Lorry driver charged after bodies discovered

The driver of a lorry found packed with immigrants outside a Walmart in San Antonio was charged yesterday in connection with the deaths of ten people.

James Matthew Bradley Jr, 60, of Clearwater, Florida, could face the death penalty following charges of illegally transporting immigrants for financial gain, resulting in death.

Authorities discovered eight bodies inside the crowded 18-wheeler parked in the summer heat.

Two more victims died at the hospital.

Officials feared the death toll could rise because nearly 20 others rescued from the truck were in dire condition, many suffering from extreme dehydration and heatstroke.

“We’re looking at a human-trafficking crime,” San Antonio Police Chief William Mcmanus said, calling it “a horrific tragedy.”

The victims “were very hot to the touch. So these people were in this trailer without any signs of any type of water,” Fire Chief Charles Hood said.