Driver arrested for DUI; suffers major injury
Morgan Hill resident Alex Jara died after being partially ejected from a 1986 Corvette he was riding in during an accident on Watsonville Road early Wednesday morning.
Jara, 34, recently moved to Morgan Hill from Gilroy and was the executive chef at Glory Days restaurant in downtown Morgan Hill.
“He touched a lot of people, with his food, with his caring nature,” Glory Days co-owner Debra Creighton said Wednesday evening. “He had a big heart. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. And he was just wonderful to my sons.”
Jara was a passenger in the vehicle driven by Watsonville resident Osbaldo Esquivel, III, 33. Esquivel apparently lost of control of the vehicle as it was traveling eastbound on Watsonville Road west of Watsonville Court at a unknown rate of speed and slammed into a tree at 12:38am, according to a California Highway Patrol incident report. Jara was not wearing his seatbelt.
An investigation is underway, according to CHP Officer Chris Armstrong.
“This investigation may take a little time,” Armstrong said. “Once the information is compiled, it will be closely reviewed by the sergeant. An average case, it might take 10 days; with this one, a fatality, it could take up to 30 days.”
Jara was pronounced dead at the scene. Esquivel suffered major injuries in the accident and was flown by CALSTAR to Valley Medical Center in San Jose. Esquivel was arrested for driving under the influence, according to the CHP report.
“We still will want to interview the driver, and it’s likely to be a while before we can do that,” Armstrong said. “We’re working with the District Attorney to determine what charges might be appropriate.”
He would not speculate if the charges could include manslaughter or murder.
CHP Officer Kevin Alexander said Esquivel was arrested at the scene based on “objective signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication.”
Blood was drawn for a blood test, and he was released into the custody of the hospital. Alexander said if he is able to be released from the hospital, he could be booked at that time, but “his injuries were very severe.” He was still in the hospital Friday evening.
Santa Clara County Assistant District Attorney David Tomkins said Thursday that he could not say, without having reviewed the case, if Esquivel would be charged with manslaughter because he was allegedly driving while intoxicated.
“The way it works is that the police will gather their information, interview those involved, and reduce all of that to a report,” Tomkins said. “We decide what crime, if any, there is described in that report. What is often confusing to people is when people are booked under certain charges, it’s assumed they will be charged. The decision is ours, based on our expertise and a review of the report presented by the police.”
A sign outside Glory Days told patrons of the tragedy Wednesday. Creighton said the restaurant was closed Wednesday.
The restaurant reopened on Thursday, but will close for funeral services on Monday. Creighton said Jara would have wanted the restaurant to be open on Thursday, so she and the staff made the decision to open up.
“It’s been a really hard day,” Manager Shari Shephard said Thursday. “There have been a lot of regulars coming in, wanting to talk about it. It’s very emotional. He was a really good friend of mine. He had a real passion for what he did, he had a lot to offer. He finished things off with special touches. We are all going to miss him so much.”
Jara, who was featured in an article in the Morgan Hill Times on Dec. 5, trained at the Culinary Institute in San Francisco, Creighton said, and had worked at several places, including the Happy Dog in Gilroy and Shadowbrook in Santa Cruz before coming to Glory Days when it opened in April.
“We built our staff together,” Creighton said. “He was a friend first, though. We as a staff are almost as close as his family. We built great relationships. His girlfriend is our manager, Lalani Ponce, born and raised in Morgan Hill, and they have a 3-month-old son, Diego.”
Jara also has an 8-year-old son, Alex.
Creighton said Jara will be missed by his patrons.
“When I drove up to the restaurant, I found one of our customers, a customer and a good friend, sitting there crying,” she said. “Alex built relationships with the customers, he cared about people.”
Jana Castelan, who is opening Poppy’s Fish Market with her husband in downtown Morgan Hill, said she often ate Jara’s cooking at Glory Days and knew him well. She said he would often leave the kitchen and talk with patrons while they dined.
“He was so talented – extremely talented,” Castelan said. “He was a real chef, not just a cook. He was just a really great guy.”
There will be a visitation Sunday from 1pm-9pm at Mehl’s Colonial Chapel, 22 East Lake Avenue in Watsonville, with a Rosary at 6pm. The funeral mass will be held Monday at 9:30am at the Church of the Assumption.
A trust fund has been established for Jara’s children at Glory Days. To contribute, see the manager or call 779-3376.
