A former South Florida youth pastor has been charged with DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide after investigators say he crashed his SUV at 104 mph while impaired, killing his 8-year-old daughter.

Joel Isaias Leiniz, 38, of Margate, was driving a 2017 Audi Q7 with his three young daughters on the evening of January 17, 2026. Around 9:55 p.m., on South Military Trail near West Palm Beach, the vehicle slammed into a concrete utility pole and burst into flames.

The family’s 8-year-old daughter, Zoe Alaya Leiniz, was pronounced dead at St. Mary’s Medical Center at 10:46 p.m. from injuries sustained in the crash. Her two sisters survived and were also hospitalized.

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigation, the vehicle’s event data recorder showed the SUV traveling at 104 mph in a 40 mph zone approximately five seconds before impact. Brakes were applied about two seconds prior to the collision. A security guard nearby reported seeing the Audi speeding southbound moments earlier.

Toxicology results from a hospital blood draw shortly after 1 a.m. registered a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.083 (with additional readings of 0.081 and 0.083), just above Florida’s legal limit of 0.08. Using retrograde analysis, investigators estimated Leiniz’s BAC at the time of the crash was between 0.097 and 0.104. Officials concluded he was impaired and driving with “willful and wanton disregard” for the safety of others.

Leiniz told investigators he and the children were coming from a church concert and heading to a Mexican restaurant (Tacos Al Carbon). He claimed he swerved to avoid another vehicle, lost control, and did not recall his speed, insisting he would not have been speeding with his daughters in the car.

The tragedy struck less than a year after another devastating loss for the family. Leiniz’s wife, Sarah — the mother of all three girls and his high school sweetheart — died of metastatic breast cancer on January 26, 2025. He had been her primary caregiver during a prolonged illness that depleted the family’s savings. After her death, Leiniz left outside employment to care for his children and relied on Social Security survivor benefits along with help from his live-in parents and sister. He had previously served as a youth pastor at New Covenant Church in the Pompano Beach area.

Arrested in mid-July 2026 following the completion of the investigation (which included analysis of the vehicle’s data recorder and medical records), Leiniz faces charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. He pleaded not guilty. A judge set bond at $150,000 after prosecutors sought $200,000. If released, he is prohibited from consuming alcohol or non-prescribed drugs, from driving, and from contact with his surviving daughters except under Florida Department of Children and Families supervision.

Defense attorney Anthony Genova has described his client as a “grieving, newly widowed father” and has indicated plans to challenge both the speed calculation and the reliability of the blood-alcohol results. The case remains ongoing.

Sources

• CBS 12 / WPEC reporting and probable cause affidavit details
• CBS News Miami
• New York Post