SXSW Hit and Run Suspect Faces Four New Charges
Four new assault charges have been filed against Rashad Charjuan Owens in connection with the hit-and-run incident that killed four people and injured 17 at South By Southwest in March.
The Austin American Statesman reports that the four new charges are related to injuries ranging from scratches to a fractured neck. The most serious injuries of the new counts were those of 18-year-old high school student Mason Endres, who has endured a lengthy hospital stay including two rounds of surgery.
Owens now faces a total of 24 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and the new charges will add an additional $500,000 to his $5 million bail. He has also been charged with capital murder for the deaths of two people who died at the scene. Prosecuters have not said yet whether Owens will face murder charges for the two victims who died at the hospital after police filed the initial charges.
The 21-year-old was arrested in Austin on March 13th for allegedly accelerating a car into a crowd of people while trying to evade police officers and driving under the influence.