Man found dead of gunshot wound

San Marcos police are investigating the city’s first homicide of the year.

Emergency personnel were dispatched at 2:24 a.m. to the parking lot of Park North Condos on Aquarena Springs Drive, where the caller said a person was lying unresponsive. When police and EMS arrived, they found a deceased male with a gunshot wound to the chest. Matthew Jacob Rodriguez Jr., age 27, was identified as the victim.

Justice of the Peace Maggie Moreno pronounced Rodriguez deceased at the scene. He was transported to the Travis County Medical Examiner for autopsy. 

San Marcos Police Chief Chase Stapp said police had received two reports of gunshots near Castle Rock Apartments, on the other side of the interstate from Park North, at around 9:30 Tuesday night. However, officers responding to those reports spoke to residents and confirmed that the sounds were related to overhead fireworks.

“We feel very strongly that the victim was shot where he was found,” Stapp said. “We cannot be certain how long he was there before being found.”

Further details were not available because the investigation is still under way. 

There were five homicides in the city in 2017.

Anyone with information regarding this homicide is asked to call the San Marcos Police Department non-emergency line at 512-753-2108 or the SMPD Criminal Investigations Division at 512-753-2300.

They can also contact Crime Stoppers at 800-324- TIPS.