BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS: A driver has been charged with manslaughter in connection with a car accident that claimed the lives of eight migrants in Brownsville, Texas. The driver has been identified by police as George Alvarez, a 34-year-old Brownsville native with significant criminal background.
Alvares is accused of ramming his Range Rover SUV into a group of migrants outside the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center shelter at about 8.30 am. The car accident that took the lives of eight also left twelve people injured. The Venezuelan government sought an investigation to determine whether the crash was deliberate and driven by xenophobia or hatred after it was discovered that several of the deceased were Venezuelans, according to the Independent. Investigators have not yet been able to determine whether the incident was intentional or accidental.
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How did the car accident involving George Alvarez occur?
Brownsville Police Chief Felix Sauceda stated at a news conference on Monday, May 8, that Alvarez ran a red light, lost control of his car, and struck a gathering of people. The group was at a bus stop outside the shelter for migrants and the homeless in Brownsville which is close to the Mexico border.
Luis Herrera, a Venezuelan immigrant who had been there, said, "It was sudden. A woman drove by and told us to leave the area. We started to leave, and in a second the driver came up and was pointing at us, cursing, calling us things like, 'm**********r' and other things I didn't understand," according to New York Post
Alvarez allegedly tried to flee the crash site, but bystanders "held down" and restrained him, according to BBC. Saucedo claims that "several" of the victims have had their Venezuelan nationality verified. Local authorities have been in contact with Venezuelan authorities to organize reunion attempts and relief for the victims.
What are the charges against George Alvarez?
Alvarez is now facing 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in addition to the eight manslaughter charges. Brownsville Police Department claimed that Alvarez has a lengthy criminal history that includes nine charges of violence against family members, employees of the government, elderly people, and individuals with disabilities.
Alvarez has also been charged with drunk driving, marijuana possession, burglary, avoiding arrest, and other offenses. He is being held on a $3.6 million (£2.85 million) bond and has so far been uncooperative with the authorities.