On March 8, 2025, at approximately 4:08 p.m., the Austin Police Department responded to multiple calls reporting a shooting in the 1900 block of N. IH 35 SVRD SB. Upon arrival, officers discovered 54-year-old Adan Marez, a Hispanic male, lying in the roadway with severe trauma to his body. Marez was unarmed at the time of the incident. Homicide detectives and crime scene specialists processed the scene and interviewed witnesses to piece together the events leading up to the fatal encounter.
Investigators determined that Marez had been involved in a road rage incident spanning several miles with the occupants of a gold sedan. When both vehicles stopped at a red light, Marez exited his Jeep and approached the other vehicle. The driver of the gold sedan, identified as 21-year-old Jacob Gonzalez, a Hispanic male, then fired a shot, fatally striking Marez. Witnesses reported that Marez had engaged in a heated exchange with Gonzalez and the occupants of his vehicle for approximately 30 to 45 seconds before the shooting occurred.
Following the incident, Gonzalez was arrested and charged with murder, a first-degree felony. Court documents later revealed that Gonzalez had a prior history of violent encounters, including involvement in a shootout in 2023, though those charges were dismissed. In his statement to police, Gonzalez claimed that he fired a warning shot and did not intend for it to be fatal. He stated that he believed Marez was about to physically attack him, prompting him to discharge his firearm.
Marez’s family, including his sister Carmen Castillo, expressed shock and grief over his sudden and violent death. Castillo described Marez as a loving and artistic individual who enjoyed fishing and painting murals. She emphasized that her brother was not a violent person and struggled to comprehend how such a tragedy could unfold. In the wake of the incident, authorities urged anyone with footage of the shooting to submit it to the Austin Police Department’s Homicide Unit to aid in the ongoing investigation. Gonzalez remains in custody on a $1 million bond as the case continues to develop. Marez’s death marks Austin’s seventh homicide of 2025.
