A 21-year-old man has been nabbed by Fredericksburg police for his alleged involvement in a deadly convenience store robbery. The suspect, identified as Awes Singko Rapet, was arrested Wednesday night after tips from locals led authorities to his location at a nearby motel, reported by CBS Austin.
Police say Rapet donned a white skull mask and shot 48-year-old bystander Arthur Cortez during the heist, which unfolded at the Kwikcheck Convenience Store on South State Highway 16, Tuesday night. Despite efforts to save him, Cortez died on the scene, a situation that shocked the small Texas community. Rapet, who reportedly fled on foot after the robbery, was later captured on surveillance footage sans the mask, inside the store, according to Fox7 Austin.
"The Fredericksburg Police Department would like to thank the community for their assistance in identifying Rapet and determining his whereabouts," the department said, "His quick apprehension would not have been possible without all the phone calls, emails, and Crimestoppers Tips received by law enforcement from our community," as stated by CBS Austin.
As investigators dig deeper into the tragedy, prior records of the victim have surfaced. Nonetheless, law enforcement stresses that there is no current evidence to suggest a link between Cortez's past and the fatal robbery. Amidst the ongoing investigation, Lt. Seelig shared sympathies with the victim's family: "I would like to express our department's heartfelt condolences for the victim and his family," he said, as per Fox7 Austin.
