Case:  24-1101293

Date:  Monday, April 8, 2024

Time:  1:09 a.m.

Location:  5800 Spring Meadow Road

Deceased victim:  Cristian Rangel, Hispanic male, 6/4/1999

Video:  APD's YouTube Channel

UPDATE: APD Detectives release video footage related to Cristian Rangel's homicide. Investigators are asking for anyone that may have witnessed or heard anything in the Walmart parking lot relevant to this case to contact police.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477. A reward up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.

*Previous Release*

The Austin Police Department (APD) Homicide Unit requests the public's help to learn more about the details surrounding the death of 24-year-old Cristian Rangel.

On April 8, 2024, at approximately 11:15 a.m., Cristian Rangel left his Southwest Austin apartment on foot, headed for Walmart at 5017 W. US 290. Cristian never returned home, and was reported missing the night of April 8th.

Walmart surveillance footage shows Cristian entering the front passenger seat of a white GMC Terrain at approximately 1:30 p.m. A short time later, the vehicle exited the parking lot at a high speed, and surveillance video shows Cristian attempting to exit the car. Throughout the investigation, APD determined that the subject Cristian met in the Walmart parking lot and the driver of the vehicle was Kamery Wooldridge.  

On April 19, 2024, at approximately 7 p.m., APD received a call about a deceased person in a field in the 5800 block of Spring Meadow Drive. The decedent was positively identified as Cristian. 

Detectives determined that Ms. Wooldridge disposed of Cristian’s body in the 5800 block of Spring Meadow Drive, and on May 14, 2024, an arrest warrent was issued for Ms. Wooldridge, charging her with Tampering with a Human Corpse, a Second-Degree Felony.

The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force arrested Ms. Wooldridge on June 4, 2024, and she is currently out on Bond for this offense.

Though Ms. Wooldridge has been charged and arrested, this is still an active and ongoing investigation. Detectives, alongside the family of Cristian Rangel, ask for the community’s help and support in learning what happened to Cristian in the moments between when he entered the vehicle with Ms. Wooldridge and when she discarded his body in the greenbelt.

The mother of Cristian, Misty Moon, released the following statement in regards to the investigation:

“It is with devastation that we are speaking about the tragic loss of Cristian Rangel. He was our son, and he was a father, brother, nephew, cousin, and friend who is deeply missed. It is a pain that words cannot adequately describe, but I stand before you today, not only in grief, but in hope, that justice will be served. Cristian was only 24 years old when he was taken from us in an act of senseless violence. He had his whole life ahead of him; a life filled with promise, love, and many dreams yet to be fulfilled. His smile would light up any room, and he had such compassion for everyone. He would be the first person to give his own shirt off his back for a stranger. Family meant everything to him, and without him, ours will never be the same. We will never stop seeking justice for him. To anyone who may be holding on to information, our family asks from the depths of a broken heart, please come forward."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477. A reward up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest. In addition to the $1,000 reward being offered by Crime Stoppers, the family is offering an additional $9,000 for information in Cristian's case.
 
*Original Press Release*

Case: 24-1101293

Date:  Monday, April 8, 2024

Time:  1:09 a.m.

Location:  5800 Spring Meadow Road

Deceased victim:  Cristian Rangel, Hispanic male, 6/4/1999

Arrested:  Kamery Wooldridge, Black female, 31 years of age

On Monday, April 8, 2024, at approximately 10:55 a.m., Austin Police Department (APD) officers responded to a call for service at 5701 S MoPac Expressway. The caller stated that her boyfriend, Cristian Rangel, had been missing. On April 13, 2024, Mr. Rangel’s family went to the Walmart at 5017 W US Highway 290 and found a surveillance video that showed him on April 8 in a light-colored SUV.
 
On April 19, 2024, at approximately 7:06 p.m., APD officers responded to a deceased person call at 5800 Spring Meadow Drive. The caller had located a deceased person in the Greenbelt. Officers and the Austin Fire Department (AFD) located a decomposing body, which was later identified as Cristian Rangel.
 
Homicide Detectives and Crime Scene Specialists responded to process the scene and interview witnesses. After a thorough examination of the remains, on July 25, 2024, homicide detectives learned that Mr. Rangel's injuries were consistent with him being assaulted at the time of his death.

This case has been worked as a homicide investigation since April, and based on the recent findings it has now been classified as a homicide.
 
The investigation showed that Kamery Wooldridge was involved in the death of Cristian Rangel and the disposing of his body. Wooldridge has been charged with tampering with human remains. The investigation continues.
 
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477. A reward up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.
 
This case is being investigated as Austin's 39th homicide of 2024.