SAN ANTONIO — Two suspects have been linked to a stolen vehicle involved in a deadly crash on I-35 and Cassin Road last month that killed five people and injured multiple others.
An arrest affidavit obtained Sunday, identifies 21-year-old Eric Perez and 18-year-old Matthew Espinoza as two suspects seen driving a stolen white 2018 Chevy Camaro involved in the deadly crash on July 17.
The two are currently facing charges related to other crimes including vehicle burglary and theft, leading up to the crash but police have not said if they will face additional charges in connection to that crash.
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According to the affidavit, the Camaro was reported stolen just a few days before on July 14 from a home in Converse, Texas. Investigators say the license plate of that vehicle as well as a dent on the right back side near the gas cap matched the same vehicle involved in the crash.
The affidavit states on July 15, Perez was seen on surveillance video breaking into a White Ford F-150 in a restaurant parking lot while Espinoza sat in the stolen Camaro acting as a “lookout.” Perez was seen taking a handbag from the vehicle and then got back into the Camaro with Espinoza, and the two drove off towards a nearby Academy. The Ford owner reported a Gucci bag with an unknown amount of money was stolen, along with some bank cards, and an identification card.
The Camaro was then captured on a Flock Camera arriving at a nearby Lowe’s on the South Side around 5:16 p.m. A Juvenile Probation Officer who was familiar with both suspects positively identified them from the store surveillance footage, the affidavit says.
The affidavit also states detectives found a black wallet containing multiple bank cards and an identification card matching the Ford owner’s name, sitting on top of the center console of the Camaro at the scene of the crash.
Perez is currently facing charges including theft of a firearm, 2 charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle, evading arrest with previous conviction, and burglary of vehicles. Jail records show he was booked into the Bexar County Jail on Saturday.
Espinoza is facing one charge of burglary of a vehicle and failure to identify a fugitive firearm. Jail records show he was arrested on Friday and bonded out Sunday.