LeaveMeBe
Zombie Hunter
Recorded 911 tapes reveal that the suspected drunken driver whose vehicle struck and killed two young brothers near Alvin was fatally shot in the head shortly after the collision and his wound was not self-inflicted, officials said Monday.
The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Monday that 20-year-old Jose Inez Banda Jr.'s death was a homicide.
"One of the 911 callers reporting the tragic crash that claimed the two young brothers' lives was talking to dispatch when he reported hearing the gunfire," said Dominick Sanders, an investigator for the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office, who is still trying to unravel who pulled the trigger. "This incident has been such a tragedy with so many dynamics involved."
Midnight collision
Moments before Banda was shot shortly before midnight Friday, his Chevrolet Malibu had plowed into David Barajas Sr. and his two sons - 12-year-old David Jr. and 11-year-old Caleb.
The boys were pushing the family's Ford 250 truck that had run out of gas just 150 yards from their driveway. The truck, carrying Barajas' wife, Cindy, and their 8-year-old daughter and 3-month-old son, was partially knocked into the roadside ditch.
No one inside the truck was injured, but the 12-year-old died shortly after his body was crushed in the collision, while his younger brother was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Barajas Sr., a construction worker, has since been released from an area hospital after being treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Banda was unable to provide a statement when found critically injured inside his car. He was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital but never regained consciousness before he was pronounced dead.
Investigators also have not obtained statements from the surviving Barajas family members, except for an initial explanation that the Chevrolet Malibu had slammed into their vehicle, Sanders said.
"We cannot compel anybody to talk to us," Sanders said, but would not say if they are refusing to do so. No murder weapon has been recovered.
The collision occurred on County Road 144, a narrow, two-lane road with no shoulders that had no street lights.
Witnesses sought
Investigators canvassed that area Monday to interview anyone who may have witnessed the incident.
"We believe alcohol was a factor in the initial crash," said Sanders, but the medical examiner has not yet released Banda's blood-alcohol levels. Banda has one prior conviction for evading arrest in 2010.
Funeral arrangements for the young brothers are pending.
"Their parents aren't doing too good," Mark Barajas said. "There's a lot of second guessing about what they could have done to stop it from happening."
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-t...-suspect-fatally-shot-after-crash-4106270.php
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