A tragic car accident that occurred in South Texas over the past weekend made national headlines and prompted an FBI investigation. On Sunday morning about 8:30 a.m., an SUV in Brownsville ran a red light and struck a group of individuals waiting for a bus outside of a migrant shelter. There were at least eight fatalities and ten other injuries.
Thanks to Pablo De La Rosa, NPR and Texas Public Radio in San Antonio have both covered the incident. He joined the Texas Standard to talk about the information at hand. The above-mentioned story’s transcript can be read or heard. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity. Texas Custom: Do people need to be aware of anything new as of this morning? According to Pablo De La Rosa, the Brownsville Police Department held a press conference on Wednesday. Naturally, the driver’s name was made public on Monday. He is charged with eight counts of homicide. Ten counts of serious assault are leveled against him. The actual charges go beyond “aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.” His $3.6 million bail was established. You know, the police force has announced that they are working with the FBI to continue investigating the circumstances around what occurred on Sunday.
I think the police were aware of who was driving this car’s identify. Is that correct? The driver was from Brownsville, according to the police chief, and he had a significant criminal record. And there are still a lot of questions about the lengthy past of this guy. But the information was disclosed by the police chief. According to reports, Brownsville police investigator Lt. Martin Sandoval stated that it appeared that this was deliberate behavior. What evidence do you have that suggests this might have been deliberate?
You have to keep in mind that when this first happened on Sunday, the police department said something to that effect. They declared that further accusations would be brought and that it increasingly seemed to be done on purpose. Much less has been said about it, and all they have said is that it is still being investigated. Soon, a toxicological report will be made public. They also said that they might be investigating this as an accident. But, you know, it appears like they will withhold further information while the investigation is ongoing. At the scene, witnesses assert that the driver accelerated toward them. They allege that the driver gesticulated and made insulting gestures. Additionally, other accounts claim that before [the suspect, George] Alvarez, arrived with the SUV, a woman in another car gave the order for the crowd to disperse.
spread earlier? Do you mean a short while ago? Or am I requesting clarification as to whether she was ready for it or whether it was only a short while ago? Even after watching the movie and the shelter’s security camera footage, we still don’t truly know. However, I’m aware that there is another car that is sort of loitering and possibly speaking to the crowd just a few seconds before the Range Rover enters the frame at a high pace in that particular area. During the news conference, inquiries about it were made to the Brownsville Police Department. And they assert that the only response was that there was no proof at the time. They are still investigating it. However, as I said earlier, I think everything happened very quickly, and the only additional details we have come from the witness who said the truck warned them before the collision.
It will be interesting to find out when that warning will be given, I suppose. Let’s speak about the reaction to a significant news event that has received extensive media coverage in the Brownsville area. What do longtime inhabitants of Brownsville tell you about the area? The condition of immigration policy, both long-term and this week, is causing a lot of dissatisfaction and annoyance, according to what we’ve been hearing. The Catholic dioceses celebrated mass on Sunday evening. Many vigils have been held. Some Rio Grande Valley-based organizations arranged a vigil that took place yesterday in Austin on the steps of the Capitol. There were several vigils yesterday in Brownsville, and I imagine there will be more, but the residents are managing as best they can.
Tensions are high because this hamlet has long welcomed migrants, both those who have gone through and those who are themselves. Since Title 42 is soon to expire and additional security will be present at the border as a result, there are consequently many strong emotions existing right now. If the data above was helpful to you, please consider making a donation to support this reporting. Thanks to your donation, everything you see on texasstandard.org and KUT.org is possible. We value the gift you gave us today.