Man indicted for capital murder after car crash

Ozona—The driver accused of killing an Ozona grandmother and granddaughter in a high-speed chase has been indicted on two counts of capital murder by a Crockett County Grand Jury.

According to indictment documents from the Crockett County Clerk’s Office, Rassian Nateray Comer, 21, has been charged with capital murder for the deaths of Maria Socorro Alvarez Tambunga, age 71, and Capital Murder, child under 10 years of age, for the death of Emilia Brooke Tambunga, age 7.

According to a DPS report, on March 13, a Texas DPS Trooper attempted to stop a 2021 Dodge pickup truck driven by Comer for a speeding violation.

Comer refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued eastbound on I-10.

The Trooper lost sight of the vehicle and terminated the pursuit.A short time later, a Crockett County Sheriff’s Deputy located the vehicle, and Comer continued to flee.

Comer then disregarded a red light at State Highway 163 and I-10 service road intersection (15th Street and Avenue E) and crashed into a pickup truck driven by Maria Tambunga with Emilia Tambunga as a passenger.

Comer was also indicted for capital murder for the deaths of Ignacio Coca Guzman and Rodrigo Soriano Santiago, passengers in his vehicle. Both men were in their 40s.

All four individuals were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the DPS report.

Elissa Tambunga, Maria's daughter and Emilia's mother, said the news of the indictment brought both new peace of mind and more stress.

"It’s like a whole new window of emotions again. In this case, it’s good, but it brings back all of the emotion," Tambunga said.

Tambunga and her family's next step is waiting for a court date.

"In the judicial system, it seems like it's happening quickly. But for us, it feels like an eternity. It’s still a long process ahead and a very long battle," she said.

While the family awaits justice, they are working with Congressman Gonzales (TX-23) to pass the Emi-Coke Accountability Act of 2023 in the U.S. House.

"We noticed there wasn't any prevention," Tambunga said. "There was nobody in the community that night, who knew there was a chase going on."

The act, which would work similarly to an Amber Alert, will warn law enforcement and members of the public when there is a high-speed chase in their area to help keep civilians out of harm's way.

"Far too many residents of South and West Texas are familiar with instances like this taking place on their own streets,” Gonzales, who introduced the act to the House of Representatives on June 12, said. “This legislation is designed to help keep communities alert, prevent these types of events in the future, and ultimately save lives."

A vigil for Maria and Emilia will be held at the site of the accident, the I-10/TX-163 intersection, at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 30.

"We’d just like to say thank you again to everyone for being so great and so supportive," Tambunga said. "Our most important thing is keeping my mom and my daughter’s memory alive. My mom was a woman of very strong faith, and she definitely passed that on to Emilia. My sister, my dad, my brother-in-law, and I are trying to grasp onto some of her faith to have for the future."

Comer has also been indicted in four counts of felony murder, first-degree felony, manslaughter, second-degree felony, and criminally negligent homicide with a deadly weapon, third-degree felony, in the deaths of Maria Tambunga, Emilia Tambunga, Guzman and Santiago.

The indictment states that Comer was traveling at an excessive rate of speed and failed to stop the 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup Truck he was driving at the intersection, causing his vehicle and Maria Tambunga’s vehicle to collide. The deadly weapon charge is linked to Comer’s excessive speed while driving the motor vehicle.

A second indictment also charged Comer with two counts of smuggling of persons: serious bodily injury/death, first-degree felony, nine counts of smuggling of persons: substantial likelihood serious bodily injury/death, second-degree felony, and 11 counts of smuggling of persons, second-degree felony.

That indictment states Comer was transporting undocumented immigrants while fleeing from a Crockett County Sheriff’s Deputy, and he knew the sheriff’s deputy was attempting to arrest him.

The indictment further states that Comer’s actions created a substantial likelihood the passengers in his vehicle would suffer serious bodily injury or death, and that Comer was carrying a firearm.

Guzman and Santiago were the two undocumented immigrants who died in Comer’s vehicle. The other passengerssuffered injuries, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety report.

The Texas Penal Code states that capital murder is punishable by a life sentence without parole in prison or death. A first-degree felony is punishable by up to 99 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $10,000. A second-degree felony is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $10,000. A third-degree felony is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $10,000.