Texas Deputy Gave Murder Suspect a Lift Then Realized Who He Was

Sometimes helping a stranger means going the extra mile. In this case, that mile ended at a hotel and a murder arrest.

Nothing good ever happens at 4 a.m. On April 28, Kerr County deputies were called out to check on a truck abandoned in the middle of the road. A Chevy Silverado sat abandoned on a road near Kerrville, Texas. No big deal, right?

Not quite.

Texas deputy called to another crime scene.

As deputies arrived to check out the truck, their investigation was interrupted and were quickly called out to a nearby store. The caller reported people knocking on windows at a Mini-Mart nearby.

When deputies arrived they found two individuals, 22-year-old Gonzalo Mendoza-Gonzalez and a woman. When questioned about the abandoned vehicle the woman claimed to have no idea whose truck it belonged to.

So, in classic small-town hospitality, deputies gave them a courtesy ride to a local hotel.

Here’s the twist: the man they helped out was carrying a loaded gun and had allegedly just murdered someone in Austin hours earlier.

Shortly after the ride, the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office got the call from Austin PD. That abandoned truck? Connected to a homicide. Deputies rushed back to the hotel, searched Mendoza-Gonzalez, and found the weapon. He was arrested on the spot.

According to Austin police, Mendoza-Gonzalez is believed to have fatally shot 22-year-old Samantha Fernandez in an East Austin parking lot before fleeing.

The irony isn’t lost on the public—or law enforcement. “Taking a murder suspect off the streets is always a good day,” said Sheriff Larry Leitha. Even if, apparently, you gave him a ride there first.

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