Austin Police Arrest Three Teens After Weekend Shooting Spree

Austin police arrested three teenage suspects Sunday after at least 12 shootings over the weekend that wounded four people, including one seriously injured victim. The incidents began Saturday when a vehicle was reported stolen from an apartment complex and a firearm was reported stolen from a store at 321 W.

Ben White Blvd. Police later linked the two thefts to a series of shootings that occurred primarily in South and East Austin. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said investigators initially did not connect the thefts but received about 20 additional service calls related to the suspects throughout the day.

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Saturday at a trailer residence at 10 Yucca Dr. Additional shootings followed at apartment complexes, businesses, and two Austin fire stations, with gunfire striking vehicles and buildings. m. Sunday at 7409 Janes Ranch Rd. Two other victims were shot later that afternoon during a drive-by incident involving a white Kia Optima.

Officers from the Manor Police Department and Travis County Sheriff's Office stopped a white Kia on Sunday. Three suspects fled the vehicle; two were apprehended immediately and a third 16-year-old was later detained.

The suspects in custody are 15 and 17 years old. The 17-year-old, identified as Cristian Fajardo Mondragon, had a warrant for theft of a gun from the same store where the 15-year-old allegedly stole a firearm. Police said the shootings were a mix of random and targeted incidents.

Some victims were known to the suspects while others had no known connection. Mayor Kirk Watson said no motive has been identified. Investigators are searching for multiple suspect vehicles, including a black or dark blue Hyundai, a gold Hyundai sedan, a silver four-door Mazda, and a white Kia Optima.

Austin police said at least five vehicles were stolen during the incidents. A city shelter-in-place order issued Sunday was lifted after the first two suspects were taken into custody.