Driver accused in car theft that led to passenger's death indicted by grand jury

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — We've learned that the suspect accused of trying to take a car with a man in the passenger seat has now been indicted by a Clark County Grand Jury.

Harold Allen is facing charges of murder with a deadly weapon, grand larceny of an auto, battery with use of a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm, and reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm.

This comes after police responded to the report of a crash around 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 11, in the 4000 block of West Charleston, near Decatur Boulevard, involving a black Hyundai Sonata and a silver Kia Sedona.

WATCH | Lt. Monique Rodriguez shared initial details of the investigation:

Four people, two from the minivan and two from the sedan, were taken to UMC for treatment. It was there that the Sonata's passenger, Benito Saragosa, was ultimately pronounced dead.

Authorities said that Saragosa had been picked up by his mother, the registered owner of the Hyundai, and he stayed inside the car while his mom went into Walmart. She left the keys in the ignition so he could use the air conditioning, and while she was in the store, police said Allen got in the driver's seat and tried to drive off in the Hyundai.

As the Hyundai sped away, police said, the car rammed into the back of a silver minivan and then collided with a pole

Allen told investigators that his girlfriend had driven him to Walmart in her black Toyota Camry, and he fell asleep in the car while she shopped. He claimed the next thing he remembered was starting a car and then nothing until after the crash, saying the gas pedal had stuck.

However, another witness told police that after the crash, Allen said, “I was trying to beat the light,” before losing consciousness. The same witness said Saragosa, appearing confused, asked, “What happened? Where am I?”