Three days after 18 people were run over, eight of them died and 10 were seriously injured when a pickup truck plowed into a group of immigrants waiting at a bus stop in Brownsville, Texas, information about the victims remains scarce and relatives of those who have not been located are asking for information about their whereabouts.
Authorities say the driver, George Alvarez, 34, of Brownsville, lost control after running a red light Sunday morning, but they haven't ruled out that he intentionally crashed into the stop in front of the Centro Obispo Enrique San Pedro Ozanam, a shelter for homeless people and immigrants crossing into the country from the nearby border with Mexico.
Authorities collected fingerprints from the victims. All were male and most were from Venezuela, according to Brownsville police, but they have not yet released the identities of any of them.
However, local and regional media have been publishing details unofficially. Venezuelan newspaper El Universal identified five of the eight victims, all from Venezuela, as: Bryan Garcia, of Maracaibo; Enyerbert Cabarcas, from Maracaibo; Jorge Luis Flores, from Falcón state; Héctor David Medina Medero and Richard Bustamante, from Guanare.
Migrants during a vigil for the eight migrants who died and several others who were injured while waiting at a bus stop, in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, May 8, 2023.Michael Gonzalez/AP
Police said Tuesday that the department has a list of more than 120 names of people who want to know if their relatives are among the victims. They include dozens of photos and contact information sent by desperate families, all fearful of receiving a phone call with bad news.
"I know everybody wants to know the names," said investigator Martin Sandoval, a department spokesman, according to The Associated Press.
"My son is dead. I know."
One woman who has managed to locate a missing relative is Mileidy Gonzalez, 23, whose uncle Juan Carlos Paredes, 45, was injured in the crash. She learned about it from the news and from a migrant staying at the shelter, and relatives were able to identify Paredes in videos.
One of the relatives called several hospitals before finally finding his uncle. They were told he was in a delicate condition and have not been able to communicate directly with him.
"His leg, back and part of his collarbone [are hurt]. They are waiting for the specialists to find out if he needs surgery," Gonzalez said by phone.
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Another name on the police list belongs to Hector David Medina-Medero, a 24-year-old Venezuelan who was cutting hair at the Ozanam shelter. On Tuesday, his mother waited outside the police department, expecting the worst. "My son is dead. I know," Marilin de los Angeles Medero Piña said. "My heart tells me."
Some victims were not carrying identification
Police will use the list to notify families once the confirmation process is complete, but the circumstances of the crash have led to delays, according to Sandoval. Complicating matters is the fact that many of the victims did not carry official identification.
"When the accident happened, there were a lot of documents flying everywhere," he said. "Trying to match a document to a person in that state is a difficult thing, especially when someone has passed away," he added.
Alvarez, the driver, was charged with eight counts of reckless homicide and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, with bail set at $3.6 million. Investigators have been working to determine whether the crash could have been intentional.
Jesus Ferrer, 32, was at the bus stop Sunday with a group of immigrants, including some friends, when they noticed the vehicle traveling in his direction.
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"We saw a gray pickup truck coming at full speed. He was coming towards us and turned towards us," he said, adding that the driver tried to flee afterwards, but was stopped by the group. He said the man was furious and told those who arrested him: "Go back to your country."
Another witness, Luis Herrera, 36, said the driver shouted a string of profanities common in Mexico as he ran into the crowd. "They're trespassing on my property," Herrera recalled him saying.
Herrera was thrown aside by the vehicle and injured his wrist but, after a medical evaluation, was released without major injuries. "Physically I'm fine, but psychologically I'm not okay after everything that's happened," he said.
Police Chief Felix Sauceda said Monday that police had not confirmed witness reports that the driver was insulting people.
Toxicology report of the driver
Brownsville police said Tuesday they were aware of a toxicology report from the hospital that indicated Alvarez had cocaine, marijuana and benzodiazepines in his system.
But Sandoval said the report cannot be relied upon to determine whether the driver may have been legally under the influence at the time, as drugs can remain in one's system for days or weeks.
Police are awaiting independent toxicology reports that can determine whether Alvarez had certain amounts of drugs in his system, Sandoval said.
The people hit by the vehicle were waiting for the bus to go to downtown Brownsville after spending the night at the shelter, according to Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. It is the only overnight shelter in the city and receives migrants from federal custody.
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Brownsville has seen a surge of Venezuelan migrants over the past two weeks for reasons that remain unclear, prompting city authorities to indefinitely extend an emergency declaration.
About 30,000 migrants, mostly from Venezuela, have entered the United States through the Brownsville region since mid-April. This compares with the 1,700 Border Patrol agents found in the first two weeks of April, and is expected to continue to rise after the end of Title 42.
