8 Dead, 30 Injured in Tractor-trailer Outside San Antonio Walmart, Police Say

Eight people were found dead in a tractor-trailer loaded with at least 30 others Sunday morning outside a Walmart store in San Antonio's stifling summer heat in what police are calling a horrific human trafficking case. The arrested driver faces state and federal charges, police said. Seventeen other people in extremely critical or serious condition and thirteen more with lesser injuries were found inside the truck by police and fire personnel about 12:30 a.m., said public information officer Romana Lopez. All victims are believed to have suffered from heat exposure/asphyxiation, Lopez said.The truck didn't have a working air conditioning system despite blistering temperatures that reached 101 degrees Saturday, authorities said. All survivors were taken to several hospitals. The cause of death has not been released for the 8 people who died. The case appears to be a human smuggling operation, but police do not know the country of origin, destination or ages of the deceased or injured, Lopez said. The two youngest known victims are 15-years-old, Lopez said.   Continue reading...