Homicide Investigation in the 5900 block of Wagon Bend

Case:  26-0260020
 
Date:  Monday, January 26, 2026              
 
Time:  12:30 a.m.
 
Location:  5900 block of Wagon Bend
 
Victim (Deceased): Denise Tijerina, Hispanic female, 08/17/1980

Suspect (Arrested): Samuel Boardman, White male, 39 years of age

On Monday, January 26, 2026, at 12:30 a.m., Austin Police (APD) officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 5900 block of Wagon Bend. The caller reported that a female had been shot in the residence and was bleeding from the head, and advised the suspect was still nearby. When officers arrived on the scene, they located an adult female victim in the kitchen suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim, later identified as Denise Tijerina, was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

APD officers were able to locate and detain the suspect, Samuel Boardman, who had walked away from the residence. Boardman declined to provide a statement. Aggravated Assault detectives and crime scene specialists responded to the scene and began an investigation. Preliminary findings determined that Boardman was inside the residence with his girlfriend, Ms. Tijerina, when he shot her before fleeing on foot. Boardman was arrested and initially charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

On January 27, 2026, Boardman was released from jail on a $5,000 bond related to charges stemming from the shooting of his girlfriend. On January 28, 2026, Ms. Tijerina succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased. A First Degree Murder warrant was subsequently obtained, and Boardman was re-arrested on January 28, 2026, in connection with her death.

Anyone with 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 calling 512-472-8477.  
 
This case is being investigated as Austin's 6th homicide of 2026.