Mechanic Shot Dead During Late-Night Robbery at Austin AutoZone, Two Men Arrested

A Deadly Robbery in a Parking Lot

Jose Salgado-Amador, 28, was working as a mechanic in the parking lot of an AutoZone on East Riverside Drive when a suspect confronted him, demanded property, and shot him before running to a light-colored sedan and fleeing the scene. It was a brutal, senseless end to an ordinary night's work. Law enforcement received the initial call at around 10:47 p.m. on June 15, reporting a shooting in the parking lot of the AutoZone at 2237 E. Riverside Drive.

The first officer arrived on scene in roughly three minutes and found a person injured in the parking lot, then attempted CPR as Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services arrived shortly after. The officer also applied a tourniquet before EMS transported Salgado-Amador to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:56 p.m. Despite the rapid response, the 28-year-old could not be saved.

Arrests Made Four Days Later

On June 19, the APD Homicide Unit issued an arrest warrant for Israel Medina, 19, for capital murder. He had been out on bond for stealing a car. The same day, multiple arrest warrants were issued for Medina and David Perez Jr., 26, for first-degree aggravated robbery for a different incident, and Perez was also charged with first-degree aggravated robbery for his role in the murder. Both Medina and Perez were arrested on June 19.

The charges reflect the distinct roles investigators believe each man played. Medina faces capital murder in connection with the shooting, while Perez is charged with first-degree aggravated robbery for his alleged role in the homicide. Capital murder in Texas carries the most severe penalties under state law, including the possibility of the death penalty or life without parole.

A Community Shaken by a Cluster of Violence

The AutoZone killing did not occur in isolation. The case is one of three being investigated as Austin's 27th, 28th, and 29th homicides of 2026, all of which occurred within a jarring window of days in the same general area of southeast Austin. Austin police acknowledged the situation directly, stating, "While three homicides in three days may feel alarming, it is not unusual for violent crime to occur in temporary spikes or clusters followed by periods of little or no similar activity."

The attack happened near the AutoZone in a shopping center parking lot that also houses a restaurant, a thrift store, and other businesses, on E. Riverside Drive just west of Pleasant Valley Road — a well-trafficked corridor that serves thousands of southeast Austin residents daily. The fact that a man could be robbed and killed while working in such a public space late at night underscores the vulnerability that can exist even in familiar, commercial settings.

What Comes Next

With both suspects now in custody, the focus shifts to the courts. The capital murder charge against Medina is among the most serious in Texas law, and the case will likely draw significant attention given his prior criminal history. Austin police are also still investigating two homicides that happened less than 24 hours apart and less than a mile apart, meaning investigators' work in southeast Austin is far from finished.

For the community, the arrests offer a measure of accountability, but the loss of Jose Salgado-Amador — a man simply doing his job on a Monday night — leaves a wound that no verdict can fully heal. As Austin grapples with its homicide numbers and a neighborhood on edge, the case serves as a stark reminder of how quickly and randomly violence can shatter ordinary life.