Reports indicate richard rojas, a man with a spotted history with the law, has been charged with the murder of Alyssa Elsman, an 18-year-old tourist from Michigan who was run over by Rojas's car in times square on Thursday.
The driver was allegedly under the influence
Sources claim Rojas, who allegedly purposefully steered his Honda Accord into a packed sidewalk of the city's busiest square, was under the influence of PCP, a hallucinogen commonly referred to as "angel dust." After exiting his car, reports seem to suggest the man screamed at the top of his lungs and began flailing his arms.
Varying accounts of his dialogue indicate he threatened to kill the police officers surrounding him "and everyone else." Others also claim that Rojas asserted that the world was going to end.
Several officials stated that Rojas may have suffered from severe psychological issues at one point.
Rojas faces more than 25 charges
Along with the murder charge, records show Rojas will face 20 counts of attempted murder in tandem with five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide. The 20 counts are for each of the individuals targeted by Rojas's car, while the five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide exclusively represent Elsman's death and four others who are in critical condition at a local New York City hospital.
The hospital, NYC Health + Hospitals Bellevue, indicated that it is also treating two individuals in serious condition. The names of the individuals the hospital is trating have not yet been publically released.
Sources claim Ms. Elsman, a 2016 graduate of Portage Central High School in Portage, Michigan, was"the type of person who seemed very shy and reserved [at first], but once you started talking to her you realized she was smart, funny and engaging." Friends and peers say she will be missed dearly.
Rojas has a long legal history
Rojas's trouble with the law began nine years ago when he was just 17. He was arrested in his home state of New York then for drunk driving. Five years later, Rojas, who had since joined the Navy, pled guilty to drunk driving, failure to pay a debt, drunk and disorderly conduct, and communicating a threat.
He was also allegedly charged with assaulting a cab driver, though those charges were reportedly dropped a few years later. In 2015, Rojas was arrested for drunk driving again.
Though officials claim there's no clear indication that the terrible accident was an act of terrorism, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio asserts that Rojas has more than likely been plagued with mental health issues for a very long time. He indicates that the 26-year-old's actions seemed to be intentional and that he was "troubled and lashing out."
Rojas is due in court on Friday.
