San Antonio police arrest teen accused of killing five while driving stolen Camaro

Traffic on I-35 southbound near Leon Creek was stopped for hours after the July 17 crash. Credit: Texas Department of Transportation

San Antonio police on Wednesday arrested a teenager accused of killing five people in July while recklessly driving a stolen Chevrolet Camaro on I-35, KSAT reports.

Ethan Gonzales, 19, is charged with five counts of manslaughter and five counts of hit and run resulting in death, SAPD confirmed to the TV station.

KSAT added that “dozens” of additional felony charges are still pending.

Officials allege that Gonzales was behind the wheel of a stolen Camaro and was driving at speeds of up to 105 miles per hour when the car collided with a bus, hit a guardrail and was then struck by an 18-wheeler in rush hour traffic on July 17, KSAT reports.

Witnesses then spotted Gonzales and three other passengers fleeing the accident site, according to the TV station’s report. Two drivers died at the scene, while three people later perished in the hospital. Fifteen people were injured in total.

KSAT reports that police identified Gonzales as the driver using DNA evidence and surveillance footage. Cell phone records also linked Gonzales to the crash, according to the report.

The three other suspects are Mathew Andres Espinoza, Eric Rene Perez and Michael Sanchez, KSAT reports. They were arrested on charges of unauthorized use and burglary of a vehicle, according to the station.

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San Antonio police arrest teen accused of killing five while driving stolen Camaro

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