On October 24, 2023, at approximately 5:06 p.m., Austin Police Department officers responded to a reported shooting at a residence in the 11200 block of Mickelson Drive in southeast Austin. Upon arrival, they discovered 28-year-old Joshua Steven Lopez Rivera suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite immediate life-saving efforts, Rivera was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation revealed that Rivera had been invited to the home by its occupants.
According to an arrest affidavit, 46-year-old Joshua Trezaratti, a resident of the home, alleged that Rivera, who was dating his stepdaughter, had previously made unwanted sexual advances toward his wife and had been abusive toward his stepdaughter. On the day of the incident, Trezaratti's wife reportedly led Rivera to believe she was alone at the residence. Upon Rivera's arrival, he allegedly made further advances toward Trezaratti's wife. Trezaratti confronted Rivera with a shotgun, leading to a physical altercation during which Trezaratti fatally shot Rivera multiple times with a handgun.
Trezaratti remained at the scene and was subsequently arrested. He was charged with first-degree felony murder and booked into the Travis County Jail on an $800,000 bond. During police interviews, Trezaratti expressed a belief that his actions were legally justified, stating, "You can shoot somebody that's in your house however the ---- you want." However, detectives noted that at no point did Trezaratti indicate that Rivera was armed or had made threats of violence while at the residence.
This incident marked Austin's 57th homicide of 2023. The case remains under investigation by the Austin Police Department's Homicide Unit, which has urged anyone with additional information to come forward.
