Arrests Made In Waffle House Killing; Suspects Found In Memphis

WEST AUSTIN, TX — Police have made two arrests in connection to the shooting death of a young man outside a Waffle House in West Austin over the weekend, officials said on Thursday.

The Austin Police Department on Thursday said Jalen Highsmith, 25, and Kelvin Robinson, 20, were found in Memphis by members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force with assistance from the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force.

The suspects were arrested following the shooting outside the Waffle House eatery on 8800 E. Highway 90 where Mario A. Robinson, 23, had gone to eat breakfast with friends just after 4:35 a.m. after having patronized a nearby bar.

Previous coverage: Suspect Sought After Fatal Shooting Outside Austin Waffle House

In a previous report, police said they received multiple calls of a man suffering from a gunshot wound along the 9200 block of Happy Trail. Despite medics' life-saving measures, the man died at the scene.,

In the course of their investigation, police said, detectives learned the victim and his friends ordered food before returning to their cars to wait for their meals. An SUV pulled up alongside before two men — one armed with a rifle, the other with a handgun — exited the vehicle while demanding the group's belongings, according to police.

The victims offered no resistance, police noted, but one of the members of the group attempted to drive off. The rifle-wielding suspect then fired his weapon into the fleeing vehicle before striking Robinson, who was a passenger in the car, police said. The man's friends had driven to nearby Happy Trail street to wait for emergency personnel to arrive, according to the police account.

While homicide detectives continue to investigate, police urge anyone with information or video of the incident to call (512) 974-TIPS or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (512) 472-8477 (TIPS). Tipsters also can use the new Crime Stoppers App, or email APD Homicide at homicide.apd@austintexas.gov. Those submitting tips have the option of remaining anonymous, police said. Tips also can be submitted by downloading the police department's mobile app, Austin PD, free on iPhone and Android.

Grieving family members previously issued a statement, describing their fallen loved one as having been "...beloved by all his family and friends and remembered most by his wonderful smile. He had a unique charm and charisma that welcomed anyone he met."

Family members described the young man's passions — from family and fashion to skateboarding and video games. "He is deeply missed, and our families are broken without him," the statement read.