Photo: Michael Gonzalez/AP Photo

Emergency personnel take away a damaged vehicle after a fatal collision in Brownsville, Texas, Sunday, May 7, 2023. Several migrants were killed after they were struck by a vehicle while waiting at a bus stop near Ozanam Center, a migrant and homeless shelter.

A 34-year-old man has been charged with eight counts of manslaughter after an SUV he was allegedly driving struck 18 people,killing eight, on Sunday morning at a bus stop near a migrant shelter in Brownsville, Texas.

Sauceda said Alvarez lost control of the vehicle, but also said the investigation into if the crash was intentional is ongoing.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Michael Gonzalez/AP Photo

Emergency personnel respond to a fatal collision in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday, May 7, 2023. Several migrants were killed after they were struck by a vehicle while waiting at a bus stop near Ozanam Center, a migrant and homeless shelter.

In addition to the manslaughter charges, Alvarez is also charged with 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The picture of 34-year-old George Alvarez.MOISES AVILA/AFP via Getty

The picture of 34-year-old George Alvarez, the driver, that killed eight people and injured at least 10 when he plowed into the crowd early Sunday, is diplayed by the Brownsville Police Department at a news conference in Brownsville, Texas, on May 8, 2023. - At least eight people were killed and several others injured on May 7, 2023 when an SUV ran a red light and plowed into a group waiting at a bus stop outside a migrant aid center in the US state of Texas, police said.

Alvarez has a lengthy criminal history, according to a placard at the press conference, with charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, assault causing bodily injury, driving while intoxicated and more. The disposition of those charges was not immediately clear.

According to Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, the victims spent the night at the shelter on Saturday night and were waiting for the bus to return to downtown Brownsville, theAssociated Pressreports.

Most of the victims were Venezuelan men, Victor Maldonado — the Shelter Director at Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center — told the AP.

Brownsville is a border city in Texas and has recently seen an influx of migrants coming from Venezuela, according to the AP.

source: people.com