Car Strikes Child, TX Crowd Kills Passenger

[Big Phil]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4909808.html

Austin police revise story on beating death

By LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON
Associated Press
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AUSTIN — Police backed off their initial descriptions of a mob beating a man to death after a child was hurt by the victim's car, saying today that they are looking for three or four suspects and that fewer than two dozen — not hundreds of — people witnessed the attack.

City officials were also eager today to minimize any connection between the beating and a city-sponsored Juneteenth festival that had just wrapped up a few blocks from the beating.

Austin Mayor Will Wynn, Assistant City Manager Michael McDonald, police and emergency officials and community leaders held a news conference to adjust their initial report Wednesday that 2,000 to 3,000 people were in the area when David Rivas Morales, 40, was beaten to death after a car in which he was riding bumped a toddler. The child was not seriously hurt.

McDonald said almost all of the celebrants were blocks away from the public housing complex where the attack occurred. And Assistant Police Chief David Carter said police were wrong on Wednesday when they said up to 20 people may have participated in the attack.

"We're looking for three or four heinous criminals," Carter said. "I want to bring them to justice."

Authorities also released new details about the events leading up to the beating, saying the car's driver had just dropped off Morales at his sister's townhouse when he hit 2-year-old Michael Hosea Jr. Three or four men confronted the driver, and Morales came to help him, Carter said.

The driver told police he got away in his vehicle before the beating began and didn't know his friend had been hurt, Carter added.

Morales' neighbors and relatives complained on Wednesday about the time it took an ambulance crew to reach him as he lay in the parking lot, choking on his own blood.

A combination of factors including incorrect information in an anonymous 911 call and traffic from the Juneteenth festival delayed the crew, said Richard Herrington, director of Austin's Emergency Medical Services Department.

"We responded as quickly as possible to try to get help to Mr. Morales," Herrington said.

The original anonymous caller described the assault as a gang fight involving a large crowd of people at an intersection near the housing complex, Herrington said. That prompted dispatchers to tell the ambulance crew to wait a few blocks away from the scene for about three-and-a-half minutes so police could get the situation under control.

It then took them almost seven minutes to drive the rest of the way to the intersection, where they were told where the actual beating took place, he said.

Morales was in cardiac arrest when the crew found him, Herrington said. They treated him at the scene for about 12 minutes before rushing him to the hospital.

The family also had criticized police for failing to perform CPR before the ambulance arrived, but Herrington said that could have made Morales' condition worse.

The comments below are very interesting.

[Darth Mortis]

Stupid AND violent. Now they just need racism to complete the redneck triumvirate and we're all set.

Of course it would have to be "rednecks", now who displaying racial overtones?

Oh that's right, you are.


The people in the car were Mexican, I do not know what the makeup of the crowd was, but I'm sure they we're all redneck hillbillies, because lord knows "normal" civilians would never do such a thing. Perhaps next time we can blame it one the illegal immigrant Mexicans!

[Flagg]

Stupid AND violent. Now they just need racism to complete the redneck triumvirate and we're all set.

Of course it would have to be "rednecks", now who displaying racial overtones?

Oh that's right, you are.


The people in the car were Mexican, I do not know what the makeup of the crowd was, but I'm sure they we're all redneck hillbillies, because lord knows "normal" civilians would never do such a thing. Perhaps next time we can blame it one the illegal immigrant Mexicans!

It's fucking Texas and the victim was a Mexican. It's not unreasonable to assume it was a bunch of redneck dickheads responsible. It's not fair, but that's the way it is. The fact that it's a bunch of gangbanger dickheads doesn't come as any less of a shock, either.

[Enigma]

I may be wrong but isn't the kid mexican also? Is Hosea a hispanic name?

I can only assume maybe the attackers maybe Mexican too? Again *if* the child is Mexican then I doubt racist redneck hillbillies would kill Morales in retaliation.

[Elfdart]

Jose is a Hispanic name. Hosea is not.

[Enigma]

Jose is a Hispanic name. Hosea is not.

Ahh, then consider my previous post as bantha poodoo.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Stupid AND violent. Now they just need racism to complete the redneck triumvirate and we're all set.

the dead guy was named "Morales" this was Texas, I think we have that element too.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Are we so sure it was 'rednecks' that close to a predominantly black celebration? Blacks in America can make startling displays of bigotry and racism as well as whites.

[Flagg]

I think we're all pretty sure it was blacks at this point.

[DeTejas]

It's fucking Texas and the victim was a Mexican. It's not unreasonable to assume it was a bunch of redneck dickheads responsible. It's not fair, but that's the way it is. The fact that it's a bunch of gangbanger dickheads doesn't come as any less of a shock, either.

First Austin really isnt that redneck of a town...

Second not many rednecks celebrating junetenth...

[DeTejas]

Also like to add that for some time there has been some hostile interactions between the Hispanic and Black communities in the City of Austin. Both of these groups live on the eastern side of the local interstate (i 35) and have quite a bit of contact with each other. Recently the downtown portion of the East Side is undergoing massive amounts of gentrification (its a great place for people wanting to live near the massive night life of dt Austin cheaply... prices of land across the raised interstate can be 700k less) causing these groups to leave their previously homogeneous neighborhoods and mix in nearby locations...

[chitoryu12]

Are we so sure it was 'rednecks' that close to a predominantly black celebration? Blacks in America can make startling displays of bigotry and racism as well as whites.

Also known as an all-black college.

[Death from the Sea]

I live in Texas and haven't heard about this.... why is it that BBC News is reporting when Texas media aint???