AUSTIN, Texas (KOIN) — Austin police on Friday announced that they have made an arrest in the death of University of Texas at Austin student Haruka Weiser. She was from Portland and graduated from a high school in Beaverton last year.
Police named the suspect as Meechaiel Criner, 17. He was homeless.
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 same 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.
The video showed a man on a bicycle (red or pink woman’s bicycle) in the area north of the football stadium at 11:30 p.m. Sunday, April 3, 2016. Police say some of the video was taken prior to and after Haruka’s attack. Police arrested Criner without incident at LifeWorks.
Police said they are “very certain” that Criner is responsible for Haruka’s death. They have not determined what his motive was.
KXAN reports that 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. The Department of Family and Protective Services confirms Criner was in the state’s foster care system.
Haruka Weiser
Police believe that once Criner’s mug shot is released and the public has a chance to see him, they will receive more tips about the timeline for the murder and his background.
Criner was not a UT student and has no known connections to the university.
Haruka’s cause of death has not been released.
Her family released a statement on Facebook following news of the arrest. They said they were grateful to the police department and relieved to hear the news.
“We remain steadfast in our desire to honor Haruka’s memory through kindness and love, not violence. To the police officers, the UT community and all who have been impacted by this, we just ask that you hug your children, hug your parents TWICE, one from you and one from us.” — Weiser family.
Haruka, a first-year Theatre and Dance student from Portland, Ore. was last seen by her friends on the night of April 3. Her body was discovered two days later in Waller Creek near the campus’ Alumni Center.
KXAN contributed to this report. KXAN is a KOIN media affiliate.
Filed under: Crime, Multnomah County, National, Portland, Top Video
