Austin police have arrested Tomas Gonzalez, 32, on charges of murder and evidence tampering related to the death of Jonathan Salas, 50, in what marks the city's first homicide investigation of the year. According to CBS Austin, Salas' body was discovered on January 4, burned in a fire at a southeast Austin homeless encampment, following a 911 call about the blaze.
Gonzalez allegedly attempted to cover up the crime by setting Salas' stabbed body on fire. Arrested two days after the incident, Gonzalez has been charged with first-degree murder along with second and third-degree felony tampering with evidence, as reported by KXAN. This sordid event took place in the Greenbelt area at 1704 Nelms Drive, east of Interstate 35.
As the case unfolds, new details have surfaced. The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force took Gonzalez into custody on January 6, with warrants issued for his arrest on multiple charges earlier this week. Gonzalez remains in custody at the Travis County Jail, waiting for the legal processes to further unfold.
Gonzalez, no stranger to the law, was previously charged with murder in a separate 2022 homicide investigation, which had been dismissed. "APD said detectives would continue to investigate that separate murder charge against Gonzalez," says KXAN. Meanwhile, the Austin Police Department earnestly requests anyone with information related to these cases to directly contact them at 512-974-TIPS or to anonymously submit tips through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program.
