Man arrested in Mexico for 2012 Wickersham Lane murder

AUSTIN, Texas - A man has turned himself in in Mexico on an outstanding murder warrant for a 2012 fatal stabbing on Wickersham Lane in Riverside.

33-year-old Hector Hugo Ramirez-Lopez was extradited this week back to the United States and is currently being held at the Travis County Jail.

Hector Hugo Ramirez-Lopez (APD) (Austin Police Department)

The Austin Police Department (APD) says that on April 28, 2012, an officer heard a loud crash while on a call at an apartment complex in the 4500 block of E. Oltorf. The officer looked over and found a vehicle had crashed into the southwest parking lot of the complex, unrelated to the call he was on.

APD says the driver was found with what appeared to be a knife wound and had lost consciousness. EMS arrived and transported the driver, identified as Randall Wells, to a local hospital where he died from his injury.

Officers then learned Wells had been involved in a disturbance at 2400 Wickersham Lane, so both scenes were secured for investigation, according to APD. The suspect in the stabbing was ultimately identified as Ramirez-Lopez.

An autopsy determined the cause of death as a stab wound to the chest and the manner as a homicide, says APD, which led to a warrant being issued for Lopez charging him with murder. It was believed at the time that Lopez had fled the country and was possibly in his native country Mexico.

In October 2021, APD says the case premiered on an episode of "In Pursuit with John Walsh: Predator Next Door," then a month later, Lopez self-surrendered to authorities in Mexico.

Detectives are asking anyone with information or video of the incident to call APD Homicide at 512-974-TIPS, email homicide.apd@austintexas.gov, utilize the Crime Stoppers tip line at 512-472-8477 (TIPS), or the Crime Stoppers app. You may remain anonymous. Information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

You can also submit tips by downloading APD’s mobile app, Austin PD, free on iPhone and Android.

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