A Cameron County jury has found George Alvarez guilty of killing eight immigrants in Brownsville in 2023.
Alvarez lost control of his SUV and crashed into a group of people waiting outside the Ozanam Center, an overnight shelter for immigrants. The fatal crash occurred on May 7, 2023, in the morning hours at around 8:30 a.m.
The victims were all male and mostly from Venezuela. 12 people were critically injured.
Brownsville police say Alvarez tried to flee the scene but was held down by several people.
At the center of the case was whether Alvarez was under the influence. His lawyers said he was not intoxicated, but he admitted to using cocaine days before the crash.
A toxicology report revealed traces of cocaine in his system.
The trial began on Monday. Alvarez was found guilty Friday on eight counts of intoxication manslaughter. He faces up to 160 years in prison.
