Police in Texas have arrested an 18-year-old after they found a man dead Wednesday from “blunt force trauma to the head” outside of a store in Austin.
Austin Police responded to the scene around 1 p.m. Wednesday, near 1200 Kramer Lane, close to Plains Trail just south of West Braker Lane.
Police said first responders initially believed a vehicle struck and killed the man because one sped away close to 1 p.m., which Austin-Travis County EMS tweeted about Wednesday afternoon. However, officers said a car did not hit the victim.
When officers arrived, they found the victim, identified as Josue Salazar, lying on the ground, unresponsive with apparent trauma. Salazar was pronounced deceased at 1:10 p.m.
Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Specialists investigated the scene. Preliminary investigation revealed that Jose Alberto Lopez-Mederos arrived in a vehicle, walked up to Salazar, and hit him repeatedly with a baseball bat which caused his death, according to a press release from APD.
An arrest warrant was issued for Lopez-Mederos for first-degree murder. Members of the Lonestar Fugitive Task Force/Marshal’s Office arrested Lopez-Mederos at 15212 Valerian Tea Drive for the murder warrant.
Anyone with information or video of the incident should call APD Homicide at 512-974-TIPS; the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 512-472-8477 (TIPS), use the new Crime Stoppers App, or email APD Homicide at homicide.apd@austintexas.gov. You may remain anonymous.
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