HOUSTON – The Kingwood teen accused of the intoxication manslaughter deaths of two of his friends faced a judge Thursday for the first time.
The judge ordered Jaggar Smith, 17, to have a 9 p.m. curfew, be subject to alcohol monitoring and not to drive. He is charged in the deaths of his friends Salma Gomez, 16, and Chloe Robison, 16, in a crash that happened early Wednesday morning in Atascocita.
Smith walked into court with his parents at his side.
Prosecutors claim the teen told Harris County Sheriff’s deputies he drank a “Mad Dog 20/20,” a fortified wine with an up to 18-percent alcohol content, on the night of the crash.
Smith’s lawyer told KHOU 11 News he has since been barely able to speak, still in shock and overcome with grief at the loss of his friends.
He couldn’t hold back tears Thursday, both inside the courtroom and outside. His lawyer said he and his family are trying to stay strong.
“As you can imagine, the awkwardness of wanting to express unfathomable sorrow, they don’t know how to act, what to do, so it’s very difficult,” said Chip Lewis, Smith’s attorney.
The investigation is shifting to who may have provided Smith with alcohol on the night of the crash.
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission investigations will be tasked with determining a possible source of the alcohol.
“In Texas, if you’re found furnishing, selling or providing alcohol to a minor, you could face up to a year in jail and up to a $4,000 fine,” said TABC enforcement division Lt. Ryan Decuire.
Lt. Decuire says he cannot speak about the investigation directly, but investigators are working alongside prosecutors and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to determine if and where any alcohol came from just prior to the crash.
“It’s way too early to tell,” Lt. Decuire said. "There’s just so many little details that we need to look into before we release anything that may condemn a business.”
A business could potentially lose its liquor license in certain circumstances, such as when someone is killed or sustains serious bodily injury as a result of an individual who obtained alcohol illegally, according to Decuire.
His next court date is set for Sept. 27.
Photos: Crash splits car in half killing two Atascocita High School students
Meanwhile, the memorial for the two victims on Timber Forest, where the crash occurred, continues to grow as the community grieves their loss.
Wednesday evening Smith's family released the following statement:
“We are all saddened and beyond dismayed by the events that have placed us in a position to make this statement. Our family extends our most sincere and heartfelt prayers and condolences to all of the victims in this tragedy. Two beautiful young lives were needlessly ended, and another young life was irreparably altered forever. Three families have been completely upended and will never be the same as a result of what has occurred.
We are all in shock and under a fog of confusion due to this event. We are gratified by the public comments made by other students that show Jaggar as we know him: intelligent, loving, full of life, and a sweet young man.
We have been and will continue to cooperate with the authorities conducting the investigation.
We ask the public and media to please extend privacy, both to the victims and to our own family, as all of us try process this tragic event, and begin the process of grieving, eventually healing, and hopefully recovering at some point in the distant future.”
Ms. Shelley Smith and the Smith Family