Austin, TX
Texas serial killer on the loose as police use DNA to link suspect to deaths of 2 women
Surveillance footage: Austin police searching for ‘serial killer’
Austin police released surveillance footage depicting a 34-year-old homicide victim walking with the man police believe may have killed her.
Austin Police Department
Law enforcement agencies in Central Texas believe a serial killer is on the loose, after the slayings of two women in Austin and Bastrop County.
Until last week, officers believed the two incidents were unrelated because they occurred six years apart. However, after collecting and analyzing multiple sources of DNA from both crime scenes, they discovered that the DNA matched.
The Bastrop County sheriff’s office has been working with the Texas Rangers to identify the man’s DNA, though he does not match any records from the Combined DNA Index System, Austin Police Sgt. Nathan Sexton said in a news conference.
In response to a reporter’s question, he added that it is “relatively rare” for someone committing “really violent murders” not to have been arrested or detained for a previous crime, the Austin American-Statesman previously reported.
Here’s what we know.
More: Austin police request public assistance to identify local serial killer
Austin Police Department responded to scene of deceased woman in June
On June 21, officers with the Austin Police Department responded to a 911 call and discovered a deceased woman inside an abandoned home at 2600 Metcalfe Road.
The 34-year-old woman was identified as Alyssa Ann Rivera. Detectives determined she was strangled and had been sexually assaulted, Sexton said during the news conference. Surveillance footage showed she had been seen walking with a man shortly before she was killed, Guillen said. Police believe the man could be the person who killed Rivera.
Investigators believed Rivera’s murder was an isolated incident until Aug. 7, when DNA evidence from the scene where they found Rivera connected the unidentified man to the 2018 unsolved murder of 28-year-old Alba Jenisse Aviles in Bastrop County, Austin police Detective Christopher Anderson said.
Police declined to identify what DNA had been found, saying that multiple sources of DNA were found at both murder scenes.
The Austin Police Department and Bastrop County sheriff’s office have been collaborating on the cases since the link was determined, Sexton said.
Woman found dead inside parked vehicle in April 2018
Alba Jenisse Aviles, 28, was killed on April 14, 2018, after she left Club Caribe in Southeast Austin. Her body was found by a passing driver, who discovered Aviles inside her parked silver sedan in the 300 block of Old San Antonio Road, the American-Statesman reported.
Aviles was similarly sexually assaulted and strangled to death, Sexton said, adding that both scenes had a similar “modus operandi.”
Law enforcement do not believe the victims knew each other or were linked in any way, Sexton said.
More: How many bodies have been found in Austin’s Lady Bird Lake? Here’s what we know.
How to report information
Sexton encouraged anyone with information about either Aviles’ or Rivera’s murders to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS or submit anonymous tips through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program at austincrimestoppers.org or 512-472-8477.
Austin, TX
Texas Pride events 2026: Parades, festivals and more happening this June
AUSTIN, Texas – Pride Month is celebrated each June.
It marks the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising that started in late June 1969. The protests are seen as a turning point in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. It inspired marches across the country in the years that followed.
More than a dozen cities and towns across Texas are celebrating with everything from parades to festivals to concerts and more.
A Pride flag is seen held up in a crowd during preparation for a Queer March to the Texas State Capitol on April 15, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell / Getty Images)
Here’s a look at some of the dates and places Pride events are happening around the Lone Star State this month:
Austin also has a Pride celebration, but it is scheduled for Aug. 22.
The Source: Information in this story came from various sources, including official websites for events. AI was used to help assemble the list of events.
Austin, TX
UC Santa Barbara Baseball Drops 6-4 Nailbiter to Texas at Austin Regional Final
Red-hot Rowan Kelly came to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning with a chance to extend the Gauchos season, but a thrilling comeback was not to be.
The UC Santa Barbara baseball team battled to the end, but fell to host Texas 6-4 in the Austin Regional final on Sunday afternoon.
“I think our guys gave a really good effort,” Checketts said. “Kellan’s start was outstanding, set the tone for us, gave us a shot. We came up short against a very good baseball team.”
UC Santa Barbara (40-20) held the lead through six innings behind a strong start from pitcher Kellan Montgomery and continued offensive production from Kelly. However, Texas (43-13), the tournament’s No. 6 national seed, scored four runs over the final three innings to secure the victory and advance.
Montgomery, a Santa Barbara native, delivered one of his strongest outings of the season. The right-hander retired the Longhorns in order in the first inning and held Texas scoreless through five innings while allowing only a handful of baserunners. Kelly provided early offense with a solo home run in the first inning, his second home run of the day after homering earlier against Tarleton State.
“I think just trusting myself and the guys behind me. The last couple outings haven’t really been what I wanted, so just not making it anything bigger than it is,” Montgomery said. “This is my first time in playoff baseball, so I’m just trying to enjoy every moment with a really special group. It was just trusting myself and the seven guys behind me.”
Texas broke through in the sixth inning, loading the bases before a sacrifice fly by Adrian Rodriguez and a two-out single by Ethan Mendoza drove in two runs and gave the Longhorns their first lead of the game at 2-1. Relief pitcher Van Froling entered and recorded the final out of the inning.
The Gauchos responded immediately in the bottom half. Consecutive walks by Liam Barrett and Kelly set the stage for a sacrifice bunt attempt by William Vasseur that resulted in multiple Texas throwing errors. Barrett scored on the initial errant throw, while Kelly later crossed the plate after another misplay, giving UC Santa Barbara a 3-2 advantage.
Texas regained control in the seventh inning. After a runner’s lane interference call erased a potential scoring play, Aiden Robbins hit a two-run home run four pitches later to move the Longhorns back in front. Texas added two more runs in the eighth, including one on an RBI double and another following a failed pickoff attempt, extending its lead to 6-3.
UC Santa Barbara narrowed the deficit in the bottom of the eighth. Kelly doubled off the top of the left-field wall and later scored as the Gauchos cut the lead to two runs. The inning ended with the potential go-ahead run still at the plate.
The Gauchos mounted one final threat in the ninth. Xavier Esquer and Cole Kosciusko opened the inning with singles, and a hit batter loaded the bases with two outs. Kelly came to the plate with the tying run in scoring position, prompting Texas to make a pitching change.But Longhorn starting pitcher Luke Harrison made a rare relief appearance to record the final out and preserve the victory.
Austin, TX
Austin Pets Alive! gets $10K donation, pet beds
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) received a $10,000 donation and 30 pet beds on Thursday.
The donation was from Robert Thiele, an Amazon delivery driver and owner of Clark Courier Services, which was named in honor of his late bulldog, Clark, who passed away this spring after a battle with cancer.
“I named Clark Courier Services after Clark because just like our drivers, he delivered smiles every single day. In a world full of best friends, Clark was the bestest,” said Thiele.
According to Amazon, the donated pet beds were given a second life through Amazon Re:Turn, which repurposes textiles from customer returns that could not be resold or donated.
As a surprise for Thiele, APA! unveiled memorial plaques dedicated to Clark on shelter kennels, which were inscribed with his name and the words “forever delivering.”
“Our Delivery Service Partners are local, small business owners embedded in the communities they serve. Robert’s been delivering in Austin for nearly seven years, and he’s not just moving packages. He’s showing up for the people, the pets, and the neighborhoods around him. That’s what this program is about,” said Emma Crowley, Amazon spokesperson. “Today, we got to give a little back to someone who has and will continue to give so much to others.”
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