Suspect in Cell Phone-Related Beating Charged with Murder

A suspected heroin dealer has been charged with first-degree felony murder after beating a man to death in November over a missing cell phone.

Gerald Harvey Rester, 30, who is referred to around East Austin as “G,” was charged Wednesday with the Nov. 7 murder of Thomas Daniel Brewer, 33. The incident took place in the parking lot of East 1st Grocery on the corner of East Cesar Chavez and Chicon streets, police said.

Brewer is believed to have purchased heroin from Rester earlier that day. A witness, who drove Rester away from the scene in a golden getaway car said the altercation started when Rester accused Brewer of stealing his cellphone. Brewer later told police he found his phone several days later.

Rester admitted to striking the victim so hard that he knocked him to the ground, and continued to strike him three more times unprovoked. The defendant made a quick exit in a vehicle, causing the 911 caller who saw the body lying in the parking lot to mistakenly report the incident as a hit-and-run. Brewer later died of his injuries.

Rester was booked into the Travis County Jail on Nov. 25 on drug possession and paraphernalia charges. Has now been charged with first-degree murder with an increased bail of $500,000.