BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Austinites will honor the lives lost in Brownsville with a vigil at the Capitol's south steps on Monday night.
The event starts at 7 p.m.
Organizers say they are sending condolences to the families of the victims. They are also calling for an end to policies that they say dehumanize immigrants.
The driver of an SUV that killed eight people when it slammed into a bus stop in Brownsville has been charged with manslaughter, police said Monday as investigators tried to determine if the crash was intentional.
Authorities believe the driver -- 34-year-old George Alvarez of Brownsville -- lost control after running a red light Sunday morning and plowed into a crowd outside a migrant center.
Police Chief Felix Sauceda said Alvarez was charged with eight counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Officials are awaiting toxicology reports to determine whether Alvarez was intoxicated, Sauceda said, adding that there was no motive that he could discuss. Asked about reports from witnesses that Alvarez was cursing at them, Sauceda said there was nothing to confirm that yet.
The SUV ran a red light, lost control, flipped on its side and struck 18 people, Sauceda said at a news conference Monday morning. Six people died on the scene and 12 people were critically injured, he said. Officials have said the death toll rose later.
Alvarez tried to flee but was held down by several people on the scene, he said. His bail was set at $3.6 million.
Surveillance video from the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center showed some of the victims sitting on the curb when they were hit at the city bus stop.