Fort Bliss soldier pleads guilty in crash that killed El Paso teacher
A Fort Bliss soldier is expected to be sentenced next week after pleading guilty to intoxicated manslaughter in a drunken driving crash that killed an El Paso teacher and her fiancé, court records show.
Juan Francisco Del Valle Ferrer, who was 23 at the time of the crash, pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated on April 29 in connection with a Nov. 2, 2024, crash that resulted in the deaths of Triumph High School-El Paso West teacher Dalia Olivas, 28, and her fiancé, Rick Ballard, 29, records show El Paso Courts.
Juan Villalobos, right, speaks about his sister-in-law Dalia Olivas after a bond hearing for Juan Francisco Del Valle Ferrer Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse. Del Valle faces charges of intoxicated manslaughter in connection with a fatal crash that killed Olivas and Rick Ballard.
Judge Selena Solis of the 243rd District Court accepted Del Valle’s guilty pleas during a plea hearing at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse in downtown El Paso. The plea is part of a plea agreement with the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office, according to court records.
Del Valle is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday, May 13. A DUI manslaughter with a vehicular charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. No details were released about the sentence agreed to in the plea agreement.
The El Paso County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the sentencing since the case is still pending. Joseph D. Vasquez, Del Valle’s attorney, could not immediately be reached for comment.
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Del Valle was a U.S. Army sergeant assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team at Fort Bliss at the time of the fatal crash. Vasquez said at a June 2025 hearing that Del Valle was being dishonorably discharged from the U.S. military.
Fort Bliss officials did not immediately respond to an inquiry about Del Valle’s current status with the U.S. military.
Del Valle fainted when questioned by police
Del Valle was driving a gray Honda HR-V more than 100 mph around 11:40 p.m. on Nov. 2, 2024, when he ran a red light at the intersection of Rojas Drive and Eastlake Boulevard in far east El Paso, according to a criminal complaint affidavit and testimony provided at previous hearings.
He crashed into the driver’s side of a black Mercedes CLE450 driven by Ballard, causing the Mercedes to lose control and collide with a traffic light pole. Ballard had the green light at the intersection.
Juan Francisco Del Valle Ferrer
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived and found Ballard’s right leg trapped inside the vehicle. The leg was “severed when he was ejected from the vehicle,” the affidavit states. The violent collision caused the Honda’s engine to be thrown from the vehicle.
Ballard died at the scene of the accident. Olivas was seriously injured and was taken to Del Sol Medical Center, where she later died.
Deputies and a Life Ambulance emergency medical technician at the scene reported smelling alcohol coming from Del Valle’s breath, the affidavit states.
A deputy asked Del Valle how much he had drunk. Del Valle responded “a lot,” then passed out, the affidavit states. Del Valle wore a “sky blue bracelet from a gender reveal party,” the affidavit states.
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Del Valle was also seriously injured in the crash. He was taken to Del Sol Medical Center for treatment. No details have been released about the injuries Del Valle suffered in the crash. He appeared at previous hearings in a wheelchair and wore a back brace over an orange and white prison jumpsuit.
Police performed a breathalyzer test at the hospital approximately six hours after the accident. Del Valle had a blood alcohol content of 0.102, prosecutors said.
Del Valle was released from the hospital and was booked into the El Paso County Jail on November 30, 2024 – almost a month after the accident – on bail totaling $520,000.
El Paso judge rejects several bail reduction requests
Del Valle and his attorney attempted at least twice to reduce Del Valle’s bail. They said Del Valle did not pose a danger to the community, was not a flight risk and had no criminal history.
Prosecutors argued that Del Valle, a native of Puerto Rico, wanted to leave El Paso to live with his family in Puerto Rico. They argued that Del Valle was a flight risk because he wanted to leave for Puerto Rico and had no way to guarantee he would return for court hearings.
U.S. Army Sgt. Juan Francisco Del Valle Ferrer is escorted to the 243rd District Court for a bond hearing Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse in downtown El Paso. Del Valle faces two counts of intoxicated manslaughter.
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They said the severity of the offense showed Del Valle posed a danger to the community.
Solis denied all requests for a bond reduction. She called Del Valle’s action “scandalous, extremely heinous, egregious and serious” when she denied her bail reduction in December 2024.
Del Valle has remained imprisoned since his arrest in November 2024, according to jail logs.
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He can be contacted at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Fort Bliss soldier pleads guilty in 2024 crash that killed El Paso teacher.
