Joshua McKeith Bell, 28, and Mathew Robert Villanueva, 29, face aggravated assault charges stemming from the incident.
AUSTIN, Texas — Two men are facing charges in connection to an alleged hate crime that took place at Barton Springs Pool in July.
The Austin Police Department has issued arrest warrants for 28-year-old Joshua McKeith Bell and 29-year-old Mathew Robert Villanueva on aggravated assault charges stemming from the incident. As of yet, police have not made any arrests in the case.
Police said officers initially responded to the scene on July 26 for a disturbance hot shot call at the pool located at the 2000 block of Andrew Zilker Rd. Multiple people claimed there was a victim bleeding from their head after a fight. When officers arrived Bell and Villanueva had already left the scene.
APD spoke to a witness who said an unknown man began verbally harassing the victim, later identified as a transgender woman, which escalated into a physical assault involving multiple people. The witness said a bystander attempted to intervene and was also assaulted by the suspect. The suspect then reportedly pushed the witness before fleeing the area.
The victim was knocked unconscious during the fight and suffered a fractured jaw that required surgery and his jaw to be wired shut for four weeks. He also sustained a punctured ear canal.
According to the affidavit, the witness told police the tensions between the two groups began after a transphobic comment was made. The witness described the initial encounter as “nice” until the man later said “I just want to let you know, I don’t agree with that.”
When the witness asked what the man meant by that statement, he then allegedly told her “That really grosses me the **** out.”
Two cell phone videos captured by bystanders were able to positively identify the male suspects involved in the assault.
Police said video evidence disputes Villanueva’s claim that a victim initiated the confrontation. An affidavit states the video shows Bell shoving a woman to the ground before a victim stepped in defensively between them.
Anyone with any additional information or relevant photos or videos is asked to contact APD or submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS or austincrimestoppers.org.