Man arrested for killing man, shooting another in Del Valle

Marcos Enrique Mendoza was arrested on Feb. 5 for the murder of 42-year-old Gerald Carl Vanbrakle Jr of Austin.

Booking photo of Marcos Mendoza courtesy Travis County Sheriff's Office.

DEL VALLE, Texas - The Travis County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) says a man is in custody for a shooting that killed a man and injured another in Del Valle earlier this week.

Marcos Enrique Mendoza was arrested on Feb. 5 for the murder of 42-year-old Gerald Carl Vanbrakle Jr of Austin on Feb. 4. According to TCSO, Mendoza confessed to shooting Vanbrakle as well as a second victim, who sustained a non-life-threatening wound and was hospitalized.

Mendoza is in custody at the Travis County Jail. Bail is set at $1 million.

1 killed, 1 injured in Del Valle, TCSO investigating

A caller reported to FOX 7 Austin that she believed there was a body in her East Travis Hills neighborhood in Del Valle, which TCSO later confirmed.

A caller had reported to FOX 7 Austin around 11:40 a.m. Feb. 4 that she believed there was a body in her East Travis Hills neighborhood on Hayride Circle in Del Valle. The caller said sheriff's deputies and possibly a medical examiner's van were at a residence and that crime scene tape had been put up.

The caller also reported an ambulance had transported someone from the scene, which EMS confirmed, saying the patient was transported with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

TCSO later confirmed they had responded to a 911 call for a gunshot wound in the 16900 block of Hayride Circle around 10 a.m. When deputies arrived, they found a Hispanic male "obviously deceased" and another Hispanic male with a gunshot wound.

TCSO investigating homicide in Del Valle

Kristen Dark, Senior Public Information Officer for the Travis County Sheriff's Office, says what detectives know so far is that this seems to be an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public. This is an active investigation.

Evidence at the scene and witness statements led detectives to believe the shooter was Mendoza, says TCSO. They then began tracking down his whereabouts.

On Feb. 5, TCSO says that a tip came in from a caller who said Mendoza was located on a property in East Travis County. TCSO and Hays County SWAT teams located Mendoza hiding on an adjacent property adjacent and arrested him.

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1 killed, 1 injured in Del Valle, TCSO investigating
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