LIVE OAK, Texas – A teenager is facing murder charges after Live Oak police said he shot and killed his mother’s fiance on New Year’s Day.
According to an arrest affidavit, Austin James Markowski, 17, shot Jorge Luis Duran, 36, after he saw him pull out a knife and push his mother, Erica Renee Rendon, to the ground.
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Rendon, Markowski, his brother and Duran were moving from San Antonio to a new home in Live Oak. Police said three days before the move, Markowski’s brother refused to help the family with packing and taking boxes to the new home.
Witnesses told police that Duran made it known to Rendon that he was not happy about her other son not helping. Rendon told Duran that her son had a mental illness and to “leave it alone,” the affidavit said.
Police also learned that Duran and the brother had gotten into a fight at their old home.
On New Year’s Eve, Markowski’s grandfather called him and said that his brother had torn up the new wood flooring in their mother’s bedroom, the affidavit said.
When Rendon and Duran came home, Markowski told police he was in the shower and heard a loud noise. He then grabbed a Glock handgun that belonged to his mother and went downstairs to investigate the noise, the affidavit said.
Police said the brother and Duran were fighting about the damage caused to the floors and for not helping. Once things calmed down, the brother slapped Duran in the face and cursed at him, the affidavit said.
Rendon and the grandfather attempted to separate the two. Rendon was able to push her other son into her bedroom and the argument continued. Rendon was holding the brother back when he reached around and slapped Duran in the face, the affidavit said.
Police said that the mother and brother fell or may have been pushed to the ground by Duran as he was attempting to get to the brother.
As this happened, Markowski came into the bedroom and also saw Duran push Rendon to the floor, the affidavit said. Markowski told police that Duran pulled a red knife with the blade not extended, and that’s when he shot him four times.
Duran was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center, where he later died.
Markowski is facing a murder charge and his bond is set at $300,000, court records show.