Peshlakai Family Marks 16th Year of Anti-DWI Outreach Across Navajo Nation

Sixteen years after a repeat DWI offender killed their daughters Del Lynn and Deshauna, Darlene and David Peshlakai of Naschitti stood alongside law enforcement for their annual Angels vs. Drunk Driving sobriety checkpoint in Santa Fe, the event that grew from the March 5, 2010, crash that killed their daughters as the family was driving home after a basketball game.

James Ruiz, a repeat DWI offender, rear-ended the family's vehicle after a night of drinking, with a blood alcohol content measured at 0.22. He was later convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison. Del Lynn, 19, and Deshauna, 17, were killed on Cerrillos Road when Ruiz plowed into the rear of the Chevy sedan carrying the two sisters and their parents.

For the Peshlakais, the checkpoint serves as both a memorial and an attempt to prevent more deaths. The family again distributed items bearing the girls' photographs, including cards, pins, and bags of candy. All of it serves the message of awareness, Darlene has said, with "one of our intentions" being to remind people that something happened there and "to keep reminding them."

Beyond the checkpoint, the Peshlakais organize runs, basketball tournaments, motorcycle rides, rodeos, and more under the Angels vs. Drunk Drivers banner. It is, they have found, a good way to cope with grief while building momentum for stronger DWI enforcement among counties, the state, and tribes. "We plan these things as a family because I don't want their deaths to be forgotten," Darlene has said.

The family's reach has grown well beyond Apache and San Juan counties. At the first day of the 2025 Summer Navajo Nation Council Session, Council Delegates Amber Kanazbah Crotty and Dr. Andy Nez, alongside the Missing and Murdered Diné Relatives Task Force and community leaders, participated in a memorial walk from the Navajo Nation Museum to the Council Chamber in honor of DeShauna and Del Lynn. Addressing the Council, Darlene said, "It's been over 15 years, but the pain never leaves. We keep walking, showing up, and spreading the message that drunk driving must end. This is not just our fight. It should be everyone's. We need checkpoints. We need chapter-level engagement. We need the entire Navajo Nation to stand with us and protect our youth."

Darlene has hosted motorcycle runs, basketball tournaments, and rodeos in honor of Del and DeShauna, advocating against drinking and driving for each of those sixteen years. She has been married to her husband David for 45 years. The outreach that began as a family's grief channeled into action has become one of the most sustained anti-DWI campaigns originating from a Navajo Nation community, and the Peshlakais of Naschitti show no signs of stopping.