AUSTIN, Texas — A 13-year-old has been charged with murder after a man was killed in North Austin earlier this year.
The Austin Police Department (APD) has been investigating for months who killed 21-year-old Francisco Muntufa Miranda at the Avalon Palms Apartments in January.
On March 25, APD executed a search warrant in East Austin and found a 13-year-old with "multiple extended capacity pistol magazines" that were linked to the gun used in Miranda's death.
After further investigation, the teen was also linked to a drive-by shooting on December 20, 2023, where nine people, including five children, had to take "evasive action" while at a convenience store on Thurmond Street. A 15-year-old was also arrested in connection to the drive-by. Since they're both underage, their names were not released.
APD Det. Nicholas Gebhart said investigators still believe the shooting that killed Miranda was a random act of violence and that the 13-year-old was linked to multiple other shootings.
"There does seem to be a high amount of violent crime being committed by juveniles in that North Austin area," Gebhart said. "We consider it ... a hybrid gang. Younger juveniles coming together in an area ... but there's not a set of rules or specific type of code you see with traditional gangs."
Investigators said Miranda was discovered on the ground of the apartment complex's courtyard with a crowd of people surrounding him. Miranda lived at the apartment complex with his family for several years and enjoyed playing soccer there.
"[We] have been in close contact with the family of Francisco and hope this arrest ... Will help bring some peace to Francisco's family during this difficult time," Gebhart said.
According to Gebhart, the area where Miranda was killed has become a recent hotbed for robberies and shootings. Gebhart hoped they could find Miranda's killers by getting the community involved and making the area safer.
Meanwhile, the 13-year-old now faces multiple charges, including murder. Miranda's death is being investigated as Austin's fourth homicide of 2024.