A man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with a fentanyl-related death that occurred in June, according to police reports. This incident marks the 44th homicide investigation in Austin this year.
The case revolves around the death of Luis Gerardo Cancel-Vargas, who was discovered unresponsive in a port-o-potty at a construction site on Brushy Street on June 24. Emergency responders arrived shortly after 12:23 p.m. to perform CPR, but unfortunately, Cancel-Vargas was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy revealed that his death was caused by the toxic effects of several substances, including fentanyl, hydroxyzine, methocarbamol, and trazodone. Authorities indicated that the investigation determined that Cancel-Vargas had received these drugs from 54-year-old Jose Antonio Martinez.
On September 30, law enforcement issued a murder warrant for Martinez, who was subsequently apprehended on October 5 and booked into the Travis County Jail.
