Hello, my name is Juan Benavidez I am the Father of Stephanie and Pete Juarez. Our family is suffering the unimaginable aftermath of a horrific car accident involving our 16 year old son, 17 year old niece, and a close family friend. Living life to the fullest and laughing until their cheeks hurt, was usual, as they are best friends. You'd never see one without the other following close behind. After saving & planning for weeks to go to a concert together, the night had finally come. As the night came to an end, the three headed to a friend's house where they were supposed to spend the night. Unfortunately those plans changed, as their friend's parents no longer wanted anyone sleeping over. After having nowhere else to go, they decided it was best to simply go home and ultimately resulting in a horrific car accident. Unfortunately, our niece was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle, & succumbed to her injuries. Our son and close family friend (passenger) sustained serious, but non life threatening, injuries. Our son was subsequently arrested & remains incarcerated due to the accident & tragic passing of our niece and as such, he could potentially face 5-15 years in jail/prison. He has been portrayed as a “monster” and a “danger to the community”; however, this could not be further from the truth as he is, in fact, the complete opposite. Our son has never been in trouble with the law or school. He is a football player, looking forward to his upcoming senior year of high school, and, after a recent tour of the BSU campus, planning to attend BSU after graduating. Our son is a wonderful student, respectful, and has developed professional relationships with school administration, teachers, and football coaches. He is also employed at our local Walmart, working part-time after school, and still somehow managing to make family time a priority, whether at home or his grandparent’s home. With that, it should come as no surprise to learn that he is a phenomenal son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and soon to be uncle, but more than that, he is an extremely incredible person. As we mourn our beautiful niece, our family remains united as one, and united we will stay as we fight for our son and his future. The amount of pain, emotional distress, and sorrow he feels every moment of every day, alone and locked away, unable to grieve the horrific loss of his cousin/best friend, our niece, with and/or be supported by family is absolutely unbearable. Our son loves his cousin beyond what words can describe. He has always been one of her greatest protectors and, she one of his. She would not want him to be prosecuted on her behalf, nor does our family as we are suffering enough due to her passing. As we fight fight to bring our son home so that our family may grieve and do our best to heal together, we are asking family, friends, and members of the community for help by donating, if possible. Every donation made will help pay for attorney’s costs and fees directly associated with our son’s legal defense and justice for our family. Thank you for taking the time to read our story. We greatly appreciate any and all donations, especially prayers, to assist in our family’s fight for justice. If you are unable to make a donation, our family and friends ask for your grace and understanding as we continue to navigate this extremely difficult time. Thank you - Pete & Stephanie Juarez