2023-05-08 21:48:55
Lawsuits for “manslaughter” were opened on Monday May 8, 2023 once morest a driver who killed, the day before, eight people by mowing down with his car a group of pedestrians gathered in front of a reception center for migrants in an American town bordering Mexico.
“The investigation continues” and the charges once morest George Alvarez might be changed later, Brownsville Police Chief Felix Sauceda said at a press conference.
Investigators in this South Texas city are awaiting the results of toxicological analyzes carried out on this 34-year-old man. “with a heavy criminal record”who has previously been arrested for assault, burglary or drunk driving.
Sunday, shortly following 8 a.m. (3 p.m. in France), he “ran a red light, lost control of his vehicle, which overturned before hitting 18 people”, said Sauceda. Six died on the spot and two in hospital.
The victims are all male and include several Venezuelans. “We are working with the government of Venezuela and we have also contacted other embassies”including to identify them, said the police chief.
The hypothesis of an intentional act
After committing his carnage, George Alvarez had tried to flee but witnesses had prevented him. When they arrived, the police arrested him and transferred him to a hospital to treat his injuries. On Monday, he was taken into custody.
On Sunday, a witness told Agence France-Presse that he had uttered insults before accelerating on the small group of migrants.
“It all happened suddenly. A lady, who was driving by, told us to move aside (…). The assassin arrived in the car pointing at us, insulting us”said Luis Herrera, a 36-year-old Venezuelan with an arm injury.
Asked regarding this on Monday, the police chief said he had no evidence to confirm these accusations. However, the investigators have not yet ruled out, at this stage, the hypothesis of an intentional act.
The arrival of migrants at the southern border of the United States regularly causes tension, and sometimes violence. In 2018, a white supremacist killed 23 people with an assault rifle at a supermarket popular with the Hispanic community in the city of El Paso.
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However, the American authorities are preparing to lift, on Thursday, a health measure called « Titre 42 », adopted during the Covid pandemic and which has made it possible for three years to expel millions of migrants without delay. Its expiration raises fears of a resurgence of illegal entries into the United States and the Republican opposition tirelessly denounces a « crisis » at the border.
“Horror Scene”
The victims were part of a group of around 25 people who were waiting at a bus stop in front of a homeless shelter, which currently hosts many migrants, its director Victor Maldonado told AFP.
According to him, they were Venezuelans, who had just had their breakfast at the center.
“Suddenly this SUV came at very high speed, hit the pavement and split the group”, he said. He described to Agence France-Presse a horror scene, with body parts scattered in the street, and witnesses “Completely in shock”. The driver “tried to run away but the residents (of the center) caught him and immobilized him”he added.
The center is open 24 hours a day, and currently hosts migrants from Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, China and Ukraine, as well as many Venezuelans, Maldonado said.
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