23-year-old Autumn Donna Ascencio Romero was arraigned on charges of murder, manslaughter, and aggravated vehicular homicide. The charges relate to an incident last Saturday morning which killed two pedestrians in a crash in the Chinatown area. According to CBS News New York, the defendant was denied bail and a grand jury is expected to convene later this week.
According to police, Romero was allegedly driving a stolen blue Chevrolet Malibu when the vehicle crossed the Manhattan Bridge and struck cyclist Kevin Scott Cruickshank, 55, and pedestrian May Kwok, 63, resulting in their deaths. The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. and concluded when the vehicle collided with an unoccupied NYPD van and overturned near Canal Street and Bowery, CBS News New York reported. Romero, along with passenger Kennedy LeCraft, 22, supposedly attempted to flee the scene but were shortly apprehended by authorities.
Prosecutors disclosed additional details about the condition of the vehicle after the collision, providing further context to the case. The New York Post unveiled that an open bottle of tequila and two loaded 9mm handguns were found inside the wreck. Authorities also confirmed the Malibu was a rental overdue for return since June 29.
LeCraft, who was presented before the court yesterday, is facing charges pertaining to criminal possession of a weapon and unauthorized use of a stolen vehicle, for which bail was set at $150,000 cash or a $300,000 bond, as reported by the New York Post. This incident adds to a series of legal issues involving Romero, who had previously been charged in connection with a separate traffic incident earlier this year in Brooklyn that left a woman seriously injured.
