“Boys will be boys” situations are usually dismissed as such, because, well, young boys tend to do dumb stuff almost every day. The behavior is generally harmless, and in fact is a crucial part of adolescent boys becoming young men…but, every once in a while, things go too far.
In the below story, boys being boys turned into something fare worse than simple trickery or gag pulling. Luckily, thanks to a nearby gas station’s security camera, police were able to get to the bottom of a tragic accident…
Throwing Eggs
One day in Houston, Texas a group of teenagers decided it would be fun idea throw eggs at cars. So the group of delinquents acquired some eggs, whether they bought them or took them from home has not been reported, and proceeded to pelt passing cars with them.
Flashing a Gun
After a few laughs and some ticked-off looks from passersby, the teens hit a car whose driver wasn’t about to let the prank slide. The driver slammed on their breaks bringing the car to a screeching halt while the teens, now frozen in fear, looked on in panic. Before the instinct to run hit them, the driver pulled a semi-automatic weapon and flashed it out the window, according to reports.
The Driver
The driver who supposedly flashed the gun at the teens has been described by police as a “Hispanic male in his late 20s with a tattoo on his left forearm and elbow.” The car this suspect was driving was a “gold or yellow” 1970s Lincoln, with a white top.
The Teen’s Car
Instead of running away on foot, the 14-year-old diver in question, along with two friends, jumped into their own car, a sport utility vehicle identified as a GMC Adadia. The legal driving age in Texas is 16 years, so at that point the driver had already committed at least two crimes, though the worst was yet to come…
The Chase Is On
At that point the Lincoln chased the GMC and that’s where things began to get crazy. Video footage of the chase was captured by camera of a nearby gas station. In it you can see both the Lincoln and the GMC breaking the speed limit and driving reckless.
A Third Driver
There was another important character in this story, and her name was Silvia Zavala. The 45-year-old mother was also driving on that fateful day. Zavala drove a Ford F-150 pickup truck. She waited patiently at a red light until it finally turned green…
The Accident
When the light turned green, Zavala pressed the accelerator and made her way through the intersection. Just as she did, the teenage egg-throwers ran the red light and collided into the side of Zavala’s truck at high speed, sending twisted metal, plastic, and glass into the air and onto the street.
A Horrific Site
Passersby witnessed the crash and quickly ran over to see if everything was okay. Neither driver was able to move in the smoking mess of steel and glass, and the people feared the worse. The authorities were called immediately as no one knew how badly hurt the teens or Zavala were.
Fleeing the Scene
The driver of the Lincoln Towncar witnessed the accident from behind and fled the scene without stopping. The driver knew it was bad by the looks of it and wanted nothing to do with it. Little did that driver know, there was video footage of them giving chase…
Zavala’s Fate
By the time first responders arrived, Zavala had already passed away. According to reports, the 45-year-old driver died almost immediately on impact. The three teens on the other hand, survived the crash with minor injuries.
Going to the Gas Staion
The police began investigating the accident and quickly learned about the third car involved in the chase. They also knew there was a gas station nearby and that gas stations usually have surveillance video cameras pointed into the parking lot…
Bingo
They were right. It didn’t take long to find the video and spot the third vehicle. Right away the police sent out an all-points bulletin (APB) to find the driver of the third car.
Video Goes Viral
Local and national news stations shared the video online and on TV, and within hours the images caught on tape made their way across the Internet. It didn’t take long for the police to get leads on the third driver.
Found Them
After a short period police found the third driver. It was not reported whether the person was caught or if they turned themselves in. But it was reported that the driver of the Lincoln did fully cooperated with police.
The Story Comes Out
After talking to the third driver, the whole story came out. The police learned about the crash, the chase, and the egg throwing that caused the whole thing. News station ABC 13 reported that deputies confirmed the driver of the Lincoln did, in fact, flash a weapon at the teens, but nothing further has been reported on that.
Arresting the Teenager
After collecting all the evidence and hearing the stories from eyewitnesses, police decided to arrest the teen driver. After arresting him the pubic learned what he’d been charged with…
Murder
The police charged the 14-year-old driver with murder for causing Zavala’s death in the crash. This raised a few questions since the driver was so young, but it’s still early in the case, and there are sure to be more questions both asked and answered in the coming months.
Legal Age In Texas
The legal age for consent in Texas is 17 years old, and the age one needs to be to buy tobacco products in Texas is 18, so charging a 14 year old with murder is a stretch, but remains what happened nonetheless.
GoFundMe
Silvia Zavala’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses for the loss of the single mother-of-two. The goal for funds is set at $15,000 and so far just over $3,000 has been raised.
Updates
As of now, the 14-year-old driver’s name has not been released for legal reasons. The police will continue investigating the crime and more information will become available in the coming months.
