WYLIE, Texas - A 19-year-old North Texas man originally arrested on an aggravated assault charge is now facing a murder charge after the victim in an alleged intentional auto-pedestrian crash died from his injuries, according to the Wylie Police Department.
Wylie man charged with murder
What we know:
Wylie police said the charge against Rene Padilla was upgraded after 20-year-old Maximliano Maldonado was injured in the July 5 incident, before later passing away. Maldonado remained hospitalized in critical condition following the crash. Padilla remains in the Collin County Jail.
According to investigators, a Wylie police officer was flagged down around 3:38 p.m. on July 5 in the 800 block of Woodbridge Parkway after receiving reports of vehicles possibly racing in the back of a parking lot. When the officer arrived, they found an auto-pedestrian crash that had just occurred in the parking lot of 207 Security Court.
Emergency responders treated Maldonado, who suffered severe head injury before being transported to a regional hospital in critical condition.
Argument led to alleged intentional crash
Dig deeper:
The preliminary investigation found that Maldonado and Padilla had been involved in a verbal altercation before Maldonado exited his vehicle. Investigators allege Padilla intentionally struck Maldonado with the vehicle he was driving.
Padilla was initially arrested on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Following Maldonado's death on July 11, investigators obtained a murder charge against Padilla, police said.
The investigation remains ongoing.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the City of Wylie.