LOCAL

Man faces drug charges after shooting at Southeast Austin home, police say

Mark D. Wilson
mdwilson@statesman.com

Austin police arrested a man last week on charges of marijuana possession after a gunman fired into his house in Southeast Austin.

Police received reports of a shooting in the 5800 block of Zachary Scott Street around 1 a.m. on Wednesday. Police said via Twitter that one person was hurt and taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

An arrest affidavit filed the next day said officers arrived at the house to find 32-year-old James David Romero, along with several blood droplets and bullet holes in the front door.

Romero, who called police, told investigators he was in the living room with a friend when someone opened fire through the front door and a window, the affidavit said. He told police his friend ran off and he didn’t know where he was.

While officers were searching the house for any other victims or suspects, they noticed several clear plastic bags that they believed were filled with marijuana, the affidavit said.

Detectives got a search warrant for the house and later found five baggies of marijuana on the kitchen counter, along with a duffel bag with about 26 pounds of marijuana inside, the affidavit said.

Romero has been charged with a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.