Ten people were found dead and dozens more were sickened in a sweltering tractor-trailer outside a San Antonio Walmart early Sunday morning in what police are calling a horrific immigration smuggling case gone wrong.
Nearly 40 people were found in the stifling tractor-trailer, and survivors later told investigators up to 100 people were packed into the truck at one point, the Associated Press reported. The driver of the truck, 60-year-old James Matthew Bradley of Clearwater, Florida, has been charged with human trafficking, the AP also reported.
According to KABB-TV, at least 20 of the survivors were in critical or serious condition and eight more were suffering from heat-related injuries and dehydration. All of the deceased are believed to have died as a result of heat exposure and asphyxiation.
Four of the people on board were between the ages of 10 and 17. Two perished in the truck and another is in serious condition, Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told the AP.
The discovery was made after a person from the truck approached a Walmart employee late Saturday night and requested water, the AP report added. The employee offered the person water and notified police.
When police arrived, they discovered dozens of people in the tractor-trailer that had no working air-conditioning system.
"They were very hot to the touch. So these people were in this trailer without any signs of any type of water," San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood told reporters, adding that the victims all had elevated heart rates. "It was a mass casualty situation for us."
Saturday marked the third consecutive day with 100-degree heat in San Antonio, said weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. The average high in the city this time of year is 95 degrees, he added.
The unidentified driver was arrested and survivors were transported to area hospitals, KABB also reported. In store surveillance video, investigators witnessed vehicles arriving and picking up people from the tractor-trailer, police said.
"We're looking at a human trafficking crime this evening," said San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, adding that the case is "a horrific tragedy."
"We are very fortunate that there weren't 38 people who were locked inside of this vehicle dead," he also said.
Mourners created a memorial outside of the Walmart for the individuals that died. The memorial includes unopened bottles of water, teddy bears, flowers and a cross.