High school sweethearts Giovanni Huerta and Kiah Begaye, both 26, and their sons, 4-year-old Dakota and 2-year-old Malakai, were killed Labor Day when 21-year-old Jesse David Lovato allegedly fell asleep at the wheel and crashed head-on into their car on State Route 260, Arizona authorities say. Lovato has been booked on four counts of manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault. A GoFundMe has raised more than $89,000 for the family.
A Phoenix-area family of four never made it home from a Labor Day weekend trip. Giovanni Huerta and Kiah Begaye — high school sweethearts who had married just months earlier — and their two young sons were killed instantly when a pickup truck crossed into their lane on a rural Arizona highway.
What Happened
Huerta, 26, and Begaye, 26, were driving home to Laveen, Arizona, on Monday afternoon after visiting family in New Mexico for the holiday weekend. Their sons, 4-year-old Dakota and 2-year-old Malakai, were with them in the car.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety says the family was traveling along State Route 260 near Heber-Overgaard when 21-year-old Jesse David Lovato, driving from Phoenix, crashed head-on into their vehicle around 12:30 p.m. All four family members were killed.
Lovato allegedly told police he fell asleep at the wheel and woke up only after his truck — which had two passengers inside — rolled over. Authorities reportedly found marijuana and cannabis vape pens in or near his truck, and Lovato allegedly admitted to smoking marijuana the night before the crash. An officer also noted signs of possible impairment, though it has not been confirmed whether impairment was a factor in the crash.
Lovato has been booked into jail on four counts of manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault.
“They Were My World”
Huerta and Begaye had been together since high school and married in April. They lived in Laveen, Arizona, where Huerta worked as a mechanic and Begaye was preparing to launch a Native American clothing business. Family members describe them as devoted parents who loved spending time with their sons and extended family.
“It’s like a dream, and I’m still waiting to wake up. I wake up, and I’m still in the dream — more like a nightmare,” Huerta’s father, Joel Huerta, said. “They were my world. My son, my only son. Two generations just gone like that.”
Begaye’s mother, Chrissy Kaibetoney, echoed that disbelief.
“It doesn’t seem fair at all because they were so young. They had a whole life ahead of them. They had plans, goals and adventures they wanted to go on,” Kaibetoney said. “Losing your loved ones in an instant like that has no words to describe it.”
Kaibetoney is now urging other drivers to slow down, especially during holiday travel.
“Encourage people to take their time driving. There’s no need to rush anywhere, especially on a holiday weekend. It’s not worth it,” she said.
How to Help
The family’s loss has drawn an outpouring of community support, including from strangers who have donated to a GoFundMe set up to help cover funeral costs. The fund has raised more than $89,000.
“They were a family who should have had countless more birthdays, holidays, memories, and moments together,” the GoFundMe page reads.
