Young brothers among 4 killed in Labor Day crash in Arizona

A couple and their two young sons were the four people killed in a Labor Day head-on crash on State Route 260 near Heber, according to a family fundraiser and first responders. Giovanni Huerta, of Laveen, and his wife, Kiah Begaye, of Mesa, both 26, died alongside their two sons, Dakota, 4, and Mala

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A couple and their two young sons were the four people killed in a Labor Day head-on crash on State Route 260 near Heber, according to a family fundraiser and first responders.

Giovanni Huerta, of Laveen, and his wife, Kiah Begaye, of Mesa, both 26, died alongside their two sons, Dakota, 4, and Malakai, 2, according to a GoFundMe page set up by loved ones.

Early information released by the Arizona Department of Public Safety described the children as a boy and a girl. However, family members identified them as two boys who had both just started preschool, the family fundraiser said.

The fundraiser, organized by Veronica Uballe, said the family was seeking help paying funeral and burial costs for all four.

"In an instant, a beautiful family of four

was taken from us, leaving behind heartbroken family members and loved ones who are struggling to understand how this could have happened," Uballe said.

The couple had their whole lives ahead of them, Uballe said.

Giovanni Huerta and Kiah Begaye pose alongside their sons, Dakota, 4, and Malakai, 2, in an undated photo.

"They were a family who should have had countless more birthdays, holidays, memories, and moments together," she said.

The fundraiser met and surpassed its original $24,000 goal within the same day it was posted. The goal for the fundraiser has since been increased to $60,000, as of Sept. 9

The crash on the afternoon of Sept. 7 also left two people injured in a pickup truck that collided with the family's vehicle, according to DPS spokesperson Raul Garcia.

The collision temporarily closed SR 260 in both directions for hours as emergency crews worked along the highway.

A 21-year-old woman in the pickup was seriously hurt, and a 14-year-old boy was left with trauma to his head, body and bones, according to Garcia and Forest Lakes Fire District Chief David Rodriquez. Both people are from New Mexico, Garcia said.

The driver of the pickup, Jesse David Lovato, a 21-year-old from Los Lunas, New Mexico, was arrested and accused of manslaughter and aggravated assault, according to Garcia.

He was booked into the Navajo County Detention Center in Holbrook, Garcia said.

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Rey Covarrubias Jr. is a reporter for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: rcovarrubias@azcentral.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ. 