Anthony Thompson Jr., 48, has pled guilty and been sentenced to 50 years in prison for charges including murder, evading arrest causing serious bodily injury, and aggravated robbery. His sentencing marks the culmination of a case stemming from a series of armed robberies that Thompson committed, which prompted law enforcement to issue arrest warrants.
On August 27, 2022, officers from the Arlington Police Department identified Thompson as a suspect in an ongoing robbery investigation. They spotted him driving a vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. As officers approached, Thompson sped away, leading a high-speed chase through Arlington streets. The pursuit ended when Thompson ran a red light and collided with vehicles stopped at the intersection of New York Avenue and Arkansas Lane.
Thompson's car slammed into the rear of a vehicle driven by Hector Arnulfo Ruiz Diaz, flipping the car over. The impact caused a chain reaction involving other vehicles, leading to the death of Diaz and injuries to 14 other individuals.
The case was investigated jointly by the Arlington Police Department and federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
