Police in Austin, Texas, over the weekend revealed the first homicide of the new decade was attributed to a homeless man, as the city struggles to cope with swelling homeless numbers.
The incident began at a popular coffee bar last Friday, where a man assaulted a customer with an object.
“He had an object in his hand. This guy just out of nowhere just hit him in the back of his head with something, and people tried to restrain him and stop him from leaving the store,” a witness described, according to CBS Austin.
The man, later identified as a 27-year-old white male, next made his way to Freebirds World Burrito where he stabbed 34-year-old kitchen manager John Aguilar, killing him before climbing to the roof of the building and jumping off head-first.
The man, whose identity has not been revealed, sustained serious injuries and is currently hospitalized in critical condition.
Police did confirm on Saturday, however, that the man was homeless.
In a tweet Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott laid blame on the Austin City Council over their disastrous homeless policy.
When all facts are revealed I bet you’ll learn that the killer was a homeless man with prior arrests.
If so Austin’s reckless homeless policy puts lives in danger to murders like this.
Austin leaders must answer for their perilous policies.https://t.co/LftWzOAaKg
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 3, 2020
“When all facts are revealed I bet you’ll learn that the killer was a homeless man with prior arrests,” Abbott tweeted. “If so Austin’s reckless homeless policy puts lives in danger to murders like this. Austin leaders must answer for their perilous policies.”
Austin City Councilmember Delia Garza responded to Abbott’s tweet – claiming the governor was attempting to distract people “from his poor leadership” – prior to police confirming the governor’s speculation was actually accurate.
Events today were tragic. But the governor suggesting that ATX Council has the authority to change laws on violent attacks/homicide is more of his scapegoating and a distraction from his poor leadership and the failure to fund the mental health and housing resources Texans need.
— Delia Garza (@DGarzaforD2) January 4, 2020
“Events today were tragic,” Garza wrote on Twitter. “But the governor suggesting that ATX Council has the authority to change laws on violent attacks/homicide is more of his scapegoating and a distraction from his poor leadership and the failure to fund the mental health and housing resources Texans need.”
Austin Mayor Steve Adler also took issue with Abbott’s tweet, and accused the governor of attempting to demonize the entire homeless community.
“It’s misleading and it’s harmful to equate people experiencing homelessness with being criminals,” Adler stated. “It’s like saying that immigrants are rapists. There’s a real damage to society when we demonize people in ways that are simply not true.”
Abbott shot back that his criticism was directed toward the city council.
“This murder must be condemned by Austin leaders,” the governor wrote. “An innocent person lost their life this morning at a restaurant & others injured The City of Austin must ensure its homeless policy doesn’t endanger the lives of innocent people—AND the lives of the homeless.”
Exactly.
This murder must be condemned by Austin leaders.
An innocent person lost their life this morning at a restaurant & others injured
The City of Austin must ensure its homeless policy doesn’t endanger the lives of innocent people—AND the lives of the homeless. https://t.co/pza3KoD4OG
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 4, 2020
Aguilar left behind his wife and a teenage son. A GoFundMe fundraiser has raised over $10,000 for the family.
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A new report by Kelen McBreen exposes the shocking level of filth now becoming common in Austin as even Owen Shroyer now has footage of the homeless epidemic affecting Austin city streets.
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