Man drives car drives through Pennsylvania fundraising event, killing 1 and injuring 17

A man drove his vehicle through a Pennsylvania fundraising event in Berwick, Pennsylvania on Saturday, killing one person and injuring 17 others.

The fundraiser was being held in an area the suspect’s home in nearby Nescopeck. Police say the suspect was upset after an argument with his mother when he got into his vehicle and drove to Berwick. According to Pennsylvania State Police, the act was intentional.

Authorities wrote in a criminal complaint filed this weekend that the driver, 24-year old Adrian Oswaldo Sura Reyes, drove back to his home in Nescopeck after driving through the fundraiser, where he beat his mother to death. He was arraigned on Sunday and charged with two counts of criminal homicide.

The fundraiser was being held to raise money for the victims of a fatal house fire in the area earlier this month. “This is a complete tragedy in a community where there’s already been tragedy,” said State Trooper Anthony Petroski. “We are going to do our job to the best of our abilities to conduct a thorough investigation not only for the families but the community members. They’re already hurting.” The house fire took the lives of seven adults and three children.

According to the affidavit filed by the Pennsylvania State Police, the woman who was declared dead at the scene of the fundraiser was Rebecca L. Reese, 50. The affidavit quotes Reyes as telling police he was “tired” of fighting with  his mother and told officers that when he crashed his vehicle into the crowd at a bar called Intoxicology Department, “I didn’t ram ’em, I just ran them over.”

Reyes is being held without bail.