Efrain Rodriguez-Esquivel, a 35-year-old man of Hispanic ethnicity, tragically passed away on August 14, 2016, in Austin, Texas. He was fatally shot at an East Austin apartment complex early Sunday morning. The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. at the Lyric at Mueller Apartments located on Manor Road. When police arrived at the scene, they found Rodriguez-Esquivel lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at a local hospital about 30 minutes later.
Anthony Andrew Verastegui, a 28-year-old maintenance worker at the apartment complex, was arrested and charged with Rodriguez-Esquivel's murder. According to the arrest affidavit, Verastegui and Rodriguez-Esquivel had previous personal problems, although they had recently been on good terms. Verastegui admitted to shooting Rodriguez-Esquivel after initially denying involvement. He was found with a loaded magazine for a .38 caliber handgun, which matched the bullets recovered from Rodriguez-Esquivel's body.
The investigation revealed that Verastegui had been arguing with Rodriguez-Esquivel the night of the shooting. Verastegui's uncle, who also lived at the apartment complex, confirmed that Verastegui had left his apartment briefly before returning and confessing to the shooting. Verastegui was taken into custody and is currently in the Travis County Jail awaiting trial.
The tragic death of Efrain Rodriguez-Esquivel has left his family and friends grieving, and the community continues to seek justice for his untimely passing.
