'Serial killer' case: Police, FBI search field in connection to Raul Meza, Jr.
PFLUGERVILLE, Texas - Austin police, Pflugerville police, and the FBI searched a field for leads in connection with a potential serial killer, the City of Pflugerville says.
The Austin Police Department led Wednesday’s search in Pflugerville, and confirmed the search was "related to the current Raul Meza case."
Dozens of searchers, including about 14 FBI agents spent hours combing through the field on foot as well as on ATVs. They retrieved evidence from the field, bringing it to a mobile command center on site, but there’s no word on exactly what they found.
"You finally come out the house and hear that the FBI is investigating. It's kind of wild, to say the least," said Daniel Enge, a who lives at an apartment complex located just feet away from the search site.
"Just a little frightening," said Enge. "I've heard about the serial killings, but I haven't heard too much about, you know, it hasn't reached into Pflugerville."
Raul Meza, Jr. was arrested on May 29 and charged with the stabbing death of an elderly man in Pflugerville and the 2019 murder of a woman on Sara Drive in East Austin.
His arrest came more than 40 years after Meza pled guilty to raping and murdering an eight-year-old girl in South Austin.
According to court documents, Meza called police and confessed to killing Jesse Fraga and Gloria Lofton as well as two others in San Antonio, but police say he could be responsible for as many as a dozen murders.
Fraga was found stabbed to death May 20 at a home on Camp Fire Trail in the Settlers Ridge Neighborhood, just a few blocks from the area where police and the FBI are searching.
The field is located near W Pecan Street and N Heatherwilde Blvd.
Police say Meza sexually assaulted and strangled Gloria Lofton in 2018.
Daughters of woman killed by Austin serial killer speaks out
The daughters of a 65-year-old woman Austin police said was murdered by a serial killer are speaking out. APD arrested Raul Meza Jr. last week after they say he called them and confessed to killing Gloria Lofton in 2019 and 80-year-old Jesse Fraga last month.
APD says they had a DNA match in Gloria Lofton's case in 2020, but he was not charged until he confessed to the crime in 2023.
Her daughters say for years, they never really knew what happened, or who could've been responsible.
"It was mishandled so badly that somebody's life could be saved today," said Christina Fultz, one of Lofton's daughters.
The Austin police chief says he is reviewing how detectives handled her case.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.