Man whose 12-year-old killed man, dog with SUV charged with homicide

Credit: Houston Police Department

Credit: Houston Police Department

A Texas man who is accused of allowing his 12-year-old daughter to drive his SUV, with which she struck and killed a neighbor and his dog, has been charged in the man's death.

Tomas Mejia Tol, 42, of Houston, is charged with criminally negligent homicide and endangering a child, according to a news release from city officials.

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Residents of the apartment complex where the crash took place told ABC13 in Houston that the 46-year-old victim was Enrique Jaime Vazquez. A GoFundMe page established by Vazquez's brother confirmed that identification.

"His brother, Fernando Vazquez, is raising money to send Enrique's body to Mexico, were his mother awaits to say her last goodbye after not being able to see her son for more than 30 years," the page reads.

Houston police officials said Mejia Tol allowed his daughter to drive a black Ford Explorer in their apartment complex around 4:25 p.m. Thursday. As the girl pulled forward out of a parking space, she hit the accelerator too hard.

Enrique Vazquez was walking his dogs nearby.

"When the child pressed the accelerator pedal, the Ford moved forward at a high rate of speed, struck the man, one of his dogs and then a tree," the city's news release said. "Paramedics arrived and pronounced the victim deceased."

The dog also died at the scene, officials said.

Related story: Man, dog killed by car driven by young girl, Houston police say

ABC13 reported that Mejia Tol initially told officers he was driving the vehicle when the crash took place. Investigators learned shortly that it was the daughter driving.

A 2-year-old child was in the back seat of the SUV during the incident, the news station reported. The toddler was in a safety seat and was uninjured.

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