A 19-year-old Monahans man wanted in connection with a deadly Christmas Day crash in Odessa has been arrested in Presidio County, authorities said.
Jesus Rodriguez Jr. was taken into custody March 30 by the Presidio County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle out of Ector County.
The charge stems from a Dec. 25 crash in Odessa that killed 76-year-old William Jackson Trantham, according to an Ector County Sheriff’s Office report.
Investigators said Rodriguez was driving a 2025 Chevrolet Silverado westbound on the north service road of Interstate 20 around 11:15 p.m. when he failed to stop at a stop sign at Moss Avenue. His vehicle collided with a 2025 Ford Maverick driven by Trantham, who was traveling northbound. Trantham was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities reported heavy front-end damage to the Silverado and significant right-side damage to the Maverick. Witnesses told investigators the Silverado disregarded the stop sign and appeared to be traveling at a high rate of speed, with skid marks observed at the scene.
According to the report, investigators detected a strong odor of alcohol from inside Rodriguez’s vehicle. He allegedly admitted to consuming alcoholic beverages and was observed to have slurred speech, glossy eyes and difficulty maintaining his sense of direction.
Officials said Rodriguez, who was under 21 at the time, refused field sobriety tests and later declined a blood draw at a hospital. Video evidence reviewed by investigators supported witness accounts that he ran the stop sign before the collision.
Rodriguez was later arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle. His bond was set at $150,000.
Presidio County authorities confirmed Rodriguez was apprehended on the outstanding warrant and transferred to face charges related to the fatal crash.
