Two Violent Burglary Suspects Arrested; Two Other Suspects Still Sought

On December 4, 2024, Austin Police Department (APD) officers responded to a burglary in progress at an apartment complex located at 6407 Springdale Road at approximately 11:53 a.m.

Upon arrival, officers discovered a victim, a witness, and evidence, including an expended 9MM shell casing. The investigation revealed that multiple suspects unlawfully entered an apartment while a witness was inside. The witness hid in a closet and called her boyfriend for help. When the boyfriend arrived, the four burglars fled, but one suspect, 19-year-old Orlen Guillen, fired a pistol at him. Fortunately, the boyfriend was not injured.

The suspects fled the scene before police arrived. Detectives recovered surveillance footage that captured the suspects’ vehicle and its license plate. Further investigation linked the vehicle to Guillen, who was located on December 5 cleaning the vehicle at a car wash. The APD Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) apprehended Guillen and seized the vehicle as evidence.

During surveillance of the same area, the VCTF identified another suspect, 20-year-old Nefi Amed Gomez-Lopez. While being apprehended, Gomez-Lopez discarded a stolen 9MM pistol, which was later recovered. Both Guillen and Gomez-Lopez provided detailed confessions to detectives.

A search warrant executed at Guillen’s residence yielded clothing matching surveillance footage, a cellular device linked to the crime, and another vehicle, which was seized for further investigation.

Ballistic analysis conducted by an ATF Taskforce detective linked the stolen 9MM pistol to a separate residential burglary and aggravated assault that occurred on November 8, 2024.

Two additional suspects remain at large. APD continues to investigate. Anyone with information is urged to contact APD.