CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Robstown woman was arrested Tuesday morning on multiple charges stemming from a fatal drunk driving crash in March that killed two people and seriously injured two others, bringing what the victims call "the start of the healing process" after nearly 10 months of waiting.
Alexis Nicole Rios, 26, was taken into custody at her home around 10:30 a.m. after the Texas Department of Public Safety obtained arrest warrants signed by 214th District Judge Inna Klein.
Rios faces two counts of intoxication manslaughter, two counts of intoxication assault, and one count of possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 2, less than 1 gram. She was transported to the Nueces County Jail.
The charges stem from a March 2 crash on Violet Road that claimed the life of Justin Buentello, 26, of Robstown, and the unborn child of Amy Lopez and Mark Oliva.
"To know that the arrest has finally been done, it kind of makes us, in a way, it's the best gift a parent can ask for, you know, that this is the start of the healing process and the start of justice for our son," Oliva said in an interview Tuesday.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Rios was driving a 2009 Nissan Altima south on the 4400 block of Violet Road around 7:50 p.m. when she drove off the road, lost control of the vehicle, and collided head-on with a 2017 Mercedes-Benz CLA traveling northbound.
The Mercedes was driven by Amy Lopez, 27, with her husband Mark Oliva, 26, both of Corpus Christi. Both were injured in the crash.
Lopez, who was 23 weeks pregnant, was taken to Bay Area Hospita,l where she lost the baby due to injuries sustained in the crash. The couple had named their unborn son Messiah.
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Watch the FULL INTERVIEW with Amy and Mark
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"It's hard because you never expect to not witness the birth of your child," Lopez said. "And the only memory that I have is of the gender reveal."
Buentello, who was a passenger in Rios' vehicle, was unresponsive at the scene and taken to Christus Spohn Shoreline Hospital, where he died Tuesday afternoon.
Oliva said he had a personal connection to Buentello, having grown up with him in their neighborhood.
"My aunt and my uncle, they used to have a boxing gym in the neighborhood, and every day after school since I was 4, I would go to that gym all the way until I was 16 years old," Oliva said. "And so Justin lived right next door, and after the gym, I would tell my aunt, I'm gonna go over. I'm gonna go play with Justin. So I grew up, I mean, like a whole childhood full with him."
Oliva described his emotions about the crash in three words: "hurt, anger, and happiness."
"Happiness knowing that I had my son coming," he said. "And then I just remember just running around as kids, never imagining that someone I had once called a friend would be in another vehicle that loses my son."
The couple said they have not spoken directly to Rios since the crash, but some of her family members and friends have reached out to them.
"They say that she's innocent, it's not her fault. They blame my wife for the accident," Oliva said. "And they say that my wife was speeding, but how can someone who's pulled over completely stop and parked be speeding?"
Lopez explained that she had pulled over after seeing Rios' vehicle come off the road.
"I had saw her come off of the road, stop on the side, and that's when I pulled over because I had no idea what was happening," Lopez said. "Then she started driving and then came out of the ditch and hit us head-on."
Oliva said he died on the operating table during surgery but had a spiritual experience that changed his perspective.
"I had witnessed a room, it was just like bright and I was just on the operating table in the middle and like the room had no walls or nothing. And it was my mom and my dad," he said. "And then the surgeon told me, Mr. Oliva, do you know that you passed away on my table? To be here is like it's truly a blessing. I'm here for a reason, and I know my son kept me here to help spread awareness in his name and his memory."
The couple has since become advocates against drunk driving, with Oliva speaking at events including a recent Council for Drug and Alcohol Abuse gathering.
"I don't see it as an accident. I see it as she could have prevented this. This was a decision that she decided to do and get behind that wheel drunk," Oliva said. "Because of her decision, we lost our son."
If given the opportunity to speak directly to Rios, Oliva said he would tell her: "She ruined our lives forever. And not only ours but she has children as well. Just because of her dumb decision, it's caused her kids to lose out on their mother, and it's time to take accountability."
The couple is now expecting a daughter, with Lopez about five to six months pregnant.
"It's definitely hard because my son should be here," Lopez said. "But I know also that if he was here, we wouldn't have our daughter."
Despite their loss, the couple remains committed to their advocacy work.
"Advocating against drunk driving and being the voice for our son, that's the biggest motivation," Oliva said. "Because if we change one person's mind a year then we know our job is being done and we're headed in the right direction."
Rios was also taken to Christus Spohn Shoreline for injuries she sustained in the crash. She admitted to investigators to drinking alcohol before the crash and consented to a voluntary blood draw. Analysis results were pending at the time of the original crash investigation.
The crash remains under investigation by state troopers from the Corpus Christi Highway Patrol Office.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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