Police Report Second Rock-Throwing Incident In As Many Days UPDATE

DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, TX -- Police are investigating a second rock-throwing incident in as many days from the upper deck of Interstate 35 on Saturday, the latest taking place near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

It’s the 52nd confirmed case in a series of such attacks, and the second rock throw since Friday morning. Police have been unable to identify who’s responsible for the attacks that began June 2014.

No one was injured in the Saturday morning attack, police told the Austin American-Statesman.

The previous morning, a thrown rock hit the windshield of a vehicle stopped at a red light on Dean Keeton Street, but no injuries were reported from that attack either.

While there have been 52 confirmed cases in the string of rock-throwing attacks, there have additional reports of similar crimes. The projectile of choice for the unidentified culprit has been rocks, but sometimes bits of concrete or other material have been thrown.

The projectiles have all been launched in relatively near proximity of each other from the I-35 overpass. But so far, whoever is responsible has gone undetected by law enforcement.

Police recently offered a $10,000 reward for any tips from the public that might lead to an arrest.

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From Jan. 22:

Austin Police Department officials said another rock-throwing incident--the 54th in 18 months--was reported on Friday morning near the University of Texas at Austin campus.

The latest rock launch from an unknown culprit occurred from the familiar perch of Interstate 35’s upper deck, aimed at traffic below. The exact location along the highway for the latest incident at 10:40 a.m. was near the Deen Keeton exit.

Like so many past rock-throwing incidents, the latest one also hit its intended vehicular target. Police say a thrown rock damaged the windshield of a vehicle traveling southbound, although no injuries were reported.

The series of unsolved attacks has baffled law enforcement officials who have been unable to find who might be responsible since the incidents began in June 2014.

APD Chief Art Acevedo appeared visibly frustrated at a recent press conference updating the public on the investigation’s progress, insisting a high number of man hours and myriad resources have been devoted to the case.

Another level of investigative technique was revealed in a Friday press release: Inter-agency cooperation with other law enforcement agencies in trying to solve the string of attacks.

“APD is working with both federal and local agencies,” the advisory reads. “APD takes this matter very seriously and continues to utilize resource available.”

Although no deaths have been reported as yet from the rock launches, some people have sustained serious injuries. The first victim underwent physical rehabilitation following a head injury resulting from an attack that prompted a stroke.

On Friday, police reiterated the need for any future victims to call police as soon as they’re able in order to mobilize police to the scene quickly.

“If you are a victim, pull over immediately in a safe environment and call 911,” the statement reads. “Do not wait until you are home or the next day to report the crime.”

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

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From Jan. 17:

Yet another rock-throwing incident has been reported off Interstate 35--the 53rd in 18 months--in a series of such attacks on a case that’s baffled police still unable to identify a suspect.

The latest incident occurred at I-35 and Manor Road early Saturday. According to police, a rock hit the windshield of a Jeep while the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light.

Police said no one was injured.

Since June 2014, there have been 53 rock-throwing incidents along I-35. Most of them have been reported along the lower deck of the highway between 30th and 40th streets on I-35. The rock drops from the upper deck of the highway have all taken place between midnight and 5 a.m.

In a press conference staged last week updating on progress investigating the incidents, Austin Police Department Chief Art Acevedo said considerable manpower has been spent on the yet-unsolved case.

“It is critical that, if you are a victim, you pull over to a safe location but immediately call 911 because we want to be able to respond quickly, we want to respond aggressively,” Acevedo said during the Jan. 12 progress press conference.

He also announced the formation of a $10,000 reward by the Austin Crime Commission for any information that could lead to an arrest.

On the day of the latest incident, he reiterated the need for future victims to immediately call police so they can swarm the area quickly toward finding whoever is responsible for the attacks.

“Please, please, please pull over to a safe location, call 911 and get us rolling right away,” he told KVUE-TV. “We will saturate the area and we will jump on it so please don’t wait to get home, please don’t wait to get to your destination, and certainly please don’t wait until the next day,” Acevedo said.

Before this week’s occurrence, the last rock-throwing incident took place last Sunday--the day before Acevedo’s impromptu press conference. That incident happened off I-35 as well, in the 2700 block of the highway’s frontage road, near the St. Edward’s University campus.

During his press conference, Acevedo expressed frustration at some public sentiment that the police might not be working hard enough to solve the case. To the contrary, some 15,000 man hours have been spent in investigating the matter, he said.

Acevedo placed some of the blame for the unsolved case on a local television station. As part of its report on the case, the station compelled the APD to reveal information about locations of police surveillance cameras installed in efforts to record the suspect.

All that did was alert whoever is responsible, and rock-throwing incidents then moved from the north part of the city, where they were originally concentrated, to the south, the police chief said.

As a result, police officials would no longer detail the particulars of their investigation, Acevedo vowed at last week’s press conference.

Police are thankful for one thing: That nobody, as yet, has been killed from the rock attacks. But the potential for tragedy persists given the rock thrower’s prolific pace.

Although there’s no death toll, there have been serious injuries as a result of attacks from makeshift projectiles. Kenneth Johnson sustained serious injuries when a rock smashed through the windshield of his vehicle June 2014, resulting in several months of physical rehabilitation therapy to recover from his injuries, according to various media reports.

Johnson suffered a severe head injury from the attack, which led to him having a stroke.

Another victim sustained injuries to her neck when a rock smashed through her windshield as she traveled in the 9000 block of I-35. The November 2015 incident occurred around 1:30 a.m., between Rundberg and Braker exits, as KCEN-TV reported.

Amid extensive media coverage on the rock throwing incidents, at least one television station may have inadvertently tipped off the rock thrower as to the best place from which to hurl rocks and debris undetected.

In June 2015, KXAN-TV reported that the APD didn’t have any surveillance cameras in its High Activity Location Observation (HALO) system trained in the area where most of the incidents have occurred.

In its report, the TV station even suggested the reason for the unsolved nature of the case might be tied to cost in installing more cameras.

“The last time the Austin City Council approved adding cameras, they cost about $75,000 each,” the station reported. “The cameras also come with maintenance costs. APD operates 41 of the cameras throughout the city, which cost about $44,000 a year for upkeep.”

The HALO program comprises a network of surveillance cameras strategically located throughout various locations, primarily in the downtown sector, transmitting images to a centralized command center. Some 40 of the cameras have been installed, recording activity 24 hours a day.

The first phase of HALO installation began in 2011.

HALO cameras are used in other police departments as well, with varying degrees of success. In an October 2014 presentation on the success of its HALO program, Denver Police Department officials said its 160-camera network has led to prosecutions.

Denver police first explored the idea for the program in 2005, implementing it the following year. Almost immediately, it bore fruit: The first HALO video to be extracted led to the conviction of a defendant who had fired shots at a police officer.

In its report, the Denver Police Department alluded to its own funding challenges in expanding the HALO system. Ultimately, it was the city’s selection as the site of the 2008 Democratic National Convention --and the resulting need for heightened security-that yielded substantial funding and served as the catalyst for HALO expansion.

A glance at the minutes of a 2013 Austin City Council meeting--during which HALO expansion was discussed--reveals the piecemeal nature of the network’s patchwork implementation given reliance on available funding. In the May 2013 meeting, two sources of grants were found to fund expansion.

As council mulled awarding a contract not to exceed $750,000 for more camera purchases, it was noted only $224,978 was available during that fiscal year in APD’s Special Revenue Fund.

“Funding for the remaining contract period is contingent on future budgets,” read a report on the matter.

On the rock-throwing front, frustration abounds. In light of the continued threat, some residents have started to take matters into their own hands in attempts to solve a case.

In a Jan. 13 interview, Derrick Barber told KVUE he’s organized a posse of sorts to find the rock thrower. At least four other people have signed on, with plans to pose as panhandlers while surreptitiously patrolling sections of I-35.

The frequency and callous nature of the rock-throwing attacks has given rise to the vigilante-style effort.

In June 2015 alone, there were three attacks in quick succession: On June 8 in the 6100 block of I-35 at about 9 p.m.; on June 11 in the 1100 block I-35 in the 1100 block of I-35; and on June 12 in the 3500 block of I-35. In 2014, there were nearly two dozen reported incidents of rocks and debris hitting cars.

The police chief may not know the identity of the person responsible for the rock-throwing attacks. But he understands the depravity behind the acts he labeled as ”callous” and “cowardly” during his press conference.

“The thing about criminals [is] somebody is getting their jollies out of victimizing innocent people, out of terrorizing a community,” Acevedo said. “Somebody out there knows something and I urge you to step forward not just for the $10,000 but I urge you to step forward and say something before someone is killed.”