Sites can be misleading in Barrera case

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The desire to catch Esme Barrera’s killer is leading to several tips but also some misinformation.

At a meeting held in Barrera’s neighborhood on Monday, police said they have received nearly 250 tips concerning the case.

But there has also been some misleading.

“There are some websites devoted to dialogue about this,” Commander Julie O’Brien told the crowd. “Someone will report a rumor as fact.”

The sketch of a black, bald male has been circulated as a person of interest in the case but O’Brien reiterated the context for the sketch.

“We do not know that all three of these incidents are related to one another,” said O’Brien, when speaking about two other assaults that happened in the area the night Barrera was killed. “The only suspect description we have is the sketch of the suspect from the assault that happened 30 minutes before.”

The sketch was drawn after a description from a woman who was assaulted minutes before the homicide call went out. However, there were no witnesses to the murder and saying the suspect in the sketch had something to do in Barrera’s death would be an assumption.

O’Brien did say there was much evidence at the crime scene that could give them hope for catching the killer.

Police say the public should consider the source or website where one may learn about information, and that APD’s District Representative program is a good place to find accurate and trustworthy information about the homicide case.