EL PASO, Texas ( KTSM ) — A teenager is behind bars after police say he was drunk and crashed into a rock wall, killing his front-seat passenger early Saturday morning, Jan. 27 in the Lower Valley.
Nathan Rudy Rodriguez, 18, is charged with one count of intoxication manslaughter in the death of Jesus Manuel Ceniceros, 19.
According to court documents, the crash happened around 2:40 a.m. at the intersection of Marne Drive and Carlotta Drive.
Police say Rodriguez was driving in a 2012 Honda Civic at a high speed south on Carlotta and crashed into a rock wall, catching fire and killing Ceniceros.
Police asked Rodriguez where he was coming from and he said he was coming from a friend’s house and that he’d asked Ceniceros to drive his car because Ceniceros claimed he was “fine to drive” and it was just minutes to Rodriguez’s house.
Witnesses, however, identified Rodriguez as the vehicle’s driver and Ceniceros as the passenger. Rodriguez allegedly had bruising and redness on his chest and collarbone, indicating he’d been wearing a seatbelt in the driver’s seat position.