Family of man killed in road rage incident searching for answers
AUSTIN, Texas - The family of the man who was shot and killed in a road rage incident just over a month ago is speaking out and demanding answers, saying someone out there knows what happened.
Omar Munguia was shot and later died from his injuries after a road rage incident in late November. After cutting off the suspect, who has not been identified, the driver followed Munguia from Oltorf, down Burton Road, onto Woodland then all the way down to the intersection of Riverside and Montopolis Dr.
"It angers me because I feel like my brother was hunted as if he wasn't a human being at that moment," said his sister, Ana De La Barreda. "He wasn't being seen as a human being."
The family told FOX 7 Austin that they are heartbroken. They said they feel as if a piece of them is missing. Adding that each passing day is more frustrating because their brother’s killer is still out there.
"I hope that my brother's face stays in his mind when he goes to sleep at night," Barreda said. "I hope that he thinks about what he did."
As the family grieves, they are asking for the public’s help. Saying if anyone has any information from that night, please say something. "I have faith that somehow someway someday, we're going to find justice for my brother," said Barreda. "That, you know, we're not going to stop fighting for him. I mean, he, if anything like that had happened to any of us, he would be right here with us doing the same thing. So, we have to keep going until we get answers."
In the City of Austin, according to TxDOT, there have been 39 crashes since the beginning of the year involving road rage incidents. One has been fatal, one has caused a suspected serious injury, and 12 have yielded non-incapacitating injuries. Munguia was the 45th homicide victim for Austin this year.
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"You know, drivers overall, like please calm down. Like if there is any situation like that, don't, don't go up to that, up to that level, basically to try to take someone else's life because they simply honked at you," said his sister, Erlinda Hernandez.
His family says now, the thing that Munguia is being remembered by is his death. And that’s not how his legacy should be left. "He was here for so many people," said Hernandez. "Like how could you take a human being's life without knowing them? It was a senseless act. It shouldn't have happened. It's just, it's frustrating. It's very frustrating."
They said he was a father, a son, and a loving brother. "He was a part of us," Barreda said. "And you know, when he passed away, I felt like a part of me went with him."
Munguia's family says there is a $10,000 reward being offered for information in this case. The suspect is also being described as a bilingual Hispanic man possibly in his early to mid-20s.
Anyone with information and/or video is asked to contact Austin Police Department's Homicide Unit at 512-974-8477 or email homicide.apd@austintexas.gov or justiceforomaram@gmail.com. You may also remain anonymous using the Crime Stoppers tip line at 512-472-8477 or the Crime Stoppers app.