Driver charged with manslaughter after plowing into crowd, killing 8 in US state of Texas

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - A driver who plowed an SUV into a group of migrants at a bus stop in South Texas, killing eight people, has been charged with manslaughter, authorities announced Monday.

George Alvarez, 34, faces eight counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following Sunday's incident, which left eight people dead and at least 10 others wounded, according to multiple news outlets.

Investigators believe Alvarez ran a red light in his Range Rover and veered through a crowd waiting at a bus stop outside a migrant center. They said Alvarez tried to run away from the scene, but was held down by several bystanders until police arrived to arrest him.

Officials are still awaiting blood alcohol tests to determine if Alvarez was driving while intoxicated but said Alvarez has "an extensive" criminal record.

Police Chief Felix Sauceda told reporters that they are still investigating the cause of the deadly crash and have not ruled out the possibility that it was intentional.

Most of the victims were Venezuelan migrants, and one witness told NBC News that Alvarez shouted "(expletive) migrants" at the group. Sauceda said he could not "validate" claims that Alvarez shouted anti-immigrant slurs.

However, officials said there has been an influx of Venezuelan migrants over the past two weeks at the US-Mexico border in Brownsville and that 4,000 of the 6,000 migrants detained last Thursday were Venezuelan.

Alvarez is being held on a $3.6 million dollar bond.