TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Authorities in Florida announced Wednesday they are pursuing a criminal case against a man accused of trying to kill President-elect Donald Trump over a car crash that occurred after police stopped traffic to allow him to get hold of.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said she has obtained an arrest warrant for Ryan Wesley Routh, who is already being held on federal charges in the murder charge.
Moody said she is filing attempted murder charges over a crash that seriously injured a 6-year-old girl after officials stopped traffic on Interstate 95 as they tried to arrest the suspect. The multi-vehicle crash happened about 30 minutes after Routh’s arrest on I-95, according to the state’s investigation, but Moody said it was a result of his actions.
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The girl, who was traveling with her family, had serious injuries, Moody said.
“When you couple those horrific injuries to his other criminal conduct, which we believe is at the level of domestic terrorism, his action turns into an attempted murder case,” she told reporters.
Rouw’s attorney declined to comment through a representative on Wednesday.
Routh is being held on federal charges of attempted murder of a leading presidential candidate and gun crimes. He has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors say Routh methodically planned to kill Trump for weeks before pointing a rifle through the brush while Trump played golf at his West Palm Beach country club on September 15. Before Trump came into view, Routh was spotted by a Secret Service agent. Routh allegedly pointed his gun at the officer, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.
Routh’s arrest came two months after Trump was shot and wounded in the ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The Secret Service acknowledged the shortcomings that led to that shooting, but said security worked as it should to thwart the potential attack in Florida.
Days after the Florida assassination attempt, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the state would conduct its own investigation in parallel with the federal investigation, with prosecutors pursuing the most serious charges available under state law.
It is not unusual for state and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate crimes simultaneously, as states may be able to file charges that are not available at the federal level – and vice versa.
___ Kate Payne is a staff member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
