The Angelina County Sheriff’s Office received a call around 6:45 a.m. A car crashed into a house on FM 842 in the Moffett neighborhood.
Surprisingly, when Sheriff’s deputies and state troopers arrived on the scene, the caller was correct. They discovered that a car had driven straight through the house and fled.
Moffett Area Homeowner Killed in Crash
Robert Boles, 70, lived at the home and was discovered dead on the scene.
The truck hit him as it drove through the house.The photos below show a bed.
Damaged Truck Found Miles Away
The vehicle was later identified as an older model Chevrolet pickup truck. It was heading north on FM 842.
The truck went off-road in a curve, collided with a tree, and smashed into Mr. Boles’ home. State Troopers and Texas Rangers launched an investigation and quickly identified the perpetrator.
They followed the truck’s debris trail and found it three miles away at a home on Wilkerson Road. The perpetrator disguised the wrecked vehicle with a tarp and pulled another truck behind it, hiding it from view.
The front of the vehicle was severely damaged, and the windshield was completely smashed. The home contained mail from the accident scene.
Suspect In Hit And Run Quickly Found And Arrested
Investigators discovered that Jorge Urbina Lopez lived in the Wilkerson Road house. They believed he was the truck’s driver.
About five minutes before the crash, surveillance video from a nearby store captured Lopez and the pickup truck. Texas Rangers obtained a search warrant for the home on Wilkerson Road, and officers entered to look for Lopez.
Lopez was not present, so they gathered evidence and took the damaged truck as evidence. Then, deputies and troopers discovered a home on FM 842 with ties to Lopez.
When officers arrived at the home, the residents informed them that Lopez was inside. Officers searched the house and quickly discovered him partially hidden beneath a bed.
He resisted, but was quickly apprehended at around 12:45 PM.
Suspect Had Warrants, Immigration Review
Lopez had over ten old traffic tickets and had been arrested numerous times. He was taken to Angelina County Jail and held on old warrants while awaiting new charges for leaving the scene of a fatal crash.
Investigators discovered that Lopez had previously been deported from the United States. His immigration status is being reviewed by immigration officials.