UTEP cheer coach no longer with university after December DWI arrest in Albuquerque

UTEP officials tell ABC-7 that David Vasquez is no longer employed at the university.

Vasquez coached the UTEP cheer team and also worked in the Liberal Arts Department.

Vasquez was charged with aggravated DWI by Albuquerque police on Dec. 19 when the Miners were in Albuquerque to play against Utah State in the New Mexico Bowl.

UTEP would not say if Vasquez was fired or if he resigned. He was hired in Dec. 2002 and made more than $83,000 a year, according to the Texas Tribune’s salary database.

According to the criminal complaint, at about 1:58 a.m. Dec. 19, an Albuquerque Police officer saw a blue vehicle allegedly driving at a high rate of speed.

An Albuquerque Police SUV was following the blue vehicle and turned on its lights to stop the driver.

Once the vehicle was stopped, a police sergeant says he saw five occupants in the backseat not wearing seatbelts.

The criminal complaint states Vasquez had an odor of alcohol coming from his face and that he had red, bloodshot, watery eyes.

Police asked if he drank any alcohol and he said he had two drinks at Effex, according to the criminal complaint.

Vasquez was asked to take sobriety tests and the criminal complaint states he did poorly on them and he was arrested for DWI.

Vasquez was transported to the prisoner transport center and after a 20-minute deprivation period was observed he was read the New Mexico implied consent advisory and refused to take a breath test.

Vaquez also was charged with seatbelt use required; exception.