Man 'brutally assaulted,' killed on East Riverside Drive in southeast Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating after a man was killed in southeast Austin at Riverside Drive and Willow Creek Drive Tuesday afternoon.

Austin Police Department reported to the scene at the 2300 block of East Riverside Drive after a 911 call was received reporting someone had possibly been stabbed.

When officers arrived, they say they found a man with obvious trauma and despite efforts to save his life, the man was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after.

Police say it's believed the man was experiencing homelessness.

There is not currently any description of a possible suspect or suspects and the investigation is ongoing.

"Anytime a violent crime occurs, we take it very seriously," said APD Corporal Destiny Silva on Tuesday. "So what is important to focus on now is a male victim who was brutally assaulted and is now deceased."

If you have any information, you're asked to call APD.

In October, a 34-year-old man was shot and later died at the hospital after a shooting at the same encampment area that may have stemmed from a drug dispute, APD reported at the time. Another man was also hit.

Concern over growing camp

Neighbors in the area say they have seen the camps on Riverside grow over the past year and that worries them.

Nayeli Saldana has worked at Sally Beauty Supply on Riverside and Pleasant Valley for more than a year. The storefront is around 100 yards away from the homeless camp where police found the victim.

Saldana says she often has to report shoplifters around twice a week and feels nervous to leave the store at night alone.

"They just slowly started accumulating," Saldana said about the homeless population. "It's sad to see all that happen, because it wasn't like that a year ago."

Homeless advocacy groups, like ECHO, say it is unfair to correlate crime, whether it is a stabbing or a shoplifting incident, to the camps on Riverside. They say this death is a tragedy, but people should not connect it to the perceived growth of the camps.

Save Austin Now, an organization committed to reinstating the camping ban, says its important for people experiencing homelessness to find proper housing.

Organizers say if voters choose to restore the ordinance in the city, not only will these people be safer, but it will help neighbors feel more comfortable, too.

"We are not anti-homeless; we are anti-camping," said Save Austin Now co-founder Matt Mackowiak. "We believe our homeless community needs to get help. And they need to be safe. And they are not safe under a bridge or on the side of the road or highway."