Robust Search For Missing Austin Man Launched

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Police on Wednesday outlined the scope of a search for a man who hasn't been seen since he was with friends along the Rainey Street entertainment district early Monday.

Previously, the Austin Police Department (APD) issued a plea for help from the public in finding Martin Gutierrez, 25, who was last seen between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Monday along the 90 block of Rainey Street. Police didn't disclose the name of the establishment Gutierrez may have last frequented before he went missing when Patch requested the information, merely reiterating the block number in response to the query.

On Wednesday, a police spokesman detailed the search effort that now includes ground support as well as helicopter-aided efforts. Gutierrez is described as a Hispanic male standing at five feet, eight inches and weighing 160 pounds. He has short black hair and brown eyes, according to the police advisory. He was last seen wearing a black Patagonia jacket, light green shirt, dark blue jeans and gray Vans-brand shoes.

Previous story: Austin Police Seek Public's Help Locating Missing Man

Detective Brad Herries from the APD's Missing Persons Unit early Wednesday afternoon briefed reporters on efforts to locate the missing man. The officer said family members and friends of the missing man were involved at ground level in the search along with air support, members of the APD Missing Persons Unit, lake patrol crews and those with the Travis County Search and Rescue unit. Herries didn't detail whether surveillance footage from cameras located at various establishments had been examined.

Given that robust search effort, Herries said officials hope to find Gutierrez on Wednesday. Bu he conceded there are no solid leads in the case, although numerous tips from the public have been received.

"Right now, we don't have any true strong leads. we've got some great tips from the public," the detective said. "That's what we're working on right now. But right now, we're just going on location. This is a nearby area, so we're starting here."

Police also have no reason to believe foul play was involved, Herries said, but the circumstances surrounding the man's disappearance are unknown: "We don't have a true understanding of what happened that night, and where' he's at today. We really don't understand why he's not accounted for at this point," he conceded. "We're looking everywhere."

Formally known as the Rainey Street Historic District, the downtown Austin enclave is dotted with historic homes, many built in the bungalow style, and lined with popular bars and eateries. While most associate the district to the bar- and restaurant-lined focal point of entertainment, the area is considerably larger — encompassing 120 acres from 70 to 97 Rainey Street, positioned near Lady Bird Lake and Interstate 35 in the southeast corner of downtown.

Once a sleepy residential enclave, the area was rezoned in 2004 to promote more diversified development near two key community focal points in near proximity: the Austin Convention Center and the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. As a result of this rezoning, owners of bars and eateries flocked to the area given the ability to open such establishments without additional zoning requests.

The revamped zoning resulted prompted many property owners to spruce up and develop some of those bungalow-style dwellings built in the early part of the 20th century into commercial enterprises. The commercialized transformation of the area has resulted in heavy traffic, particularly on the weekends, both in the form of cars, revelers and pedestrians descending to the district for recreational purposes.

Inevitably given the recent influx of new visitors, crime activity has increased correspondingly in what once was a quiet residential enclave. According to CrimeReports.com, there have been 56 incidents of crime in the district during a mere two-week span from Nov. 7-21.

Get Patch's Daily Newsletters and Real Time Alerts

>>> Photo of Martin Gutierrez provided by Austin Police Department