Authorities in Texas have confirmed the arrest of Luis Fernando Benitez Gonzalez, a 26-year-old man charged with two murders spanning several years. His confessions connect him to the deaths of Alyssa Ann Rivera and Alba Jenisse Aviles Marti, both of whom were victims of violent crimes in Austin and its outskirts.
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Police apprehended Gonzalez on 27 April 2023 at an apartment complex in Dallas, following an investigation that employed DNA evidence to establish ties to the murders. He faces a first-degree murder charge related to the June 2024 death of 34-year-old Alyssa Ann Rivera. It was during his time in custody that Gonzalez purportedly confessed to killing Alba Jenisse Aviles Marti, whose body was discovered in 2018.
Rivera’s remains were uncovered on 21 June 2024 by Austin police officers in the entryway of an abandoned residence near East Metcalfe Road. The conditions surrounding her death indicated that she had been forcibly dragged into the house, with authorities reporting signs of strangulation and blunt-force trauma. At the crime scene, investigators discovered drag marks and blood evidence, leading to the conclusion that a struggle had taken place.
Surveillance footage captured Rivera walking with an unidentified man shortly before her death, strengthening the case against Gonzalez. An autopsy later confirmed that her death was the result of multiple traumatic injuries to the head.
Initially, authorities had been investigating the 2018 case involving Alba Jenisse Aviles Marti, who was last seen leaving Club Caribe, a bar in south Austin, on 14 April 2018. Her remains were found in her car, located in a remote area about 30 miles from Austin. The autopsy revealed that she had been strangled and had suffered sexual assault, raising questions about the circumstances of her demise.
The connection between the two cases became evident when DNA evidence from both crime scenes matched, as confirmed by the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System. Further developments in 2025 linked Gonzalez to a series of aggravated assaults involving women, which ultimately led detectives to identify him using technology that linked him to a firearm.
As investigation progressed, data retrieved from Gonzalez’s phone suggested that he was in proximity to the location where Marti’s vehicle was found in 2018. These pieces of evidence consolidated around him a pattern of violent behaviour that law enforcement found troubling.
In the course of interrogations, Gonzalez offered explanations for both murders, claiming self-defence in each situation. He described how Rivera attacked him during a disagreement over drugs, suggesting this led to her death. However, forensic evidence presented by investigators contradicted his account. Regarding Marti, he contended that their conflict revolved around money, stating he had used a seatbelt to strangle her.
Following the news of Gonzalez’s confession, family members of the victims expressed profound feelings of grief and relief. Wendy Rivera, Alyssa’s stepmother, shared her emotional response, highlighting the mixed emotions triggered by the arrest. “It was just like getting the call when we lost her. The emotions were high,” she said, adding that they had long anticipated answers that seemed increasingly out of reach.
Rivera was fondly remembered as someone whose vibrant personality brightened any room, and her family hopes that news of Gonzalez’s custody might bring closure. “We finally have answers we didn’t have before,” Wendy Rivera noted.
In addition to the charges related to the murders, Gonzalez is facing two counts of aggravated assault involving weapons connected to the aforementioned shootings in 2025. As of now, it remains unclear if he will face murder charges for the death of Marti or whether he has legal representation to provide comments on his behalf.
Authorities encourage anyone dealing with issues of sexual assault or domestic violence to seek help through available resources, emphasising the importance of support during such challenging times.