A man in New York City has been charged with murder after intentionally hitting three people with his car, including a 16-year-old girl who was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
Edwin Cruz Gomez, 38, was charged with murder, attempted murder, assault, vehicular manslaughter, and “other crimes” after “intentionally driving his vehicle at four people, including a teenager and his mother whom he sexually propositioned just minutes earlier,” according to a press release issued by the district attorney’s office on Monday.
The incident occurred at around 4:10 a.m. on Saturday when the suspect, who was with several other men outside the Prima Donna Restaurant in Queens, New York, approached the teen and her mother, “offering them both money for sexual acts,” officials said.
According to officials, after the suspect “subjected 16-year-old Jhoanny Alvarez and her mother to crude sexual solicitations and harassment,” the teen’s stepfather and the suspect got into a verbal and then physical altercation. Officials reported that bystanders intervened and separated the men.
The victim, her mother, stepfather, and boyfriend walked away from the restaurant, at which point the suspect got into his car, “barreled his 3-ton vehicle into them” and “pinned the teen against a pole” with his Chevrolet Suburban, according to the district attorney.
After striking the teen, her mother, and stepfather, he reversed the SUV, hit an unoccupied van, abandoned his vehicle, and “fled the scene on foot,” according to officials.
When emergency responders arrived on the scene, the 16-year-old was pronounced dead, according to officials. The teen’s mother was taken to a local hospital “for treatment of injuries to her leg sustained during the collision,” according to officials.
The suspect approached “uninformed NYPD officers” a few blocks away from the scene, reported being assaulted, and “led officers back to the location of the collision,” according to officials.
Cruz’s blood alcohol content was then found to be 0.137%, which is significantly higher than the legal limit of 0.08%, officials said. He was arrested the same day, according to court records.
The suspect’s next court appearance is set for September 19, according to the district attorney’s office.
The district attorney’s office stated that if convicted, he could face 25 to life in prison.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz stated that officials will “seek justice” for the teen and her family.
Cruz’s attorney did not immediately respond to an ABC News request for comment.
