Police: Man charged with murder after confronting alleged car thief
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A man faces a first-degree murder charge after Austin Police said an altercation over a possibly stolen vehicle led to a fatal stabbing.
Just before 10:30 a.m. July 24, Austin Police officers responded to a business in the 1900 block of East Oltorf Street after a 9-1-1 caller said she was "following a vehicle believed to be her stolen vehicle." The caller followed the Kia to an apartment complex in the 2100 block of Burton Drive, where the caller then told police a man had been stabbed.
Police detained Alex Trevino Garcia, 34, who police documents say approached officers with his hands up while telling police: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. He attacked me. He attacked me. He stole my car, and [h]e attacked me."
KXAN reached out to Trevino Garcia's attorney for comment. We will update this story if we receive a response.
Officers found a man with a stab wound unresponsive on the ground. Police rendered aid on scene, but once Austin-Travis County EMS arrived on site, they confirmed the man had died.
Police say suspect followed, confronted driver
Police spoke with the 9-1-1 caller, who said she had been with Trevino Garcia as they searched for his car, which she said had been stolen a few days ago.
She told police she and Trevino Garcia found the car being driven by people they didn't know and followed it into an apartment complex. She claimed Trevino Garcia didn't bring any weapons with him when he approached the vehicle, and that he left a knife on the floorboard of the car before walking over.
Other witnesses who lived at the complex and spoke with police said they observed the suspect had a knife or pistol that he passed off to the woman in his vehicle before approaching his allegedly stolen car.
The caller said Trevino Garcia attempted to get the key fob out of the Kia when a dispute broke out. She told police the people in the Kia tried to stab Trevino Garcia, and that he got the knife away from them and proceeded to stab the driver.
During APD's investigation, they learned there were two other occupants in the car who left the scene. Police spoke with one of those passengers, who said the driver pulled into the apartment complex so she could buy drugs there.
After finding out the dealer wasn't there, she told police she got back into the car when Trevino Garcia arrived. During her testimony with police, she alleged the suspect had been carrying a knife in his right hand.