The driver of a stolen car who rammed into a crowd of pedestrians on the Las Vegas Strip Wednesday now faces murder charges.

Police say he intentionally plowed into the crowd, killing two people and injuring dozens of others.

Witnesses say the driver, Stephen M. Ressa, 27, of Rialto, California, accelerated as he drove along the crowded casino sidewalk.

Ressa was arrested at the scene beneath the marquee of the Bally's hotel-casino. As of Thursday, there was no word that Ressa had retained a lawyer.

The victims, including 11 tourists, were walking in front of the Bally's and Paris hotel-casinos when the car struck them, crashing into a wall before coming to a stop in a landscaped area in front of Bally's.

The injured were strewn along the sidewalk and treated in the street by emergency workers as stunned tourists looked on.

Officials say eight of the injured remained hospitalized Thursday, including two in serious condition. Gordon Kusayanagi, 52, of Hollister, California, died Wednesday; Mark Modaressi, 26, of Irvine, California, died Thursday.

Ressa is also sought by his hometown police for a near-fatal assault on his mother Monday. The car driven by Ressa is owned by his mother.

Rialto police Det. Sgt. Reinhard Burkholder says Ressa is wanted for questioning in the assault on his 54-year-old mother. He has yet to be charged with that case.

He is being held at the county jail without bail. He could face a court appearance as early as Monday.

Results of alcohol and drug tests are pending.

Deputy Police Chief Greg McCurdy says Ressa appeared lucid and correctly answered questions about his ability to determine right from wrong.