24-year-old boxer charged with 3 counts of intoxicated manslaughter in fatal crash; arrested for DWI in April

A 24-year-old charged with intoxicted manslaughter in the deaths of three people early Friday was previously arrested for DWI this year.

El Paso Police have charged 24-year-old Joel Garcia, who is a professional boxer, with three counts of intoxicated manslaughter. His bond is set at $300,000.

Garcia was arrested for DWI with blood alcohol content greater than or equal to .15 in April 2014. That case is set for a plea hearing in Feb. 2015.

Garcia also was arrested on Feb. 14, 2010 for minor in possession of alcohol and having an open alcohol container in a vehicle. He was granted a program deferral in the case minor in possession of alcohol case but court records do not show what happened in the open container case.

According to police, Garcia was driving a 2010 silver Camaro with Enrique Gaurin as a front seat passenger south on Joe Battle, approaching a red light at the intersection with Vista Del Sol at 1:46 a.m. Wednesday.

Garcia entered the intersection against the red light and collided with a 2004 Pontiac Grand Am that was eastbound on Vista Del Sol.

As a result of the T-bone collision a back seat male passenger was ejected from the second vehicle and both vehicles caught fire.

The male driver, female front passenger, and ejected male rear passenger from the second vehicle all died as a result of this collision.

The father of the two men killed in the crash told ABC-7 their names are 19-year-old Isaiah Deal and 23-year-old Josh Deal. Josh was driving the car and Isaiah was the person ejected from the vehicle.

ABC-7 is holding off releasing the woman’s name until confirmation her family has been notified of her death.

Garcia and Gaurin were treated for minor injuries.

Police’s Special Traffic Investigations identified speed and alcohol as factors in this collision.

These deaths are the 62, 63, and 64 traffic fatalities of 2014.