AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As police continue to investigate the death of Mario Damian-Rayas, who was shot and killed on Dec. 21 outside of his southeast Austin apartment, the victim's friend is trying to help Damian-Rayas' family get his body back to Mexico.
"Really sad, really shocking," said Ulises Castro, who said Damian-Rayas was his best friend of 12 years. "He was a really nice guy, he was never involved in drugs or anything where people were after him."
On Saturday, Dec. 21, police got a 911 call reporting gunshots heard at the Chevy Chase apartments on Huntwick Drive, near East Oltorf. When officers got there, they found Damian-Rayas in the front seat of a car with apparent gunshot wounds. Police said "the investigation showed Mr. Damian-Rayas was shot in a vehicle by a suspect who then fled the area."
Investigators have not yet released details on what they believe led up to the shooting, but APD did release the photo, pictured right, identifying the man in the image as a person of interest.
University of Texas at Austin Police also released this very image in July, identifying the man as a person of interest in a case involving shots fired near the Moody Center.
Investigators could not elaborate further on this individuals suspected involvement in either case.
"The only thing right now that we want in justice," Castro said.
Castro said people loved Damian-Rayas for his sense of humor. The two have been part of a weekly cycling club for years, and Castro said his friend was working as a contractor in the greater Austin area at the time of his death.
"He would care for other people. If saw someone needing something, he would extend his hand or give whatever he had or anything," Castro said.
Damian-Rayas' case is being investigated as Austin's 70th homicide of 2024. Last year, there were 75 homicides in the city, and 71 in 2022. All of these numbers are down from the city's high of 88 in 2021.
