Rebekah Dauz had just watched her unborn son smile on screen. Then a repeat DUI offender ran a red light — and changed her family forever.
A Las Vegas mother left a 4D ultrasound appointment beaming — she had just seen her unborn son smile, suck his thumb, and move with what her family described as an unmistakable joy. Less than an hour later, her world collapsed at a red light.
On a September evening in 2025, Maximiliano Chavez, 28, was behind the wheel of his Jeep after drinking multiple cocktails and smoking marijuana. He was speeding eastbound on Blue Diamond Road when he blew through a red light and slammed into the Subaru Forester carrying Rebekah Dauz — seven months pregnant — and her 9-year-old son, Isaiah. A Toyota Sienna was also struck in the collision.
Dauz lost her baby, a boy she had already named “Marlito,” that night.
“Every scar on my body is a reminder of that day and my loss.”
— Rebekah Dauz, speaking at sentencing
Last Thursday, a Clark County judge sentenced Chavez to 16 to 40 years in prison. He had pleaded guilty in February to two counts of DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm and one count of reckless driving. A separate charge for causing the death of Baby Marlito was dropped as part of the plea agreement — a detail that was not lost on Dauz’s family.
Chavez’s record: He had prior DUI arrests in both 2017 and 2021, making the September 2025 crash his third documented incident involving impaired driving.
At the hearing, Dauz described how the crash left her “physically and emotionally” scarred, with recurring flashbacks and nightmares centered on the ultrasound images of her son.
Her boy Isaiah, who spent several days in the ICU and was described by prosecutors as being “close to death’s door,” also addressed the court. Despite everything, his words were ones of grace.
“I am still healing and recovering slowly, but I believe I will continue to be better with time. I also want Mr. Chavez to know that I forgive him and I will be praying for him.”
Chavez, for his part, acknowledged the gravity of his actions. “I know I am going to go away, but I promise when I get out, I will be a better person,” he told the court.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was direct in its condemnation: because of Chavez’s “reckless and selfish decision to drive impaired,” they wrote, “a baby’s life was stolen.”
A GoFundMe launched in support of Dauz painted a heartbreaking picture of those final moments before the crash — a family gathered around an ultrasound screen, watching a baby boy full of life, completely unaware that the celebration would turn to tragedy within the hour.
Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Chad Lexis told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the sentencing delivered the justice the family deserved. Dauz and her family said they were satisfied with the outcome.
What’s next: Chavez will be eligible for parole consideration after serving a minimum of 16 years. Dauz continues her recovery, both physical and emotional, with the support of her community.
