Prosecutors allege the Hesperia man ran a red light before a three-vehicle collision that also critically injured two family members.
APPLE VALLEY, Calif. — A 43-year-old Hesperia man has been charged with three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence after a late-night crash killed a Victorville mother and two of her young children, according to court information and investigators.
Hendrix Arcadio Collado also faces two counts of reckless driving causing great bodily injury and a great bodily injury enhancement. The charges stem from a July 29 collision at Apple Valley Road and Yucca Loma Road that involved three vehicles and left two other members of the victims’ family critically injured.
Investigators allege Collado was driving a 2015 Dodge Caravan north on Apple Valley Road at about 11:42 p.m. when he failed to stop for a red traffic signal. The minivan struck the side of a 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan traveling east on Yucca Loma Road, authorities said.
The force of the initial collision pushed the Volkswagen into a 2019 Toyota Highlander that was also traveling east through the intersection, according to the preliminary investigation. Authorities have not released information indicating that the Highlander’s driver contributed to the crash.
Theodora “Tedi” Wilson, 39, and her children, Rose “Rosie” Valenzuela and Felix Valenzuela, were killed. Wilson’s husband was driving the Volkswagen, and the couple’s surviving daughter was also inside the vehicle. Both suffered critical injuries and remained in recovery as the criminal case moved forward.
Collado was arrested at the scene shortly after midnight. Initial booking records listed suspected offenses that included driving under the influence of drugs causing bodily injury and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. The charges later filed against him include vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and reckless driving causing great bodily injury.
The difference between the suspected offenses listed at booking and the charges filed in court reflects decisions made as investigators and prosecutors review the available evidence. A criminal charge is an allegation, and Collado is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team previously said investigators were examining whether drugs or alcohol contributed to the collision. Officials have not publicly released toxicology results or a final reconstruction of the crash.
Collado’s bail was set at $250,000, according to jail information. He was scheduled for a video hearing at the Rancho Cucamonga Superior Courthouse on Aug. 5 as the crash investigation continued.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 5, 2026.