EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — The family of 18-year-old Angelique Diaz De Leon, who was killed in a New Year’s Day crash in Northeast El Paso, is speaking out after the man investigators say ran a red light while intoxicated was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Authorities said the crash happened at the intersection of Gateway North and Sean Hagerty shortly after 2 a.m. on Jan. 1. Investigators said 48-year-old Abel Garcia ran a red light in a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado and struck a Chevrolet Camaro driven by 20-year-old Nicolas Ramirez, who is De Leon’s boyfriend.
De Leon, who was the passenger in the Camaro, died at the scene while Ramirez was left injured.
Nearly a year after the incident, Garcia pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison.
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Speaking to KFOX14/CBS4 on Friday, De Leon’s sister, Ilene Diaz De Leon, said the sentence was not enough.
“I want people to remember who this is about: my little sister Angelique. She was 18 years old. She had a family who adored her, a boyfriend who loved her plans. She was excited about an entire future ahead of her. She was on her way home that night, and she should still be here,” Ilene said.
She added, “We’re talking about a little sister I will spend the rest of my life missing. No sentence will ever give us back what was taken. Abel Garcia received 15 years, and I want to be very clear, we never thought 15 years was enough. The maximum for intoxication manslaughter is 20 years, and honestly, that wouldn’t have been enough either. Nothing will ever be enough.”
Ilene said her family’s decision to support the plea deal did not mean they believed justice had been served, describing the choice as exhausting and painful.
“Supporting this plea didn’t mean we felt justice had been served. It meant we had to consider what years of uncertainty, hearings, and what a trial would do to our family’s physical and emotional health. We have already been hurting so much,” she said.
In a previous statement to KFOX14/CBS4 regarding the plea deal and sentencing of Garcia, El Paso District Attorney James Montoya said, “While no sentence can undo the loss her family and Nicholas carry every day, we were determined to hold Mr. Garcia accountable without making them wait years for a resolution.”
A blood test conducted after investigators obtained a search warrant found Garcia’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.139, above Texas’ legal limit of 0.08, the District Attorney’s Office said.
Ilene, a vocal member of the Sober Streets Movement, a local advocacy group calling for tougher DWI laws, said she was frustrated with the district attorney’s office and the plea process, arguing more needs to be done to address DWI cases in El Paso.
“Honestly, I don’t know how he can make a statement that sounds like he helped carry us through when I have sat in front of him face-to-face multiple times begging for change, not just for Angelique but for this whole community. What people don’t see is how much it took just to keep asking for help. I had an email and email, call and call, request meetings, sit through meetings, and explain our pain over and over again,” Ilene said.
She added, “So much of what we heard was about what could keep him from facing the consequences we were asking for, what the law allowed. What protections he had and what outcomes we needed to prepare ourselves to accept. I understand those things have to be explained, but after hearing them again and again, I kept wondering who is explaining what can be done for Angelique. Where’s the accountability for taking a life?”
KFOX14/CBS4 previously reported El Paso Police Department DWI data showing 575 alcohol-related crashes in 2023, 531 in 2024 and 558 in 2025. So far this year, the number stands at 225.
Additionally, El Paso police DWI arrests increased from 584 in 2023 to 624 in 2024, before dropping to 560 last year. As of April this year, there have been 805 DWI arrests.
Ilene said her family’s experience is not unique when it comes to DWI cases and that grieving families should not be the only ones pushing for change.
“A grieving family should be able to take a breath without being afraid that everything will stop moving the moment they stop pushing. And this goes beyond us. Through Sober Streets Movement, I have spoken with other families living through repeated postponements and years of uncertainty,” she said.
She added, “When leaders keep giving us explanations without meaningful follow-through, it makes me feel like the same dangerous cycle is being allowed to continue. We need prevention, accountability, and support that families can actually feel.”
For Ilene, she said the loss continues to ripple through her family, but hopes other families continue to speak out.
“I feel like I didn’t just lose Angelique. I feel I lost my parents. I lost my siblings. I’ve lost my family. We were happy, and like we can try to have good moments, but whenever you feel like you had like a tiny bit of a good moment, the feeling comes back that Angelique isn’t here,” Ilene said.
She added, “To the families who are exhausted, I want to say this. I know you haven’t given up on your loved one. If you don’t have the strength to call every day, investigate, attend meetings, or speak publicly, that doesn’t mean you love your child or sibling or loved one any less. It means you’re hurting. Grief can make getting through one day feel impossible. Receiving help should never depend on how much energy a grieving family has left. You should never have to fight this hard just to feel your loved one matters. I stayed persistent but it hurt me, and it still hurts me.”
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