3 El Paso kids ejected in crash are laid to rest, as records show dad had prior conviction for no seatbelt use

EL PASO, Texas – As family and friends gathered for funeral services of three children killed in a tragic traffic crash in northeast El Paso earlier in the week, new information surfaced about their father who was behind the wheel of the family SUV during that crash.

The services were taking place Wednesday evening at La Paz Faith in central El Paso.

The Sunday night crash happened when 28-year-old Juan Angel Loera was driving with his five children in the back of his SUV.

Police said three of the children, ages 1, 5 and 6, were not wearing seatbelts when the crash happened and they were ejected and died. The two other children were seriously injured.

Investigators said the SUV was struck by a speeding black Lincoln sedan that failed to yield at an intersection. Investigators said the driver of the car and his passengers ran away on foot from the crash scene, while neighbors told ABC-7 they smelled the odor of alcohol coming from the car.

Court documents show Loera was previously cited for having an unrestrained child in a vehicle. He pleaded no contest to that seatbelt charge in July and was found guilty by a judge.