Chef and Father Killed at 46 by Suspected DUI Driver: ‘Everybody Loved Him’

A beloved chef died at 46 after being struck by an alleged impaired driver in downtown Las Vegas.

Julio Nave-Giron, who worked at Pepper Club — a Mediterranean restaurant in The English Hotel in the city’s Arts District — is being remembered by family, friends and colleagues following the tragic crash the night of Saturday, Dec. 6. 

“Our team is mourning the loss of Julio, whose warmth, hard work, and generosity left a lasting impact on everyone around him,” the restaurant said in a statement posted on Instagram on Wednesday, Dec. 10. “His absence will be felt deeply by his family, friends, and all of us who had the privilege of working with him.”

Sarita Moreno, Nave-Giron’s widow, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that her husband was a “loving person” who “made everybody laugh.”

“Everybody loved him, his personality,” she said. 

“He was a loving person, outgoing, a big-hearted jokester,” Moreno added. “He made everybody laugh.”

A GoFundMe set up by friend Adrianna Oropeza notes that he was the sole provider for his family.

According to KSNV NBC Las Vegas, Nave-Giron had three teenage sons.

“He was my dad, but he was also my best friend, and today I know what it feels like to lose both, a best friend and a dad,” Julio Jr., 18, told the outlet.

Julio Jr. added that he had talked to his father 10 minutes prior to the crash, while Nave-Giron was returning home from work. 

Nave-Giron’s 15-year-old son, Issac, also recalled a special time spent with his dad.

“Probably my most favorite memory is listening to Linkin Park as we’re picking up my brother from work, very simple moment, but it has a special place in my heart,” he said.

According to CBS affiliate 8 News Now, two of his children were his nephews, whom he raised after his younger sister was killed and saw as his sons.

Nave-Giron’s mother, Elizabeth Nave, is also left mourning the loss of her son.

“He was taken from me. They snatched him from my hands. They left a family broken,” she told 8 News Now. 

According to multiple outlets citing to the Las Vegas Metro police, Rogelio Camacho, 41, the man accused of hitting Nave-Giron, was arrested on Dec. 6. He faces charges of reckless driving and driving under the influence resulting in death.

8 News Now reports that Camacho hasn’t appeared in court yet because of injuries, but remained in custody without bail as of Dec. 10 and his next court date is scheduled for Dec. 18.