When my son was a toddler, I was the most stressed I have ever been in my life. It wasn’t his fault; it’s just that I think toddlers might genuinely be the fastest, stealthiest creatures on the planet. Everyone always told me “Just you wait,” implying it would get worse as he got older. But now that we are four years removed from that, I can confidently say that isn’t true. Being a toddler parent is so hard. Their agility is unmatched, and they can go by so undetected that even the most attentive and loving parents miss them. The scariest part is that one missed moment is all it takes for something to go wrong.
A South Carolina family is grappling with an unimaginable loss.
On April 13, 2026, officers were dispatched to a pedestrian crash around 8:15 p.m., according to a report from WSPA. En route to the scene, officers learned the victim was a child, 14-month-old Christopher Rodrigo Perez Tapia, who received multiple injuries and later died at the hospital from injury complications.
The accident occurred after the child slipped out the door and wandered into the road.
The toddler’s parents, Delfino Perez Huizache and Olivia Tapia Benitez, own a restaurant in Anderson, South Carolina, and when Perez Huizache opened the door to take out the trash, the 1-year-old toddler followed him out unbeknownst to the father, Law & Crime reported. He wandered into the road and was struck by a suspected drunk driver in what police ruled as an accidental death.
The driver, David Ronald Metz, was taken into custody.
He was charged with one felony count of DUI involving death, per Law & Crime. Witnesses claimed Metz initially drove off after the crash but eventually turned around and came back to the scene.
The Anderson Police Department has left the investigation open and is working with the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
During a hearing, Metz’s bond was set to $60,000 and he was ordered to wear a GPS tracking monitoring system if released. The judge also ordered he not contact the family or go anywhere near the restaurant, per the Anderson Independent Mail.
Metz’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 11 as investigators continue their review of the crash.
The victim’s family did not attend the bond hearing.
“The family is devastated,” Anderson Police Detective McKindra Bibb said, according to the Independent Mail. “They are unable to even pull it together enough to come to court this afternoon. It’s been less than 24 hours since their baby died.” A court-appointed representative was present in their place.
The McDougald Funeral Home has donated its services to the family. The business often support families suffering the loss of a child so relatives can “focus on healing, rather than worrying about our service fees,” a comment on a social media post reads.
The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help cover additional expenses.
“Though his time here was far too brief, the love he sparked will never fade,” the fundraiser description reads. “He remains the light of our lives, forever barefoot, forever loved, and forever playing in the sunshine.”
