Body found in East Austin; APD asking for help identifying victim and suspects

AUSTIN - Austin police are asking for help identifying a victim who was shot and killed on Friday. 

APD said the suspects involved are unknown.

What we know:

Police said on April 18, around 9:50 a.m., officers responded to a check welfare call in the 2900 block of Lovell Drive. The caller said they saw what appeared to be a body under a bridge in the grass.

Police said the victim had likely been dead for "quite some time."

When officers arrived, they found a Hispanic man with trauma to his body. He appeared to be in his early 20s.

The victim had two separate tattoos that read "Angel" and "Martinez," but had no other form of identification on his body. 

Police said it appears the victim was shot by suspects who remain at large.

What they're saying:

"I assure the family that we will do everything we can to find out what took place here, why this happened, and who, if anyone, is responsible," said Cpl. Jose Mendez, with the Austin Police Department.

"This is the type of crime that shocks our community, and again we will do everything we can to find out," said Mendez. "Who or if anyone was responsible for this," said Mendez.

What you can do:

APD is asking for help to identify the victim and suspects.

Investigators believe there may be witnesses to this incident, and are asking anyone who may have seen or heard anything in the area to come forward.

If anyone has photos, videos, or potential evidence or tips, please submit them by scanning the QR code below or visiting the evidence submission portal here.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.

Neighbor reacts

Local perspective:

"I've lived in this neighborhood for 10 years, and I never would have thought this could happen here, and so it's a little bit shocking to me, and coming back to see all the police cars and the tape really can shake someone up," said a neighbor who asked to remain anonymous.

"There's a lot of kids in this neighborhood. There's kids running around the street, so it could have easily been one of my neighbor's kids that found the body, too. It's very sad in that regard, it's very sad in every regard, actually."