On a late afternoon in Austin, a routine day turned tragic when a stabbing at a local C-Mart escalated into a homicide investigation. The Austin Police Department has reported that they responded to a disturbance at the C-Mart located at 7811 South 1st Street, where they discovered a Hispanic male with a fatal chest wound, according to an official statement on the City of Austin official website.
Despite medical efforts, the victim, whose identity has yet to be released, succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead at 5:08 p.m. The suspect, 32-year-old Luis Marroquin, reportedly knew the victim from their work as day laborers. The two had crossed paths earlier that day at Home Depot, according to the same statement.
The investigation, which draws on witness accounts, indicates an unprovoked attack by Marroquin upon the victim while they both were in the parking lot. Homicide detectives and crime scene specialists were called to the scene for evidence collection and to conduct interviews with witnesses. This case marks the city's 60th homicide of the year.
Shortly after the incident, officers located Marroquin in the vicinity and detained him. He has since been arrested and charged with 1st Degree Murder, and incarcerate at Travis County jail, as stated on the official Austin Police Department release. Community members with any information that could assist in the ongoing investigation are encouraged to come forward and can do so anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program.
As the Austin Police Department continues their work to piece together the events leading to this tragic incident, they urge anyone with information to contact them at 512-974-TIPS or to submit tips anonymously via austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for information that leads to an arrest in this investigation.
