Richard Rojas: five Swift Facts You Need to Know

This is the man Richard Rojas arrested driving a car through Times Square pic.twitter.com/pDTSEKiepI

— ⚓Kevin Booker ⚓ (@KevinBooker206) May Legal, 2017

Richard Rojas, the Bronx man accused of driving a Honda Accord into a Times Square crowd, killing a teenage tourist from Michigan, is a former Naval electrician who allegedly told police he thought “the end of the world was coming.”

“You were supposed to shoot me! I desired to kill them,” Rojas, 26, allegedly told police, according to The Fresh York Post. The motive: He may have been attempting to commit “suicide by cop.”

Rojas, whose car allegedly hopped a sidewalk and injured twenty three people, killing 18-year-old Alyssa Elsman, was interested in Scientology, and police don’t think he was motivated by terrorism. However, ABC seven is reporting that he told police “he thought the end of the world was coming.”

The Fresh York Post is reporting, through police sources, that Thomas Elsman, Alyssa’s father, “went to the police precinct where the suspect was being held … and threatened to kill him” after driving to Fresh York from Michigan following the tragedy. He was taken to a hospital to silent down, reported The Post.

Suspect Richard Rojas instantly after the incident in Times Square. Horrific scenes. https://t.co/BFfvtsAgXA pic.twitter.com/hcYiGKG4JT

The suspect “tested positive for PCP and told police that God made him do it,” CNN reported, adding that he expected officers to shoot him. However, authorities have not confirmed that account.

NBC News reported that the suspect was not toasted. Rojas is a U.S. citizen and military veteran with a criminal history, Fresh York’s mayor said.

Rojas is accused of crashing his car onto a sidewalk in Times Square in Fresh York, leaving behind a trail of blood and victims in the popular tourist spot. Four of the victims are in critical condition, the Fresh York Post reports. Elsman, who died, was a car hop at a drive-in back in Michigan and was on a tour to Fresh York with her family. (There is a GoFundMe site to help Alyssa’s family.)

Alyssa Elsman. (Facebook)

Rojas has a troubled past, including a series of arrests. Strong has obtained a two thousand twelve police report from Florida that shows he was once arrested for menacing to kill “all police” after being accused of assaulting a cab driver, albeit the case was dropped.

TMZ published a series of photos that demonstrated Rojas acting crazed in the middle of the street after the crash, which allegedly occurred after he sped the wrong way down a prominent thoroughfare. Police hit Rojas with a string of murder and attempted murder charges on May Nineteen.

The suspect’s car. (Getty)

Note that some of the photos and movies in the story below are graphic and disturbing.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. The Suspect Is a Notary With Prior DUIs but Allegedly Tested Positive for Drugs & a Planet Hollywood Bouncer Helped Subdue Him

There were obviously initial concerns about terrorism. That’s because the scene of a vehicle ramming into a crowd at high-profile catches sight of has become all too familiar. Terrorists, fueled by ISIS, have used that method in attacks in London, France, and Germany.

However, in Times Square, early reports pointed toward alcohol and, when that was ruled out, then drugs. According to CBS Fresh York, the suspect “has two prior DWIs.” One was in Minnesota and one in Queens, reports NBC News.

Who is Richard Rojas? What we know about the 26-year-old driver who mowed down a crowd in Times Square https://t.co/illdP2QaV4 pic.twitter.com/wnUMhb5r6N

It turned out that Rojas, who was born in the Bronx, didn’t have alcohol in his system. NBC Fresh York reported that the suspect “blew a 0.0 when tested for alcohol at the precinct, but drug tests are pending.” ABC7 reported that Rojas allegedly tested “positive for drugs. Blood tests are underway to check for the presence of synthetic marijuana or PCP among other substances.”

According to CNN, police sources say PCP was allegedly found in Rojas’ system. However, other reports blamed synthetic marijuana or K2.

Impactante momento en el cual un auto atropella personas en #TimesSquare. Sospechoso identificado como Richard Rojas #18May #nyc #USA #crash pic.twitter.com/8wHjBq9XWl

— Daniel Benitez (@danielbnews) May Eighteen, 2017

According to ABC7, witnesses reported the suspect seemed enormously impaired at the scene. “Rojas admitted smoking marijuana before driving, and when he was captured he told cops he desired them to shoot him,” TMZ alleged.

Citizens rushed to subdue the suspect at the scene.

A movie of his perp walk demonstrated Rojas wearing a different color T-shirt than the photos of him at the scene. A witness told CBS that “the driver attempted to run from the scene and the bouncer from Planet Hollywood hit him, so we leaped on top of him and ripped his T-shirt, desired to make sure he had no gun or knife on him.” The ripped T-shirt might explain why he was later photographed wearing a crimson, not brown, T-shirt.

One of the critical people to intervene was Ken Bradix, the security guard at Planet Hollywood nearby.

“I turned around, I witnessed a car driving down 7th Avenue on the sidewalk and it was smoking,” Bradix said to Fox five Fresh York. “[The driver] was screaming — no particular words — but he was screaming and flailing his arms in all kinds of directions.”

According to the television station, “Bradix ran to the middle of the street and he and a traffic agent tackled Rojas to the ground while cops raced over to cuff him. He said Rojas seemed like he was on something.”

Bradix told the AP that Rojas “began screaming, no particular words but just utter screaming. He was swinging his arms at the same time. There was something wrong with him.” According to Big black cock, the suspect allegedly later told police he had heard voices.

Police take 26-year-old Richard Rojas into custody following the deadly Times Square crash. pic.twitter.com/h8z2p3h71c

Rojas also has a May arrest for menacing. According to The Fresh York Post, Rojas, “who is a notary, was arrested on May eleven in The Bronx for menacing someone who came to his house to get an annuity notarized. Rojas accused the person of stealing his ID, then put a knife to his mouth, police sources said.” Albeit he was “charged with menacing and criminal possession of a weapon,” the Post reported, he pleaded guilty to harassment.

NYPD name the driver of the car that plowed into pedestrians at Times Square as Richard Rojas, 26

The car plowed into a crowd of pedestrians, leaping a curb. In a news conference, the police commissioner said the crash occurred at 11:55 a.m., when the two thousand nine Honda Accord mounted a sidewalk on the west side of 7th Avenue at West 42nd Street in Times Square.

The vehicle drove at high rate of speed, striking pedestrians on the way, injuring twenty three in all, and killing the teenage damsel, the commissioner said. The injury count had climbed via the day.

Movies captured the actual moment the car struck people. Be aware they are graphic.

The moment Richard Rojas mowed down pedestrians in #TimesSquare. pic.twitter.com/y6MWP29oMV

— Based Monitored 🇺🇸 (@BasedMonitored) May Nineteen, 2017

According to NBC Fresh York, in one of Rojas’ previous DUI cases, “he was driving quicker than ninety nine mph in a fifty mph zone.”

The commissioner confirmed that Rojas was a resident of the Bronx with prior arrests, two for buzzed driving (DWI). Investigators said in the news conference that they are looking further into his background.

The NYPD said within an hour after the crash that authorities don’t suspect terrorism.

Two. Rojas Served in the Military as an Electrician’s Mate & Was Accused in Florida of Menacing to Kill ‘All Police’

People attend injured persons moments after a car plunged into them in Times Square in Fresh York on May Eighteen, 2017. (Getty)

In a news conference, Fresh York Mayor Bill DeBlasio said that the suspect is a U.S. citizen who served in the military and has a criminal history.

“The perpetrator is in custody. He’s a United States citizen and former member of the armed coerces with the United States Navy. He has a criminal history,” the mayor said.

He was stationed in Florida, Illinois, and South Carolina, and worked as an electrician’s mate. He was awarded a defense service medal.

Richard Rojas #TimesSquare suspect was Electrician’s mate NS Mayport served aboard USS Carney. Defense Service Medal. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/Jth8S4fydW

However, his Navy career unraveled with an arrest in 2012.

A two thousand twelve police arrest report from Florida says officers were dispatched to the Mayport Naval Base after being informed an attack and battery had occurred on base and arrested Rojas. The case was dropped/abandoned in February two thousand thirteen for reasons that are unclear.

In the Florida case, officers were flagged down by a cab driver and told a green Honda was exiting the base being driven by the suspect. When officers stopped the car, they observed Rojas with an abrasion on his right palm. He yelled, “My life is over,” the report alleges.

Rojas allegedly turned and attempted to walk away, and the officer manacled him. He is accused of telling, “I hit the sh*t out of that cab driver and I’ll tell you why, he said, I owed him ($162). I hit the sh*t out of him. He disrespected me!”

The cab driver told police the suspect had attacked him after he refused to pay $44 cab fare. The report said Rojas was active duty Naval personnel.

“The suspect also made threats to kill all police and military police he might see after he (was) released from jail,” alleges the arrest report.

The report says Rojas allegedly told the victim to go after him into the barracks to get money to pay him, and at that time Rojas attacked him.

According to DNAInfo, Rojas “enlisted in the Navy on Sept. 17, 2011, and spent the next four months stationed in Illinois, Navy officials said.” He was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida “from January two thousand twelve through to June two thousand thirteen when he reached the rank of Electrician’s Mate Fireman Apprentice and was stationed in the Naval Consolidated Brig in Charleston, South Carolina.” He was moved back to Jacksonville in 2013, the site reports.

He was “other than honorably discharged” in 2014.

According to The Fresh York Times, Rojas grew up near Yankee Stadium and was known in earlier years for draping out at auto shops and wanting to launch his own clothing line. However, his life deteriorated after his failed military service. When he returned to the Bronx to live with his mother, he descended into paranoia and substance manhandle, the Times reported.

13 total patients presently reported at scene of motor vehicle accident in Times Square pic.twitter.com/ySwtL6ZLoc

The crash into the Times Square crowd was horrific.

A witness told Fox News that she witnessed “clumps of people down.”

“We spotted people laying on the sidewalk…with crowds of people laying around them. You could see clumps of people down the sidewalk with people all around them attempting to help them.”

Trio. Rojas Had an Interest in Scientology & Allegedly Told Police He Thought the End of the World Was Imminent

There are numerous injuries after a car hopped the sidewalk in Times Square. Warning this movie is graphic. pic.twitter.com/iPn8rp5LtJ

— Shayna Estulin (@ShaynaEstulin12) May Legitimate, 2017

Rojas had an interest in the controversial practice of Scientology, according to ABC 7.

“Investigators found materials that indicated Rojas has an interest in Scientology and made comments to police that indicated he thought the end of the world was coming,” reported the Fresh York television station.

Harrison Ramos, 30, a friend of Rojas, told The Fresh York Post that Ramos switched after his time in the military and embarked “drinking to relieve his stress.”

“He ultimately came home, and it was hard for him to find a job,” Ramos told the newspaper, adding that Rojas would rant about demons, demons, and conspiracy theories. “He was having a lot of bad nightmares. He was talking crazy. He was acting strange.”

Times Square was locked down after the incident, reports CBS. However, authorities were labeling the crash an “accident,” at least primarily.

PERP WALK: Times Square Attacker Walks Out Of NYPD Precinct In Manhattan

The Fresh York Fire Department referred to the incident on Twitter as a “motor vehicle accident in Times Square.” According to Fox News, “several police sources told Fox News the incident appeared to be an accident. The NYPD press office had not yet confirmed that.”

However, in the news conference, Mayor DeBlasio confirmed that authorities don’t suspect terrorism. “Based on the information we have right now, there’s no indication this is an act of terrorism,” he said.

According to The Fresh York Post, Rojas is accused of punching a police officer.

“When the car eventually crashed into a pole, the driver got out of the vehicle and attempted to run away, according to witnesses. He punched a police officer before several cops were able to apprehend him,” the Post reported.

Four. Elsman Was on a Fresh York Family Vacation & Her Sister Was Also Injured

Alyssa Elsman. (Facebook)

Elsman, the woman who died, was visiting Times Square on a family vacation from Michigan, according to The Fresh York Post. A 13-year-old damsel who is the sister of the teenage who died is among those injured, reported CBS Fresh York.

Elsman was a car hop at a Sonic Drive-In back in Michigan, and her beau told The Fresh York Post he knew something was wrong when she didn’t text him back.

Elsman posted “a movie to Instagram atop the famed crimson staircase at the Crossroads of the World” shortly before she died, according to the Post. She posted photos from Times Square in 2016, too.

Alyssa Elsman in Times Square in April 2016. (Facebook)

Horrific pics emerged from the carnage scene.

A witness told Reuters about witnessing “one person was covered with a bloodstained blanket after the collision.” The car crashed into a pole before stopping, reported Reuters. Photos displayed it remained on the scene for some time.

Alyssa Elsman. (Instagram)

According to CNN, the incident occurred about a mile from Trump Tower, albeit the president was not there at the time. CNN reported that Fresh York Governor Andrew Cuomo also headed to the scene.

Five. Rojas Is Accused of Driving the Wrong Way Down Seventh Avenue

People attend to an injured pedestrian a moment after a car plunged into them in Times Square. (Jewel Samad/Getty)

Witness accounts said the sedan, allegedly driven by Rojas, was spotted speeding the wrong way down Seventh Avenue toward the busy tourist venue, reports The Fresh York Post.

The Post reported that the suspect allegedly drive down the busy street the wrong way for at least three blocks.

Photos displayed the car “upended” on the sidewalk and injured people scattered on the street.

People attend an injured woman after a car plunged into her in Times Square in Fresh York. (Getty)

According to Fox News, “the vehicle was traveling against traffic and attempting to come in a pedestrian section of Times Square.” The area was “heavily populated with tourists,” reports Fox.

People and a police officer attend to an injured person moments after a car plunged into them in Times Square in Fresh York on May Legitimate, 2017. (Getty)

According to Reuters, the vehicle was speeding when it collided into the crowd of pedestrians in Times Square. “A speeding vehicle struck pedestrians on a sidewalk in Fresh York City’s Times Square on Thursday, according to an announcement at nearby Reuters news agency headquarters,” reported Reuters. Those injured were being treated at the scene, reported the news agency.

A wrecked car sits in the intersection of 45th and Broadway in Times Square. (Getty)

Movies and photos of the incident’s aftermath circulated on social media.

NBC News reported that there was a massive police response to the scene. “Emergency response in Fresh York City’s Times Square due to incident involving a car reportedly hitting pedestrians,” the network tweeted.

The incident occurred around noon in Fresh York (Eastern Standard Time), a time framework when Times Square is particularly busy.

A woman makes a phone call as others attend to an injured person after a car plunged into them. (Jewel Samad/Getty)

This post will be updated as more information is known.

Richard Rojas: five Swift Facts You Need to Know

Richard Rojas: five Quick Facts You Need to Know

This is the man Richard Rojas arrested driving a car through Times Square pic.twitter.com/pDTSEKiepI

— ⚓Kevin Booker ⚓ (@KevinBooker206) May Eighteen, 2017

“You were supposed to shoot me! I wished to kill them,” Rojas, 26, allegedly told police, according to The Fresh York Post. The motive: He may have been attempting to commit “suicide by cop.”

Suspect Richard Rojas instantaneously after the incident in Times Square. Horrific scenes. https://t.co/BFfvtsAgXA pic.twitter.com/hcYiGKG4JT

The suspect “tested positive for PCP and told police that God made him do it,” CNN reported, adding that he expected officers to shoot him. However, authorities have not confirmed that account.

NBC News reported that the suspect was not inebriated. Rojas is a U.S. citizen and military veteran with a criminal history, Fresh York’s mayor said.

Alyssa Elsman. (Facebook)

Rojas has a troubled past, including a series of arrests. Mighty has obtained a two thousand twelve police report from Florida that shows he was once arrested for menacing to kill “all police” after being accused of assaulting a cab driver, albeit the case was dropped.

TMZ published a series of photos that showcased Rojas acting crazed in the middle of the street after the crash, which allegedly occurred after he sped the wrong way down a prominent thoroughfare. Police hit Rojas with a string of murder and attempted murder charges on May Nineteen.

The suspect’s car. (Getty)

Note that some of the photos and movies in the story below are graphic and disturbing.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. The Suspect Is a Notary With Prior DUIs but Allegedly Tested Positive for Drugs & a Planet Hollywood Bouncer Helped Subdue Him

Who is Richard Rojas? What we know about the 26-year-old driver who mowed down a crowd in Times Square https://t.co/illdP2QaV4 pic.twitter.com/wnUMhb5r6N

According to CNN, police sources say PCP was allegedly found in Rojas’ system. However, other reports blamed synthetic marijuana or K2.

Impactante momento en el cual un auto atropella personas en #TimesSquare. Sospechoso identificado como Richard Rojas #18May #nyc #USA #crash pic.twitter.com/8wHjBq9XWl

— Daniel Benitez (@danielbnews) May Eighteen, 2017

Citizens rushed to subdue the suspect at the scene.

A movie of his perp walk demonstrated Rojas wearing a different color T-shirt than the photos of him at the scene. A witness told CBS that “the driver attempted to run from the scene and the bouncer from Planet Hollywood hit him, so we hopped on top of him and ripped his T-shirt, dreamed to make sure he had no gun or knife on him.” The ripped T-shirt might explain why he was later photographed wearing a crimson, not brown, T-shirt.

One of the critical people to intervene was Ken Bradix, the security guard at Planet Hollywood nearby.

Police take 26-year-old Richard Rojas into custody following the deadly Times Square crash. pic.twitter.com/h8z2p3h71c

NYPD name the driver of the car that plowed into pedestrians at Times Square as Richard Rojas, 26

The vehicle drove at high rate of speed, striking pedestrians on the way, injuring twenty three in all, and killing the teenage lady, the commissioner said. The injury count had climbed via the day.

Movies captured the actual moment the car struck people. Be aware they are graphic.

The moment Richard Rojas mowed down pedestrians in #TimesSquare. pic.twitter.com/y6MWP29oMV

— Based Monitored 🇺🇸 (@BasedMonitored) May Nineteen, 2017

According to NBC Fresh York, in one of Rojas’ previous DUI cases, “he was driving quicker than ninety nine mph in a fifty mph zone.”

The commissioner confirmed that Rojas was a resident of the Bronx with prior arrests, two for tipsy driving (DWI). Investigators said in the news conference that they are looking further into his background.

The NYPD said within an hour after the crash that authorities don’t suspect terrorism.

Two. Rojas Served in the Military as an Electrician’s Mate & Was Accused in Florida of Menacing to Kill ‘All Police’

People attend injured persons moments after a car plunged into them in Times Square in Fresh York on May Eighteen, 2017. (Getty)

In a news conference, Fresh York Mayor Bill DeBlasio said that the suspect is a U.S. citizen who served in the military and has a criminal history.

“The perpetrator is in custody. He’s a United States citizen and former member of the armed coerces with the United States Navy. He has a criminal history,” the mayor said.

He was stationed in Florida, Illinois, and South Carolina, and worked as an electrician’s mate. He was awarded a defense service medal.

Richard Rojas #TimesSquare suspect was Electrician’s mate NS Mayport served aboard USS Carney. Defense Service Medal. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/Jth8S4fydW

However, his Navy career unraveled with an arrest in 2012.

A two thousand twelve police arrest report from Florida says officers were dispatched to the Mayport Naval Base after being informed an onslaught and battery had occurred on base and arrested Rojas. The case was dropped/abandoned in February two thousand thirteen for reasons that are unclear.

In the Florida case, officers were flagged down by a cab driver and told a green Honda was exiting the base being driven by the suspect. When officers stopped the car, they observed Rojas with an abrasion on his right arm. He yelled, “My life is over,” the report alleges.

Rojas allegedly turned and attempted to walk away, and the officer cuffed him. He is accused of telling, “I hit the sh*t out of that cab driver and I’ll tell you why, he said, I owed him ($162). I hit the sh*t out of him. He disrespected me!”

The cab driver told police the suspect had attacked him after he refused to pay $44 cab fare. The report said Rojas was active duty Naval personnel.

“The suspect also made threats to kill all police and military police he might see after he (was) released from jail,” alleges the arrest report.

The report says Rojas allegedly told the victim to go after him into the barracks to get money to pay him, and at that time Rojas attacked him.

He was “other than honorably discharged” in 2014.

According to The Fresh York Times, Rojas grew up near Yankee Stadium and was known in earlier years for suspending out at auto shops and wanting to launch his own clothing line. However, his life deteriorated after his failed military service. When he returned to the Bronx to live with his mother, he descended into paranoia and substance manhandle, the Times reported.

13 total patients presently reported at scene of motor vehicle accident in Times Square pic.twitter.com/ySwtL6ZLoc

The crash into the Times Square crowd was horrific.

A witness told Fox News that she spotted “clumps of people down.”

“We spotted people laying on the sidewalk…with crowds of people laying around them. You could see clumps of people down the sidewalk with people all around them attempting to help them.”

Trio. Rojas Had an Interest in Scientology & Allegedly Told Police He Thought the End of the World Was Imminent

There are numerous injuries after a car hopped the sidewalk in Times Square. Warning this movie is graphic. pic.twitter.com/iPn8rp5LtJ

— Shayna Estulin (@ShaynaEstulin12) May Eighteen, 2017

Rojas had an interest in the controversial practice of Scientology, according to ABC 7.

Harrison Ramos, 30, a friend of Rojas, told The Fresh York Post that Ramos switched after his time in the military and commenced “drinking to relieve his stress.”

“He eventually came home, and it was hard for him to find a job,” Ramos told the newspaper, adding that Rojas would rant about demons, satans, and conspiracy theories. “He was having a lot of bad nightmares. He was talking crazy. He was acting strange.”

Times Square was locked down after the incident, reports CBS. However, authorities were labeling the crash an “accident,” at least originally.

PERP WALK: Times Square Attacker Walks Out Of NYPD Precinct In Manhattan

According to The Fresh York Post, Rojas is accused of punching a police officer.

Four. Elsman Was on a Fresh York Family Vacation & Her Sister Was Also Injured

Alyssa Elsman. (Facebook)

Elsman, the lady who died, was visiting Times Square on a family vacation from Michigan, according to The Fresh York Post. A 13-year-old lady who is the sister of the teenage who died is among those injured, reported CBS Fresh York.

Elsman was a car hop at a Sonic Drive-In back in Michigan, and her bf told The Fresh York Post he knew something was wrong when she didn’t text him back.

Alyssa Elsman in Times Square in April 2016. (Facebook)

Horrific photos emerged from the carnage scene.

A witness told Reuters about watching “one person was covered with a bloodstained blanket after the collision.” The car crashed into a pole before stopping, reported Reuters. Photos demonstrated it remained on the scene for some time.