Fourth Person Dies in SXSW Hit-and-Run
A fourth person has died as a result of injuries sustained from the hit-and-run at South by Southwest earlier this month, an Austin Police Department spokesperson confirmed to Rolling Stone.
Fort Worth resident DeAndre Tatum, 18, had been hospitalized since the incident, which had already killed three others. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Tatum had been attending the music festival with his girlfriend Curtisha Davis, who herself suffered several broken bones and was hospitalized. She has since been released.
Police arrested 21-year-old Rashad Charjuan Owens earlier this month, charging him with two counts of capital murder and multiple counts of aggravated assault. After Owens’ third victim, 26-year-old Sandy Thuy Le, died of her injuries, a spokesperson for Austin Police Department told Rolling Stone, “The whole case will be presented to a Travis County Grand Jury and they will determine what, if any, other charges will be added.”
Records show that Owens had been convicted numerous times in recent years, including offenses for minor under the influence and criminal trespass. In 2010, Owens was arrested by the Killeen school district Police Department for criminal trespass. While living in Alaska in 2011, Owens was arrested for driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident. He pleaded guilty to the DUI charge, but prosecutors dismissed the fleeing offense.