TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas — Editor's note: The attached video is related to another cold case under investigation in Taylor, Texas.
A Travis County Grand Jury on Sept. 27 indicted two men in connection to the 2016 murder of Alexander Macias Garcia – Jose Cruz Rivera and Henry Lopez Leon.
After further investigations by the Cold Case Unit and the Austin Police Department, investigators submitted additional items for DNA testing, including a bloodstain found on the victim's shirt that led them to Leon.
According to the Travis County District Attorney's Office, the case began on Oct. 15, 2016, when Garcia and his brother were driving home after a night out with friends. They were unaware that two individuals, who he had a brief altercation with earlier in the evening, decided to follow their vehicle. They got into an accident after traveling down Interstate Highway 35 and across Wells Branch Parkway. As Garcia and his brother exited their vehicle, one of the occupants of the other vehicle reportedly fired at them multiple times. Garcia sustained a fatal wound to the head, while his brother was injured and taken to the hospital. Officials said the brother was able to positively identify both males from the other vehicle.
The district's attorney's office said the case quickly went cold because there were no other witnesses and the suspects had fled the scene before police could arrive.
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Eventually, evidence led detectives to Rivera and Leon after a thorough investigation from the APD's Cold Case Unit. After interviewing both suspects and locating the murder weapon that traced back to both of them, officials also said a stain found on Garcia's shirt, which they said originated from the altercation from earlier in the night at a nightclub parking lot, matched Leon's profile based on DNA testing.
“We are proud of the hard work and dedication the APD Cold Case Unit has given to these unsolved cases," said District Attorney Margaret Moore. "Having a team of prosecutors and detectives who are committed to bringing justice to these families is a top priority of the police department and this office."
The APD's Cold Case Unit and the district attorney's office established a team of detectives and prosecutors to collaborate on cold cases in 2017.
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