A Teen Killer, a Dangerous Fugitive, and a Drive-By: Austin’s Most Wanted Are Still Out There
Austin opened May with two high-profile cases of violent suspects who slipped away from police — and a growing roster of others still unaccounted for across the city.
The first case involves the death of 35-year-old Andres Omar Reyes.
Officers responded around 12:34 a.m. on May 9 to reports of a shooting at Los Braseros Mexican Restaurant at 9207 N. Lamar Blvd. When they arrived, they found Reyes lying in the parking lot with apparent gunshot wounds. Austin-Travis County EMS attempted lifesaving measures, but Reyes was pronounced dead at 12:46 a.m. Investigators believe Reyes stepped in during a physical altercation involving friends and family from another group when he was shot by a 16-year-old suspect. A restaurant employee wrestled the gun away from the suspect, who then ran from the scene. The teen has not been found. The case is being investigated as Austin’s 24th homicide of 2026.
The second case gripped a South Austin neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon. Austin police urged residents in the vicinity of Willow Springs Road and Industrial Boulevard, just south of Texas 71, to lock their doors and stay inside as the agency worked to locate a “dangerous and violent” suspect.
The shelter-in-place order was lifted after an “extensive search” led authorities to believe the suspect fled the area. APD was not able to provide additional information about the nature of the warrants or the assisting agency. As of Thursday morning, he remains at large.
Those two cases are part of a broader pattern of unsolved violence.
APD is also asking for the public’s help identifying suspects connected to a drive-by shooting on April 2 that struck multiple homes in the 5300 block of King Henry Drive but left no one injured.
Investigators believe there were as many as five people inside the suspect vehicle — described as a white 2019 Nissan Sentra — and that at least two suspects either exited or leaned out to fire shots. Detectives believe the shooting may be connected to a homicide that occurred about two hours later in the 10900 block of Brazoria Lane.
Austin police are still searching for leads in the case of 27-year-old Camnik Campbell, who was found shot to death by his car in the parking lot at Zilker Park near Barton Springs Pool on August 25, 2025.
CAPITAL AREA CRIME STOPPERS
Anyone with information on any of these cases is asked to contact APD at 512-974-TIPS or submit an anonymous tip through Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477 or austincrimestoppers.org.
A reward of up to $1,000 may be available in connection with the North Lamar homicide.
Yesterday, Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to expand the Texas Repeat Offender Task Force — a joint task force between federal, state, and local law enforcement officers with a clear mission: “to target repeat violent offenders who are released back into our communities only to reoffend and threaten innocent lives.”
Sources:
Austin American-Statesman
CBS Austin
FOX 7 Austin
KWTX
KXAN Austin
AustinTexas.gov
A second person has been charged in connection with the April 26 shooting on 12th Street, which left several people injured.
An affidavit alleges that Dalin Harris, 22, engaged in a gunfight in a crowded area. He currently faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly conduct discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony. (KXAN-TV)
A mother has filed a lawsuit against the city of Austin and multiple Austin Police Department (APD) officers and supervisors, alleging they pinned her daughter down after she was stabbed, contributing to her death.
The lawsuit stems from a June 5, 2024, incident and claims officers violated the civil rights of 29-year-old Peyton Victoria Bradley by restraining her while she was “visibly injured, bleeding and in acute medical distress.” (KVUE-TV)
The Downtown Austin Alliance presented findings from its 2026 State of Downtown Report yesterday.
OVERVIEW
Downtown Austin is in a period of normalization after 15+ years of rapid growth, navigating macroeconomic headwinds while simultaneously embarking on some of the largest infrastructure investments in the city’s history.
Major Transformation Projects
Several billion-dollar projects are reshaping the urban core: the $7.1B Austin Light Rail (construction starting 2027, first riders 2033), the $4.5B I-35 Reconstruction with a Cap & Stitch greenway, the $1.6B Convention Center redevelopment, a $130M Congress Avenue redesign (under construction), the Waterloo Greenway Confluence (opening summer 2026), and a $5B total airport expansion at ABIA.
Real Estate & Economy
The office vacancy rate sits at 20.6% but is expected to decline, with leasing activity holding steady and asking rents at an all-time high of $60/sq ft. The residential market shows signs of recovery — rental occupancy is around 87%, and the condo market grew 14% since 2024. Retail is one of the strongest sectors, with over 740 storefront businesses and $2.53B in consumer spending in 2025. The hotel market has softened modestly due to the convention center closure, but tourism remains robust with 111,829 average daily out-of-market visitors.
Public Safety & Cleanliness
The DAA dedicates more than half its budget to clean, safe, and welcoming services. The Downtown Safety Team logged over 30,000 ordinance compliance requests with a 90% voluntary compliance rate. Year-over-year crime was largely flat, with notable decreases in assault, vehicle theft, and burglary. A new APD Public Order Team made 133 felony arrests in its first five months.
Homelessness
The April 2026 unsheltered homeless count in the Downtown Public Improvement District was 383. The DAA fulfilled a $2M pledge to Community First! Village, funded family reunification programs (772 people reconnected since 2021), and co-led a task force to improve discharge and mental health services.
Arts, Culture & Community
The DAA runs programs like the Downtown Austin Space Activation (DASA), Musicians Activating Spaces, VIBE Downtown, and Writing on the Walls to support local creatives and activate public spaces. Republic Square hosted 51+ free events drawing 70,000+ attendees. The 5th Street Mexican American Heritage Corridor received official state Cultural District recognition.
Finances
Total revenue for FY ending April 2025 was $16.9M (primarily from the Public Improvement District assessment), with $15M in expenses and ending net assets of $5.8M.
Looking Ahead
The DAA’s FY 26-27 action agenda prioritizes homelessness and behavioral health, construction mitigation, East Sixth Street reconstruction, I-35 cap development, economic development tools, the Central City Plan, and light rail station design.
ICE detentions were reported Wednesday morning around North Lamar and 183.
A reminder from CapMetro that paper fare passes will no longer be used soon.
The City of Hutto is moving forward with plans to establish a separate, city operated fire department within the community. However, the decision to create a duplicate fire protection system alongside the existing ESD #3 service is being debated.
Two floodgates at Starcke Dam will be partially open today.
One person is dead, and another person is in critical condition after a two-vehicle crash in Jonestown, northwest of Austin. (KXAN-TV)
A truck drove into a central Austin apartment unit late Wednesday evening, causing a gas leak and leaving residents displaced.
Back in March, Lake Pflugerville — the primary raw water source for the town — experienced historically low levels after a pipeline failure that drastically reduced inflows.
Pflugerville Councilwoman Melody Ryan posted an update on the water situation there.
A Travis County mental health agency is starting a 12-week survivor support group for those impacted by the July 2025 floods.
WEATHER
WEDNESDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
What to do ahead of, during and after a tropical storm event.
The central question in the Republican primary for AG is who’s the most loyal to President Trump. (KUT 90.5)
And for Texas Democrats?
Texas Democrats will decide May 26 whether former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski or Dallas state Sen. Nathan Johnson will carry the party’s banner for Texas attorney general into November, a race for one of the most powerful legal offices in the country.
(Episode from May 12, 2026)
A tense hearing in Travis County Wednesday regarding wrongful death lawsuits stemming from a flash flood incident at Camp Mystic that claimed the lives of 25 campers and two counselors. Judge Maya Garrett Gamble expressed significant frustration with legal counsel for the camp.
A San Marcos police officer is on administrative leave and an internal affairs investigation has been ordered in connection with an affidavit that allegedly contained an inaccurate statement following a March traffic stop that led to two arrests. (The Hawk’s Eye)
The former executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission, was indicted by a Travis County grand jury last month for felony abuse of office before the case was dismissed three days later at the request of an assistant district attorney.
Texas Values is leading the charge to get posters of Ten Commandments in Texas public school classrooms.
Donald Trump’s recent insomnia-induced, Obama-obsessed posting spree showed a level of paranoia and delusion that should be raising real concerns about the mental health of our commander-in-chief. The new blotch on his neck to go with the giant bruises on his hands is not helping matters.
(Episode from May 13, 2026)
The newly created Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, colloquially known as Texas DOGE, is launching its first project mandated by the 2025 Legislature. Director Jerome Greener details the agency, its purpose, and its new tool designed to more easily navigate the 20 million words in Texas code.
The company that operates the online learning system Canvas said it struck a deal with hackers to delete the data they pilfered in a cyberattack that created chaos for Texas students, many of them in the middle of finals.
The hospitality sector in Bastrop is set for a significant expansion as Marriott International registers a new $10 million Residence Inn.
SPORTS
MLS: Austin FC fell in a 5-0 defeat to San Diego FC on Wednesday night at Snapdragon Stadium. (Austin FC)
ON THE SCHEDULE
COLLEGE BASEBALL: The final series of the 2026 regular season begins this evening in Austin.
MLB: Late inning drama last night from both the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros.
Danny Jansen had a game-ending single with two outs as the Texas Rangers rallied for a 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night in a frantic ninth inning that included three-run rallies by both teams. (Associated Press)
Meanwhile, the Astros were, “Hold my beer…”
The Astros forged a tie in the sixth inning and pulled ahead in the eighth. After a blown save, Zach Cole delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning to allow Houston to salvage a 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners. (Houston Chronicle)
ON THE SCHEDULE
The Rangers have the day off while the Astros will conclude their series with Seattle.
AL WEST STANDINGS
NBA PLAYOFFS: The San Antonio Spurs can wrap it up tonight in Minnesota.
The San Antonio Spurs look to close out the series Friday night when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
San Antonio holds a 3-2 series lead after a dominant 126-97 blowout win at home in Game 5, and now returns to Minneapolis with a chance to punch their ticket to the Conference Finals. The sixth-seeded Timberwolves, playing in an elimination game on their home floor, will need to find answers for a Spurs team that has won three straight after dropping Game 4. Tip-off is set for 8:30 PM CDT at Target Center.
WNBA: In women’s basketball, a new season in 2026 and a new team in 2027.
In North Austin off West Anderson Lane, Enchiladas y Mas has been serving up classic Tex-Mex and family tradition for decades.
