A Southeast Austin neighborhood was rocked by a fatal shooting earlier this month that police say stemmed from a poker game gone awry. The Austin Police Department has since arrested 26-year-old Martin Tovar in connection with the death of 25-year-old Steve Gonzalez, as reported by CBS Austin. The incident, which transpired on September 8 at approximately 5:55 p.m., took a violent turn during a gathering at a residence located at 2501 Teri Road.
What was presumed to be a casual game among acquaintances escalated into a lethal confrontation? Witnesses at the scene recounted that Gonzalez was allegedly accused of cheating, an accusation that sparked insults and a subsequent physical altercation. According to the Travis County affidavit, Gonzalez allegedly punched the man who accused him of cheating, and later, struck another man with a chair before exiting the scene with threats of return,, according to an account by KVUE. In the wake of this hostility, Tovar retrieved a handgun and discharged it into the ground three times as Gonzalez began to walk back towards the residence.
Gonzalez, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, was found by first responders in the garage area of the home. Despite the efforts of APD, the Austin Fire Department, and Austin-Travis County EMS, Gonzalez was declared dead at the scene at 6:34 p.m., as detailed by emergency personnel and substantiated by both media outlets. Witnesses have told police they believed Gonzalez had armed himself when he returned, as he appeared to be reaching for his waistband, causing them to retreat inside.
Tovar, who fled the area but was arrested later, faces a first-degree murder charge and was discovered to already have an outstanding warrant for aggravated assault. During questioning, Tovar claimed he was merely intervening in the dispute, asserting that Gonzalez was the one wielding the firearm. He told police that he, "attempted to reach for the handgun and grabbed Gonzalez's hands, but didn't know how the gun fired three times," though investigations have so far failed to substantiate this claim, no weapon was found on Gonzalez, and no witnesses have corroborated Tovar's account concerning Gonzalez having a gun at that moment.
Currently, Tovar is held at the Travis County Correctional Complex, as per online records. The Austin Police Department urges anyone with further information to come forward and contact APD at 512-974-8477. The ongoing investigation seeks to disentangle the contested narratives of that tragic evening to deliver justice in the wake of senseless violence.
