AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department provided an update Friday on two February homicides.
APD said 18-year-old Abraham Kulor was arrested and charged in connection with both murders — one in the 5800 block of Techni Center Drive and the other in the 600 block of East Sixth Street.
As of Friday morning, APD said Kulor has been charged with two separate counts of first-degree murder.
According to past KXAN reports, the homicide on Techni Center Drive occurred Feb. 8, and the East Sixth Street homicide occurred Feb. 19.
The victim in the homicide on Techni Center Drive was identified as 23-year-old Carlos Calleja, and the East Sixth Street homicide victim was identified as 27-year-old Anthony Brown.
Techni Center Drive homicide investigation
During a Friday news conference, APD said it received a call Feb. 8 for a man, later identified as Calleja, who was shot and lost control of his vehicle in a parking lot in the 5800 block of Techni Center Drive. Police said life-saving measures were performed, but Calleja died.
“Marijuana was located inside the victim’s vehicle,” APD said. “Social media messages discovered on the victim’s phone indicated that he was at the location to sell marijuana to the suspect who use the screen name of Lil AK. The messages outline the detail of the sale.”
The messages stopped once Calleja told Kulor he arrived, which was just minutes before the victim crashed his vehicle, according to police.
APD said several violent crimes detectives were familiar with the subject who also went by the name of Lil AK on social media. APD identified the person as Kulor.
East Sixth Street homicide investigation
At approximately 8:37 p.m. Feb. 19, APD said it received a shots-fired call in the parking lot of the Texas Lottery Commission. APD said a victim, later identified as Brown, was found in the parking lot with a gunshot wound and later died.
Police said a man, later identified as Kulor, was seen running away from the gunshots toward the 600 block of East Fifth Street, and officers found him with a black shoulder bag containing marijuana inside.
Kulor was arrested on an outstanding warrant for an aggravated robbery, according to police.
“Abraham Kulor and Anthony Brown met in the parking lot of the Texas Lottery Commission to conduct a transaction for marijuana,” said Detective Jeffrey Rodriguez with the homicide unit. “During the course of this transaction, Abraham Kulor pulled out a firearm and shot Brown, causing his death.”
Criminal activity on social media
Police said Kulor used Snapchat to communicate about the drug deals.
“Just like cellphones are used in everyday life, social media has become an integral part of communication,” said Sgt. Peter Kovach with the homicide unit. “It has become integral as part of what we look into whenever we conduct search warrants. It’s something that we look into in all cases.”
According to two arrest affidavits filed in court this week, police made two drug arrests by going undercover on the app Telegram – an encrypted messaging app police stated in the affidavit “is widely used to discreetly sell narcotics and solicit prostitutes.” In one instance, the suspect sold cocaine, in the other – methamphetamine.
Telegram was also the app 18-year-old Andrew Johnson used to sell marijuana last year, which resulted in his supposed buyers killing him in west Austin. Five teenagers have been arrested in Johnson’s death.
“Illegal activity is a high-risk lifestyle to begin with,” said Sgt. Kovach. “If you’re conducting narcotics transactions via these types of social media platforms and you think you’re being anonymous – even if you think you’re meeting with a complete stranger – you’re putting yourself at extreme risk.”
KXAN reached out to Kulor’s attorney for a former aggravated robbery charge. This article will be updated if a statement is received for the new charges.
