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A police officer shot and killed a Cuban man in Austin, Texas, after finding him stabbing his wife in an apartment in a residential complex early on Monday morning.
The incident occurred shortly after 1:30 a.m. in an apartment located in the 12500 block of Tech Ridge Boulevard, within the San Paloma Apartments complex, according to information provided at a press conference by Robin Henderson, interim chief of the Austin Police Department (APD).
U.S. authorities did not disclose the identity of the deceased man or the assaulted woman, nor did they reveal the relationship between them.
However, crime reporter Niover Licea confirmed on social media this Tuesday that both the aggressor and the victim are Cubans, originally from Moa, Holguín, and were married.
Licea identified the woman as Rosa María Tabera and her attacker as Ensel Maclare, stating that she was pregnant.
Friends and other close acquaintances of the couple commented on the video posted by the influencer, stating that they had been "together for a long time" and had children.
They also clarified that she had been living in the United States for about four years, while he had arrived over two years ago.
"Unfortunately, it took this for them to put an end to him because he was constantly mistreating her," stated a man who identified himself as a friend of both. Another woman remarked, "My God, it's a relief that the police intervened; he was a criminal, there is no forgiveness for a man who does that to a woman, especially a pregnant one."
According to the police report, at around 1:34 a.m., the police received an initial 911 call regarding a loud altercation between a man and a woman at the housing complex located near I-35 North, in the northern part of Austin.
Two minutes later, another person made a second call and reported hearing a woman asking for help and a man shouting, as well as the sound of breaking glass and things being thrown. They added that the disturbance had moved to the yard and then back into the apartment.
The agents arrived at the scene around 1:45 a.m. and were guided by a neighbor to the apartment where the incident was taking place.
“The officers heard the disturbance coming from the apartment, knocked, and announced themselves in English and Spanish, but received no response. Due to the necessity of preserving life and preventing further harm to individuals, the agents forced open the main door of the apartment,” explained the interim chief of APD.
Once inside, they found a locked room where the altercation was taking place, and they also had to force the door.
"Upon entering, they saw a man on top of a woman, whom he was stabbing repeatedly with a knife. To protect the victim's life, an officer used his service weapon and shot the suspect," Henderson said.
Immediately, the officers began administering first aid to both individuals until the ambulance service arrived and they were taken to a local hospital.
The police informed the local press that the woman sustained life-threatening injuries and was in critical condition, while the assailant was pronounced dead at 3:05 a.m. No other individuals or officers were injured.
Henderson added that the officer who shot the suspect has five years of service with the Austin Police Department and, according to the agency's protocol, will be assigned to administrative duties.
The APD will conduct two simultaneous investigations: a criminal investigation carried out by the Special Investigations Unit of the Police in collaboration with the District Attorney's Office of Travis County, and an administrative inquiry conducted by the Internal Affairs Unit.
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