Jail records show 24-year-old woman who allegedly killed man in a crash has two previous drunk driving charges

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso Police arrested 24-year-old Valeria Mena, charging her with Intoxicated Manslaughter Monday. Now ABC-7 is learning that Mena was arrested two times in the past for Driving while Intoxicated.

The first charge was filed in January of 2020. After that Mena was released on a $1,000 bond, according to jail records. The next charge was filed in May of 2022. That time Mena was released on a $7,000 Split bond, according to records from the El Paso jail.

Officials say early Sunday, May 21, 2023, Mena was driving north on Joe Battle when she allegedly ran a red light at Edgemere and hit another car. First responders found the passenger of that other car, 28-year-old Steven Anthony Hernandez, dead.

Special Traffic Investigators found that Mena had allegedly been drinking.

ABC-7 is working to learn if the driver of the other car was injured.

Mena was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on a Split bond of $76,000.

A police spokesperson says this is the 23rd traffic fatality of the year, compared to 28 this time last year.