George Alvarez’s shocking criminal history revealed after …

Seven dead and 12 wounded in car accident outside migrant shelter in Brownsville, Texas

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Police in Brownsville[1], Texas[2], have named local man George Alvarez, 34, as the suspect accused of driving an SUV into a crowd of people waiting for a bus outside of a migrant shelter in the border city on Sunday morning. He has been charged with eight counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Police revealed that Mr Alvarez has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple assault charges. Earlier, a shocking security camera video was shared by Texas congressman Henry Cuellar revealing the moment in which Alvarez's grey Ranger Rover, travelling along North Minnesota Avenue towards Boca Chica Boulevard, smashed into the crowd outside of the city's Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center. Seven people were killed in the crash - which officials initially said appeared to be intentional - before an eighth victim succumbed to their injuries in hospital later on Sunday.

At least nine others were hospitalised. Most of the victims were Venezuelan men who had spent the night at the shelter and were boarding a bus to return to downtown Brownsville. The driver was also taken to hospital and police have since described him as "very uncooperative", revealing he is known to them and has an extensive criminal record.

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'Driver yelled anti-immigration insults', claims witness

Michael Eduardo de Aponte Fonseca, an eyewitness, has claimed that crash driver George Alvarez yelled anti-immigration insults at the group.

"I saw what happened around me, and I didn't want to see more," he told the New York Times. "I grabbed my things, and scared and in shock I crossed the street."Most of the victims stay in Brownsville to "do odd jobs and get a little money so they can move on," Mr Fonseca said. But, "some of those folks tonight will not reach their destination."

Meanwhile, police were also looking into reports that he had uttered anti-immigration remarks. Namita Singh9 May 2023 05:35

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Criminal history of George Alvarez

George Alvarez has a lengthy criminal history, police said during a press conference on Monday. His past charges include numerous assault charges, an aggravated assault charge, and additional charges for burglary, theft, DUI, and resisting arrest.

He is currently being held on a £3.6m bond, according to CNN[5]. Mr Alvarez allegedly attempted to flee the scene of the incident after he struck the victims and rolled his jeep. Bystanders reportedly stopped Mr Alvarez and kept him detained until police arrived.

He was then taken into police custody and then to an area hospital to be treated for injuries he sustained in the wreck. Police said Mr Alvarez was being "very uncooperative" with them during their initial investigation. Namita Singh9 May 2023 05:32

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Everything we know about driver in Brownsville crash that killed eight migrants

Police[7] in Brownsville[8], Texas,[9] have identified the driver[10] who crashed his SUV into a group of people waiting for a bus outside a migrant centre, killing eight and seriously injuring 10 others.

Since the wreck, police and the FBI have been investigating the cause of the crash, including whether or not the incident was intentional. The government of Venezuela, noting that several of the victims were migrants[11] from the country, has called for a thorough investigation into the driver's motives. Here's everything we know about the Brownsville driver:

Namita Singh9 May 2023 05:15

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Vigil for victims at Texas State Capitol

A vigil was held at the Texas State Capitol on Monday night in honour of those killed after an SUV ploughed into them in Brownsville. At least eight were killed and 10 injured in the incident. Meanwhile, NGOs advocating for migrant rights sought justice for the victims.

"We grieve for the victims in Brownsville, Texas who were run over outside a migrant shelter where people from around the world are seeking asylum and safety," Oni Blair, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas, was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.

Votive candles, flowers and crosses setup at a memorial for eight migrants that were run over and killed today waiting at a bus stop on 7 May 2023 in Brownsville, Texas (Getty Images) "We understand the motive is still under investigation," she said as she urged the authorities to ensure that witnesses feel safe enough to give their account without fear of retribution or deportation.

"This horrific event comes after weeks of escalating anti-immigrant policy-making by Texas politicians and while the Biden administration considers imposing a new asylum ban aimed at deterring, rather than welcoming, migrants seeking protection," she told the outlet. Namita Singh9 May 2023 05:08

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Catholic Charities director: 'Migrants don't service this tragic reality'

Sister Norma Pimentel, the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, said the Ozanam Center in Brownsville typically houses some migrants overnight and had received no direct threats in connection with the border crisis in recent weeks. Sister Pimentel said it was "truly unfortunate that this tragic thing happened," according to NBC.

"It's something that, with all the attention to the migrants, it must pick up the attention to those who are against them." Migrants "don't deserve to face this tragic reality," she added. Graig Graziosi9 May 2023 04:55

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Venezuela calls for hate crime investigation

The Venezuelan government called for an investigation to determine if the incident was motivated by hate or xenophobia after it emerged that the victims were all male and several of them from Venezuela.

The local police have so far not ruled out the possibility of the crash being intentional, said officials, adding they are awaiting toxicology reports to determine whether driver George Alvarez was intoxicated as he drove into a group waiting at a bus stop in Brownsville.

A Venezuelan flag flies at the site of the deadly crash where 8 migrants were run over and killed yesterday waiting at a bus stop on 8 May 2023 in Brownsville, Texas (Getty Images) Brownsville, a city of some 165,000 people on the US border with Mexico, and other communities are bracing for a likely surge in migrants when a Covid-19 restriction known as Title 42 is set to end on Thursday.

Title 42, in place since 2020, allows US authorities to quickly expel migrants caught crossing the border illegally, without giving them the chance to seek US asylum. Namita Singh9 May 2023 04:47

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Driver George Alvarez's charged with manslaughter

An SUV driver who killed eight people when he slammed into a group waiting at a bus stop in Brownsville, Texas, was charged with manslaughter, police said on Monday as investigators tried to determine if the crash was intentional. Authorities believe driver George Alvarez, 34, of Brownsville, lost control after running a red light on Sunday morning, and ploughed into a crowd outside a migrant centre in the city, which has long been an epicentre for migration across the US-Mexico border.

The picture of 34-year-old George Alvarez, the driver, that killed eight people and injured at least 10 when he plowed into the crowd early Sunday, is displayed by the Brownsville Police Department at a news conference in Brownsville, Texas, on 8 May 2023

(AFP via Getty Images) Police Chief Felix Sauceda said Mr Alvarez was charged with eight counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Namita Singh9 May 2023 04:15

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'We'll see each other in a bit': Victims' friend shares last conversation he had with them

On Monday morning, Jackson Duarte, 30, a Venezuelan migrant, was sporting a haircut from a friend he made at the Ozanam shelter, where they were both staying.

It was the last haircut he'd receive from him. Mr Duarte said three people he met at the shelter were among the victims; two of them died while a third is in the hospital with a missing limb. He said one of his friends who was killed was a barber, and the other was a young man who had recently celebrated a birthday.

Shortly before the crash, Mr Duarte had decided to share an Uber with a friend rather than wait for the bus downtown. It was during that ride that Mr Duarte began receiving messages about the fatal accident through WhatsApp.

Two migrants bow their heads during a prayer at a vigil at the Ozanam Center, a homeless and migrant shelter, on 8 May 2023 in Brownsville, Texas (Getty Images)

"When I got there, the survivors had already been taken. I counted about seven people who had died," he recalled.Mr Duarte said his friend, whom he described as a studious and ambitious young man, was going downtown to reunite with his mother after crossing the border. Only Mr Duarte made it to the bus station.

"Unfortunately, I had to share that with his mom," he said. "She was desperate, because her son had just turned 18 years old and they had gone through so much trying to get here just so that he'd lose his life here." His other friend, the barber, was also heading downtown to look for a cellphone after raising money by offering haircuts, he had told Mr Duarte. Mr Duarte said his friend told him "We'll see each other in a bit," and that it was one of the last things his friend said to him.

"It hit me really hard. I still feel bad. I don't believe it.

I don't feel well. I couldn't sleep all night," Mr Duarte said, breaking down as he thought about his friends who lost their lives. Namita Singh9 May 2023 04:12

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Police awaits driver's toxicology report

Officials are awaiting toxicology reports to determine whether driver George Alvarez was intoxicated as he drove into a group waiting at a bus stop in Brownsville, Police Chief Felix Sauceda said, adding that there was no motive that he could discuss.

Asked about reports from witnesses that the accused was cursing at them, Mr Sauceda said there was nothing to confirm that yet.

Brownsville Police Department Chief Felix Sauceda announces manslaughter charges against George Alvarez, a local resident who allegedly plowed his SUV into a crowd killing eight men, during a news conference in Brownsville, Texas, on 8 May 2023 (AFP via Getty Images) The SUV ran a red light, lost control, flipped on its side and hit 18 people, Mr Sauceda told reporters Monday morning.

Six people died on the scene and 12 people were critically injured, he said. Officials have said the death toll rose later. Mr Alvarez tried to flee, but was held down by several people on the scene, he said.

His bail was set at £3.6m. Namita Singh9 May 2023 04:10

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First responders joined Sunday night prayer vigil after car crash tragedy

The aforementioned Bishop Flores said Mass at the Ozanam migrant shelter last night for the victims of yesterday's horrific road smash. "Many first responders attended the Mass," he states. "Pray for them also, for the burden they carry is great."

Graig Graziosi9 May 2023 03:48

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References

1. ^ Brownsville (www.independent.co.uk)
2. ^ Texas (www.independent.co.uk)
3. ^ 1683606916 (www.independent.co.uk)
4. ^ 1683606754 (www.independent.co.uk)
5. ^ CNN (www.cnn.com)
6. ^ 1683605746 (www.independent.co.uk)
7. ^ Police (www.independent.co.uk)
8. ^ Brownsville (www.independent.co.uk)
9. ^ Texas, (www.independent.co.uk)
10. ^ driver (www.independent.co.uk)
11. ^ migrants (www.independent.co.uk)
12. ^ 1683605339 (www.independent.co.uk)
13. ^ 1683604501 (www.independent.co.uk)
14. ^ 1683604072 (www.independent.co.uk)
15. ^ 1683602140 (www.independent.co.uk)
16. ^ 1683601961 (www.independent.co.uk)
17. ^ 1683601805 (www.independent.co.uk)
18. ^ 1683600499 (www.independent.co.uk)