The Austin Police Department is currently investigating a homicide that took place on March 31, 2025, involving the death of an individual named Derick Fajardo-Reyes, according to an official announcement on the City of Austin website. In the incident's early hours, around 3:10 a.m., multiple 9-1-1 calls led police to the 13000 block of Harrisglenn Drive, where they found Fajardo-Reyes with gunshot wounds in a black sedan that had also hit a utility pole; he was later pronounced dead at the hospital at 7:17 a.m.
Key details of the case, as provided by the Austin Police Department, suggest that Fajardo-Reyes was shot while he was in a vehicle with others, after which the suspect managed to escape the scene and is still at large, making this case the 11th homicide in Austin for the year 2025, further complicating the already heavy burden that weighs upon the city's conscience in grappling with violent crimes and the tales of lives snuffed out too soon. Before the fateful incident, Fajardo-Reyes was reportedly with an unidentified female, and authorities are urgently requesting the public's help in identifying her. Officers and crime scene investigators are working tirelessly, interviewing witnesses and processing evidence in hopes of piecing together this tragic puzzle.
The authorities have turned to the community for assistance, urging anyone with additional information, photos, or videos to come forward, with instructions for submissions accessible through a QR code and online portal provided by the police department. Moreover, the Austin Police Homicide Unit has established communication channels where information can be shared, including a direct line at 512-974-TIPS and an anonymous option via the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program, which can be reached at austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477; moreover, they have indicated that there may be a reward of up to $1,000 for tips that lead to an arrest in connection with this grim inquiry.
As the investigation into Derick Fajardo-Reyes's death continues, the community waits, hoping for a resolution and justice to prevail, amidst the sense of loss that resonates far beyond the borders of the 13000 block of Harrisglenn Drive, where a mere child's life was taken; his story, a brief chapter ended much too soon. In the face of such heartbreak, the vital role of public engagement becomes ever clearer; citizens hold perhaps unglimpsed bits of evidence that might illuminate the road to answers and, ultimately, to peace for Reyes's family and friends mourning in the shadow of this tragedy.
