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U.S. NEWS Friday 19 May 2017
Car mows down Times Square pedestrians for blocks, killing 1

COLLEEN LONG him.” Florida, before being dis- student at SUNY Albany. “I
Associated Press Rojas initially tested nega- charged in 2014 as the re- don’t think there was actu-
TOM HAYS tive for alcohol, but more sult of a special court mar- ally time for screaming.”
Associated Press detailed drug tests were tial, a Navy official said. “He didn’t stop,” said Asa
NEW YORK (AP) — A man pending, according to two Details were not immedi- Lowe, of Brooklyn, who was
steered his car onto a side- law enforcement officials ately available. standing outside a store
walk running through Times who were not authorized to Thursday’s mayhem began when he saw people scat-
Square and mowed down speak publicly and spoke at noon on a hot, clear day ter. “He just kept going.”
pedestrians for three blocks to The Associated Press on that brought large crowds The White House said Presi-
Thursday, killing a teenag- the condition of anonym- of people into the streets to dent Donald Trump was
er, then emerged from his ity. enjoy the good weather. briefed about the situation.
wrecked vehicle wild-eyed The officials said Rojas told Police said Rojas had been The apartment building
and screaming before he officers he had been hear- driving south on Seventh where Rojas lives was cor-
was subdued by police ing voices. Avenue when he made a doned off by police Thurs-
and bystanders. A week ago, Rojas was ar- quick U-turn at 42nd Street day. It was unclear when
The driver, a 26-year-old rested and charged with In this image made from and drove up the sidewalk Rojas, who was in custody,
U.S. Navy veteran, told offi- pointing a knife at a notary, video provided by Oscar for three blocks, passing would get a lawyer or be
cers he was hearing voices whom he accused of steal- Navarro Reyes, Richard tourist draws like the Hard arraigned.
and expected to die, two ing his identity. He pleaded Rojas is arrested after a fa- Rock Cafe and the Bubba The sidewalks in many parts
law enforcement officials guilty to a harassment vio- tal automobile accident Gump Shrimp Co. restau- of Times Square are lined
said. lation. on New York City’s Times rant. with metal posts designed
Helpless pedestrians had lit- He was arrested on charg- Square, Thursday, May 18, Security camera video to prevent cars from get-
tle time to react as the car es of driving while intoxicat- 2017. showed people being ting onto the sidewalks
barreled down the side- ed in 2008 and 2015, po- Associated Press flung in bunches over the and other public areas.
walk and through intersec- lice Commissioner James Rojas spent his final months car’s hood. That network of barricades,
tions before smashing into O’Neill said. He pleaded in the Navy at the Naval “People just got stunned,” though, is far from a com-
a row of steel security bar- guilty to an infraction in Air Station in Jacksonville, said Bruno Carvalho, a plete defense. q
riers installed to prevent ve- 2015 and was ordered to
hicle attacks on the square complete a drunken-driv-
where massive crowds ing program and lost his li-
gather every New Year’s cense for 90 days.
Eve. The car came to rest In previous arrests, he told
with its two right wheels in authorities he believed he
the air. was being harassed and
Police said 23 people followed, one of the law
were struck, including an enforcement officials said.
18-year-old tourist from Police identified the wom-
Michigan who died. The an killed by the car as
woman’s 13-year-old sister Alyssa Elsman, of Portage,
was among the injured. Michigan.
The carnage raised imme- Elsman graduated last year
diate fears of terrorism, fu- from Portage Northern High
eled by recent attacks in School.
England, France and Ger- “If you didn’t know her, you
many in which vehicles might think she’s reserved
plowed through crowds or shy,” school principal
of pedestrians. But investi- Eric Alburtus said. “But if
gators quickly turned their you could talk to her for a
focus to the sobriety and minute, you’d realize she
mental health of the driver, was engaging. She was
identified as Bronx resident bright. She was funny.”
Richard Rojas. In the Bronx, neighborhood
“There is no indication that acquaintances said Rojas
this was an act of terror- was a friendly man who
ism,” Mayor Bill de Blasio had been having prob-
said. lems. Harrison Ramos said
Photographers snapped Rojas wasn’t the same
pictures of Rojas after he when he came back from
climbed from the wrecked active duty in 2014.
car and ran through the “He’s been going through
street before he was tack- a real tough time,” he said.
led by a group that includ- Rojas enlisted in the Navy
ed a muscular security su- in 2011 and was an elec-
pervisor at a nearby Planet trician’s mate fireman ap-
Hollywood restaurant. prentice. In 2012 he served
“He began screaming, no aboard the U.S.S. Carney,
particular words but just a destroyer.
utter screaming. He was Navy records show that in
swinging his arms at the 2013 he spent two months
same time, said the bounc- at a naval brig in Charles-
er, Ken Bradix. “There was ton, South Carolina. They
something wrong with don’t indicate why.