Crime

Watch: Witness stops escape of drunken driver who killed Euless detective in 2021 wreck

An intoxicated Lake Worth man who had just crashed and killed a Euless detective in November 2021 tried to flee the scene, but he fell and he was pinned to the ground by a witness, according to a video released this week by police.

Dylan Molina can be seen standing by his wrecked Jeep Wrangler as witnesses tried to help off-duty Euless Detective Alex Cervantes and his family, who were trapped in their crashed car, the video shows.

“Stay right there!” a witness yelled at Molina. The witness has been identified as Justin Gonzalez.

Gonzalez started walking toward the Cervantes family’s car and told Molina to come with him to see what he had done, but Molina started to run.

“You killed someone, (expletive), get your (expletive) back here!” Gonzalez yelled. “Look what the (expletive) you did!”

Molina ran a short distance, but he fell to the ground and stayed pinned down by Gonzalez, who had chased him, the video shows. Minutes later, Lake Worth police officers arrived and arrested Molina.

“I was on his tail. He wasn’t getting anywhere,” Gonzalez told WFAA-TV this week. “I just had felt that something within me.”

“I think about what happened every day,” Gonzalez said. “I was there for a reason for that day.”

Molina was indicted in February 2022 and pleaded guilty in January to intoxication manslaughter and three counts of intoxication assault. He was sentenced to 15 years on the manslaughter charge and 10 years each on assaults. The sentences will be served at the same time.

On the morning of Nov. 27, 2021, Cala Richardson served eight double vodka cocktails to Molina in less than three hours at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop in Lake Worth, according to police.

Molina left Fuzzy’s at 1:30 p.m. that day and started his 2021 Jeep Wrangler and left the taco shop at 6010 Azle Ave.

Molina ran a red light and hit a 2013 Chevrolet Impala at the intersection of Boat Club Road and Rocky Point Trail, killing Cervantes and severely injuring the detective’s wife and two children, according to an arrest warrant affidavit released this week by Lake Worth police.

Richardson, 26, of Sansom Park, ignored signs that Molina was intoxicated and she didn’t keep him from leaving the bar and driving away, police said more video shows.

The video with the bartender also was released this week.

Richardson surrendered to authorities in Parker County earlier this month after a warrant was issued for her in the 2021 case.

She is charged with one count of sale to certain persons, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine if convicted.

Richardson along with her attorney, Robert Wilson, met with Lake Worth police on Jan. 18, 2022, according to a warrant.

She recalled what drinks Molina had that day and initially said he had had six drinks, but she later admitted it was eight, according to the warrant. The bartender, however, did not know if Molina had consumed his seventh drink and she said she poured out his eighth, partially consumed drink.

Richardson told police she did not notice any indicators that Molina was intoxicated until he walked through an employees only area and that he left the restaurant shortly after that.

On Thursday, Alex Cervantes widow, Priscilla Cervantes, filed a lawsuit on behalf of herself and the couple’s two sons. She is suing Molina, Richardson, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and its parent companies and General Motors.

This story was originally published February 23, 2023 at 12:50 PM.

Domingo Ramirez Jr.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Domingo Ramirez Jr. was a breaking news reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and spent more than 35 years in journalism.
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