Austin, Texas – Former College Athlete Arrested in Downtown Homicide Case
A police press statement revealed that a 25-year-old man, Timmel Eggleston, has been apprehended in connection with the shooting death of Alan Picazzo, 24, in a high-rise apartment building in downtown Austin. According to public records, Eggleston is a native of Maryland and boasts a college basketball career at prestigious universities such as Wake Forest University, Arkansas State University, and Bryant University from 2017 to 2021.
The 911 Call and Initial Investigation
Around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, first responders were alerted to a shooting incident inside the Quincy apartment building on the 19th floor. The caller, who has been identified as Eggleston’s roommate, reported hearing six gunshots and mentioned a possible victim in the elevator.
Upon arrival, officers found Picazzo with multiple gunshot wounds inside the freight elevator. He was transported to Dell Seton Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries at 7:11 a.m.
The Events That Preceded the Shooting
Eggleston’s arrest affidavit paints a detailed picture of the events that transpired before the deadly incident. Eggleston had reportedly been at a Sixth Street bar with his roommate. Here, they happened upon Kevin Braganca, a neighbor residing on the 29th floor of their apartment complex.
After Eggleston’s roommate left the bar and returned home, Eggleston and Braganca stayed out later. Surveillance cameras showed them arriving back to their apartment complex around 5:01 a.m.
In his interaction with the police, Eggleston claimed he went to Braganca’s apartment to purchase marijuana and discovered the door ajar. He then took about two ounces of marijuana and a firearm.
The Encounter in the Elevator and Subsequent Events
Surveillance footage shows that Eggleston organized a meeting with Braganca at the elevators, intending to return the stolen marijuana. Despite exchanging the stolen items without violence, he told the police that he felt threatened by Braganca who was brandishing a firearm.
Later, Eggleston heard two people attempting to break into his apartment. Despite their faces being obscured by masks, Eggleston could hear them discussing a gunshot in the hallway and decided to protect himself by firing his stolen weapon into the hallway.
Post-shooting, Timmel Eggleston hid the handgun near the Interstate 35 overpass and East Cesar Chavez Street. Initially, he withheld this piece of information from law enforcement, only admitting it when confronted with the surveillance footage.
Current Legal Status of the Accused
The police have yet to establish whether Picazzo was the second masked man trying to break into Eggleston’s apartment. Timmel Eggleston is currently held at the Travis County Jail, facing charges of murder, burglary, theft of a firearm, and tampering with physical evidence with intent to conceal. His bond is currently pending.