EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — A Fort Bliss soldier, who pleaded guilty to a deadly DWI crash in East El Paso that killed an engaged couple, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday.
According to court records, 23-year-old Juan Francisco Del Valle Ferrer was sentenced to 20 years in prison on each count of intoxication manslaughter nearly two years after the deadly crash.
In a statement to KFOX14/CBS4, the El Paso District Attorney’s office said Del Valle Ferrer’s sentence will run concurrently, and he will have to serve half his sentence before being eligible for parole.
“Juan Del Valle was sentenced to 20 years on each count, which is the statutory maximum for intoxication manslaughter. The sentences will run concurrently, and Mr. Del Valle will have to serve half of his sentence before he is eligible for parole,” the El Paso District Attorney’s office said.
KFOX14/CBS4 was in court on Wednesday as the family of the victims spoke out following Del Valle Ferrer’s sentencing.
“I just want to remind everyone out there that’s watching this that when you’re drinking, and you have keys to a car, just think twice,” Mr. Villalobos, the brother-in-law of the victims, said.
Court records show Del Valle Ferrer pleaded guilty last Wednesday to two counts of intoxication manslaughter.
Investigators say Del Valle Ferrer had been drinking before the crash in East El Paso, which killed 28-year-old Dalia Olivas and her fiancé, 29-year-old Rick Ballard.
Speaking in court on Wednesday, Veronica Olivas, the mother of Dalia, said, “We hope this tragedy serves as a reminder that drinking and driving is not an accident; it is a choice with irreversible consequences. We are grateful for the overwhelming support for our family, and we continue to ask for privacy, accountability, and meaningful change so no other family has to endure this kind of pain.”
As KFOX14/CBS4 previously reported, the crash happened on Saturday, Nov 2, 2024, at the intersection of Rojas and Eastlake at around 11:30 p.m.
When deputies arrived, they saw a black Mercedes with Florida license plates against the center median of the road and a grey Honda HR-V.
According to an affidavit previously obtained by KFOX14/CBS4, a witness told deputies that Del Valle Ferrer, driving the Honda, blew past a red light on Rojas Drive, crashing into the driver’s side of the Mercedes.
As a result of the impact, the Mercedes reportedly spun before crashing into a light pole.
Ballard was ejected from the Mercedes and died on the scene.
While Olivas was rushed to the hospital, she later died from her injuries.
Responding deputies smelled an odor of alcohol emitting from Del Valle Ferrer. When the emergency responders asked Del Valle Ferrer how much he had to drink, he responded, “a lot” prior to passing out.
Del Valle Ferrer, who was assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division at the time of the crash, was then arrested and charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter.
According to the El Paso Times, Joseph D. Vasquez, Del Valle’s attorney, said during a June 2025 hearing that Del Valle Ferrer was in the process of being dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army.
In a statement to KFOX14/CBS4, Fort Bliss officials said Del Valle Ferrer was “separated from the Army in February 2026.”
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