The mother of one of the four children injured when they were accidentally run over by an SUV in Prince George's County has spoken exclusively to News4 about the dispute that took place shortly before the tragedy.
Meanwhile, three of the four children injured in the accident, which also killed an 8-year-old girl, have been released from an area hospital.
The mother of 7-year-old Roberto Gonzalez, who was injured in the accident and is recovering at home, told News4 that she and her tenant, Marianable Cruz-Lopez, were at odds over Cruz-Lopez's abrupt decision to move out of the house they shared on Hannon Street last week.
On the night of the accident, Cruz-Lopez and her landlord had a final dispute over the precise date of the tenant's departure. At one point, police were called to look over the rent contract. After they left, Cruz-Lopez got into her car and tried to hit the brakes to avoid hitting some of her landlord's friends who had been invited to help clean and paint Cruz-Lopez's old rooms.
Instead, police say, Cruz-Lopez accidentally hit the gas, careening forward and striking the five children, killing her 8-year-old daughter, Natalie Hernandez-Cruz, and injuring her two-year-old son.
In addition to little Roberto, Cruz-Lopez's son has since been discharged from the hospital, as has a 7-year-old girl. As of Friday afternoon, a 10-year-old boy was listed as being in critical but stable condition. The exact extent of his injuries were not known.
