AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police say they have arrested a homeless 17-year-old they believe is connected in the death of University of Texas at Austin student Haruka Weiser. The Austin Police Department says Meechaiel Khalil Criner was booked into the Travis County Jail around 2 a.m. Friday and charged with murder.
Police made the link to Criner after the Austin Fire Department alerted them to a trash fire they were called to on Monday, April 4 at 2900 Medical Arts Street, which is just off-campus. At the time on Monday, a woman called 911 to report the trash fire and told authorities she saw the person who started the fire. When firefighters arrived, they found Criner who had a woman’s bicycle in his possession as well as a small blue duffel bag that resembles the one that Haruka had. Because he was homeless, police took him to LifeWorks for treatment and shelter.
Once police released surveillance footage of the suspect on Thursday, firefighters who responded to the trash fire call on Monday realized the fire was connected to the homicide suspect. The woman who originally called 911 about the fire also connected the dots and “immediately called in the tip that the video resembled a man who started the fire,” says Austin Chief of Police Art Acevedo. Police arrested Criner without incident at LifeWorks.
“It’s important for people to realize this investigation is very active and nowhere near complete,” said Acevedo on Friday during a news conference. “We are very certain the subject we have in custody is the suspect responsible for the death of this beautiful young woman.” Police are not releasing how Haruka died but did say she was assaulted.
According to an article published in December 2015 by Texas High School in Texarkana, Criner said he was bullied his whole life and went through the foster care system as a child. In the story titled Voice of Hope, Criner said he was a victim of physical violence. He said one foster parent threw him to the ground and injured his back.
