Police in Brownsville, Texas, announced that a suspect has been charged after eight people were killed and 10 others were injured when an SUV plowed into a crowd of pedestrians.
George Alvarez has been charged with eight counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Police said Alvarez was behind the wheel during Sunday’s incident.
Officials said Alvarez has a lengthy criminal record that includes driving while intoxicated, aggravated assault and burglary.
The incident took place near the Ozanam Center, a shelter for migrants and homeless people.
Brownsville Police Chief Felix Sauceda told reporters that the SUV ran a red light, lost control and flipped on its side. Sauceda said Alvarez attempted to flee, but was held down by several people at the scene.
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Sauceda said police are awaiting toxicology reports to determine if he was driving under the influence at the time of the crash.
Sauceda said law enforcement has been in contact with the Venezuelan embassy as some of the victims originated from the South American nation. He would not say exactly how many of the victims were from Venezuela.
Police also have not ruled out that the act was intentional, according to Sauceda.
Officials also would not go into details on the severity of the injuries of the surviving 10 victims.
Alvarez is in police custody, Sauceda said.
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