CHP Suggests Charges for Driver in Fatal Crash of Local Chef

A Watsonville man who allegedly caused the death of Alex Jara,
the 34-year-old former chef of the Tres Pinos Cantina Grill and
Tequila Bar, has been released from the hospital on his own
recognizance while the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s
Office considers a California Highway Patrol report recommending
charges against him.
A Watsonville man who allegedly caused the death of Alex Jara, the 34-year-old former chef of the Tres Pinos Cantina Grill and Tequila Bar, has been released from the hospital on his own recognizance while the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office considers a California Highway Patrol report recommending charges against him.

Jara was killed Dec. 7 when he was partially ejected from a vehicle driven by Osbaldo Esquivel, III, 33. Esquivel apparently lost control of the vehicle as it was traveling eastbound on Watsonville Road west of Watsonville Court at an unknown rate of speed and slammed into a tree at 12:38am, according to the report. Jara was not wearing his seat belt.

Esquivel was taken by Calstar to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center with a major head injury and minor contusions, said CHP Officer Chris Armstrong. 

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Public Relations Coordinator Joy Alexiou said Monday that Esquivel had been released from the hospital.

Armstrong said the report, the result of a CHP investigation, recommends Esquivel be charged with felony DUI, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and involuntary manslaughter. A blood sample taken at the hospital showed he was over the legal limit, but Armstrong would not comment on what his blood-alcohol level was.

Jara, who is the father of an 8-year-old son and a 4-month-old son, was executive chef at Glory Days in Morgan Hill and the Cantina.

Lalani Ponce, Jara’s girlfriend and mother of his 4-month-old son, Diego, said although she has not totally adjusted to his death, she has a lot of support.

“My whole family is here,” she said. “I have a very large family and they’re very supportive. I’ve moved back in temporarily with my mom and dad.”

A manager at Glory Days in Morgan Hill, Ponce said she will continue to work there because she cares about the restaurant and its staff.

“It’s important to me to keep it going,” she said. “I love working with (owners) Deb and Dan. We, Alex and I, worked with them to start up this restaurant, and I want to stay here to see that the quality is maintained – that it lives up to Alex’s standards.”