on dresses for a quinceañera, Channel 7-KVIA reported.
Raygoza, who is a U.S. citizen, was driving a gray Jeep Wrangler on Bernardo Norzagaray Boulevard when he crashed into the back of the girls’ car causing the car to go into the opposite lanes of traffic and into the path of a semitruck that slammed into the car, according to Norte Digital and other news reports. A woman and another 15-year-old girl were also injured in the wreck.
Prosecutors said that Raygoza was under the influence of cocaine and marijuana when the fatal collision took place.
Raygoza initially claimed that he was trying to get away from a Chevrolet Silverado that had pulled up next to him when the passenger in the truck put on a mask and displayed a gun, according to court hearing coverage by the Norte Digital news site.
Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com and @BorundaDaniel on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso man sentenced in crash that killed 3 teen girls in Juárez
Reporting by Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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