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Crime

Venezuelan migrant who survived Texas hit-and-run: "I lost a leg, my dreams have been shattered"

The driver hit a group of people, many of whom were immigrants. The hit-and-run left at least eight dead and ten injured

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Gabriel Gallardo, sobreviviente del atropello de migrantes en Texas | EFE y captura de pantalla

May 10, 2023 12:47pm

Updated: May 10, 2023 12:47pm

One of the survivors of the run over of migrants in front of a homeless shelter in Texas, which left eight dead and 10 injured, declared that he came to the United States "to look for a future" for his children, and now his dreams "are shattered.”

Gabriel Gallardo, a Venezuelan migrant who had arrived in Texas the day before the accident, told Telemundo exclusively that he hopes his family can travel despite what happened on Sunday.

"I came to look for a better future for my children, and now I find myself without a leg. My dreams are broken, they have vanished," Gallardo said.

The migrant took the opportunity to send a message to President Biden urging him to take action after the fact.

Gallardo's wife and children, who remain in Colombia, published a video broadcasted by Telemundo where they said to be "devastated" by the news and asked the U.S. authorities for help.

“My children and I need to be with my husband. We left Venezuela with a future and a dream for our children. That dream has been overturned. Please, President Biden, we ask for your help, please," said Gallardo's wife, Yuleissi Andreina Quintero.

Police in Brownsville, Texas, on Monday identified the alleged perpetrator of the fatal hit-and-run of migrants as George Álvarez, who has a long criminal record.

Álvarez, 34 years old and a Mexican national, was accused of involuntary manslaughter for the death of 8 Venezuelan men and 10 other injured people, who he allegedly rammed while they were sitting on the sidewalk of the Obispo Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center homeless shelter.

Authorities obtained a blood sample and ordered a toxicology test for Álvarez, who is being held on $3.6 million bail.