A Florida youth pastor is facing criminal charges after authorities said he was intoxicated and driving more than 100mph before a violent crash that killed his young daughter.
Joel Leiniz, 38, was arrested on July 19, almost six months after his eight-year-old daughter, Zoe, died following the January wreck in West Palm Beach.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Leiniz was behind the wheel of a 2017 Audi Q7 with his three children in the vehicle when it slammed into a concrete pole shortly before 10pm on January 17.
Investigators said Leiniz told officers the family had been traveling from a church concert to a Mexican restaurant when the crash occurred.
Leiniz claimed he was trying to switch lanes when another vehicle suddenly appeared ahead of him, prompting him to swerve, lose control and hit the pole. The impact caused the SUV to catch fire, authorities said.
‘He did not recall how fast he was driving or what the speed limit was, but did not think he was speeding because he had kids in the car,’ the probable cause affidavit said.
Leiniz and the three children were transported to a nearby hospital after the crash. Zoe was later pronounced dead from the injuries she suffered in the collision.
Data recovered from the Audi’s event recorder showed the SUV was traveling 104mph in a 40mph zone roughly five seconds before impact, according to the affidavit.
Joel Leiniz, 38, was arrested after police say he was speeding at 104 mph and intoxicated when he crashed his car, killing his young daughter
Leiniz told police he was driving from a church concert to a Mexican restaurant when he swerved into a pole and killed his eight-year-old daughter, Zoe
Leiniz said he was attempting to change lanes when a car suddenly appeared in front of him, so he swerved and lost control of the vehicle
At the hospital, testing showed Leiniz had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.083, which is slightly above Florida’s legal limit of 0.08, according to the affidavit.
Additional toxicology reports led investigators to determine that Leiniz was impaired at the time of the collision.
Leiniz was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide and driving under the influence manslaughter.
At his court appearance on Monday, Leiniz’s attorney pleaded with the judge for a reasonable bond because he is a newly-widowed single father, CBS 12 reported.
‘Mr. Leiniz is a grieving newly-widowed father in addition to the devastating family tragedy that happened at the time of the accident,’ his lawyer, Anthony Genova, said.
‘You see less than a year before this terrible crash, his young wife died a slow death of cancer and he was the sole caretaker, which depleted his savings.’
Leiniz’s wife, Sasha Leiniz, died on January 26, 2025, according to a GoFundMe for her daughters. The couple shared three children, Esperanza, Zoe and Izabel.
Leiniz also told the judge he resigned from his job in January to spend more time with his family.
Additional toxicology reports led investigators to determine that Leiniz was impaired at the time of the collision
At his court appearance on Monday, Leiniz’s attorney pleaded with the judge for a reasonable bond because he is a newly-widowed single father
Leiniz’s wife, Sasha Leiniz, died on January 26, 2025 after battling cancer. The couple shared three children, Esperanza, Zoe and Izabel
His LinkedIn profile describes him as a youth pastor and stated that he works as a ministry director at New Covenant Church.
Leiniz pleaded not guilty and was released on Monday after posting a $150,000 bond, Palm Beach County Jail records show. His next court date has not been listed.
A GoFundMe was also set up for the family after the crash.
‘As they continue to heal both physically and emotionally they are also grieving the unimaginable loss of their beloved daughter, Zoe,’ the fundraiser said.
‘There are no words that can fully capture the depth of this sorrow, yet we trust that God is near to them in this season of heartbreak.’
The Daily Mail contacted the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Leiniz’s attorney and New Covenant Church for comment.
