AUSTIN, TX – Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Gomez, 26, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection to a deadly shooting that took place in December 2024 at a southeast Austin apartment complex.
Authorities say the shooting occurred at the Chevy Chase Downs Apartments on Huntwick Drive. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Mario Damian-Rayas fatally shot inside a car. Surveillance footage captured Rodriguez-Gomez approaching the vehicle and firing approximately 15 shots before fleeing.
Investigators linked Rodriguez-Gomez to the murder through ballistics evidence, which connected the shell casings to two prior violent incidents: an aggravated assault in May and a deadly conduct case at the University of Texas at Austin in July.
Rodriguez-Gomez, who previously lived near the crime scene, was arrested Thursday in Manor, Texas. He also faces two additional deadly conduct warrants out of Bastrop County.
Authorities are treating Damian-Rayas’ murder as Austin’s 70th homicide of 2024, and the investigation remains ongoing.
