A Fort Bliss soldier is scheduled to be sentenced next week after pleading guilty to intoxicated manslaughter charges in a drunken driving crash that killed an El Paso teacher and her fiancé, court records show.
Juan Francisco Del Valle Ferrer, who was 23 at the time of the crash, pleaded guilty to two counts of intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle on April 29 in connection with a Nov. 2, 2024, crash that resulted in the deaths of Triumph High School-El Paso West teacher Dalia Olivas, 28, and her fiancé, Rick Ballard, 29, El Paso court records show.
Juan Villalobos, right, talks about his sister-in-law Dalia Olivas after a bond hearing for Juan Francisco Del Valle Ferrer Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse. Del Valle is facing intoxicated manslaughter charges in connection with a fatal crash that killed Olivas and Rick Ballard.
Judge Selena Solis of the 243rd District Court accepted Del Valle’s guilty pleas during a plea hearing at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse in Downtown El Paso. The plea is part of a plea agreement with the El Paso District Attorney’s Office, court records show.
Del Valle is set to be sentenced on Wednesday, May 13. An intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle charge holds a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. No details have been released on what sentence was agreed to in the plea deal.
The El Paso District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the sentencing since the case is still pending. Joseph D. Vasquez, Del Valle’s attorney, could not immediately be reached for comment.
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Del Valle was a U.S. Army sergeant assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team at Fort Bliss at the time of the fatal crash. Vasquez said during a June 2025 hearing that Del Valle was in the process of being dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army.
Fort Bliss officials did not immediately respond to a request regarding Del Valle’s current status with the U.S. Army.
Del Valle passed out when questioned by police
Del Valle was driving a gray Honda HR-V at more than 100 mph about 11:40 p.m. Nov. 2, 2024, when he ran a red light at the intersection of Rojas Drive and Eastlake Boulevard in far East El Paso, according to a criminal complaint affidavit and testimony provided at previous court hearings.
He crashed into the driver’s side of a black Mercedes CLE450 driven by Ballard, causing the Mercedes to spin out of control and strike a traffic signal pole. Ballard had the green light at the intersection.
Juan Francisco Del Valle Ferrer
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived to find Ballard’s right leg pinned inside the vehicle. The leg was “torn off as he was ejected from the vehicle,” the affidavit states. The violent collision caused the Honda’s engine to be thrown from the vehicle.
Ballard died at the scene of the crash. Olivas suffered serious injuries and was taken to Del Sol Medical Center, where she later died.
Deputies and a Life Ambulance emergency medical technician at the scene said they smelled an odor of alcohol coming from Del Valle’s breath, the affidavit states.
A deputy asked Del Valle how much he had to drink. Del Valle replied, “a lot,” and then proceeded to pass out, the affidavit states. Del Valle was wearing a “baby blue wristband from a gender reveal party,” the affidavit states.
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Del Valle was also seriously injured in the crash. He was taken to Del Sol Medical Center for treatment. No details have been released on what injuries Del Valle suffered in the crash. He has appeared at previous court hearings in a wheelchair and wearing a back brace over an orange-and-white jailhouse jumpsuit.
Deputies conducted a breathalyzer test at the hospital about six hours after the crash. Del Valle had a blood alcohol level of 0.102, prosecutors said.
Del Valle was released from the hospital and booked Nov. 30, 2024 — nearly a month after the crash — into the El Paso County jail on a bond totaling $520,000.
El Paso judge denies multiple requests for bond reduction
Del Valle and his attorney have tried at least twice to have Del Valle’s bond reduced. They claimed Del Valle was not a danger to the community, was not a flight risk and had no previous criminal history.
Prosecutors argued that Del Valle, a Puerto Rico native, wanted to leave El Paso to live with his family in Puerto Rico. They argued that Del Valle was a flight risk because he wanted to leave for Puerto Rico and had no way to guarantee he would return for court hearings.
U.S. Army Sgt. Juan Francisco Del Valle Ferrer is escorted into the 243rd District Court for a bond hearing Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse in Downtown El Paso. Del Valle is facing two counts of intoxicated manslaughter.
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They added that the seriousness of the offense showed Del Valle was a danger to the community.
Solis has denied every bond reduction request. She called Del Valle’s action “outrageous, extremely heinous, egregious and severe” when she denied his bond reduction in December 2024.
Del Valle has remained jailed since his November 2024 arrest, jail logs show.
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Fort Bliss soldier pleads guilty in 2024 crash that killed El Paso teacher