Woman Killed After Man Allegedly Stole Vehicle to Get to Work, Drove 260 MPH and Crashed with Her Inside

Karen Mariela, 32, was thrown from the vehicle and sustained blunt force injuries after a man allegedly stole a vehicle she was inside of

A Texas man is charged with murder after he stole and crashed a vehicle with a female passenger inside.

Darion Thomas, 26, is also charged with theft in connection with the death of 32-year-old Karen Mariela.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by PEOPLE, Thomas told police that he was inside a gas station on March 10 when he saw two people enter. He says he then went outside to check the parking area to see if the car was running.

When Thomas discovered the car was running, he jumped in and drove off, he told police, per the affidavit. The owner of the car told police that Mariela was lying down in the backseat when the car was stolen.

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Police said Mariela became “alerted” to the carjacking and Thomas “increased speed and drove recklessly when [Mariela] began yelling at him,” per the affidavit.

Thomas claimed he drove around a curve at 260 miles per hour and lost control of the vehicle, hitting a power pole. Mariela was thrown from the vehicle and sustained multiple blunt force injuries. She died at the scene.

A witness at the crash site said Thomas told him that “his legs were broken and that he stole the vehicle because he needed a ride to work,” the affidavit states. “He then asked the witness for a gun to kill himself.”

Thomas was taken to the hospital for his injuries. He is being held in Dallas County jail on a $5,000 bond for theft and $1 million bond for murder.

He has yet to enter a plea. It is unclear if he has retained an attorney.

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Read the original article on People.