The man accused of plowing his car into a crowd of people in New York’s Times Square has been charged with murder in the second degree, a spokeswoman for the New York County District Attorney’s Office told TheWrap on Friday.
Richard Rojas, 26, has also been charged with one count of aggravated vehicular homicide and 20 counts of attempted murder in the second degree.
A complaint filed on Friday states that Rojas, “with intent to cause the death of another person, caused the death of such person; the defendant engaged in reckless driving as defined by Section 1212 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law, and committed the crime of vehicular manslaughter in the second degree as defined in Section 125.12 of this Article, and caused the death of one person and the serious physical injury of at least one other person; the defendant, with intent to cause the death of another person, attempted to cause the death of such person.”
According to the complaint, law enforcement said that Rojas drove his car “in a reckless manner in that, in the course of operating the motor vehicle, defendant drove his motor vehicle at a high rate of speed both on and off the sidewalk, striking numerous pedestrians.”
One person was killed in the incident, with many more injured.
According to law enforcement, after Rojas crashed his car at 45th St., he stated that he wanted to kill the people he stuck with his car.
The complaint states that Alyssa Elsman was killed in the incident, with 19 others hospitalized, five of them in critical condition.
According to the complaint, Rojas “had glassy eyes, slurred speech, and was unsteady.” Rojas also stated that he smoked marijuana laced with PCP, according to the complaint.