Mexican Defendant Charged with Killing Two Women in Texas

Reports are emerging about Luis Fernando Benitez Gonzalez, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, who faces charges for the murders of two women in Texas—once in 2018 and again in 2024. Detectives identified him through DNA evidence and input from a woman who managed to take his cellphone after resisting an assault. Authorities in Austin are now examining potential links to other unsolved cases, hinting at the possibility of a serial killer in the area.

A criminal profiler has expressed serious concerns, indicating that this suspected serial killer may have begun his violent spree much earlier than typically expected, with the six-year gap possibly suggesting more unrecognized victims.

Benitez Gonzalez, now 26 and previously deported, stands accused of strangling two women—Alba Genis Aviles-Martí, age 28, and Alyssa Ann Rivera, age 34—during separate incidents. The police reported that two other women survived a 2025 shooting that linked back to him, one of whom fought back against the attacker. They also confirmed that they were able to access the perpetrator’s cell phone.

“It’s alarming,” noted John Kelly, a criminal profiler, emphasizing that Benitez Gonzalez was only 18 when he allegedly killed his first victim. “We didn’t anticipate finding a potential serial killer who might have started this early.” He mentioned that it’s generally the case that serial killers begin their timeline of violence at a later age.

Experts are grappling with the implications of such a significant age difference in serial killers. “This kind of early onset is rare. It’s unsettling to think about how many people he may have harmed over the years,” Kelly added.

Detectives share similar concerns, believing there are likely additional instances of extreme violence connected to Benitez. They’ve already started investigating other cases to see if they relate to him.

Anyone with more information about Benitez Gonzalez is urged to reach out to the Austin Police Department’s Homicide Unit or the Metropolitan Crime Stoppers Unit. After being deported voluntarily in 2020, he re-entered the U.S. at some point, with potential connections to multiple Texas counties including Austin, Houston, and Dallas.

Recent charges include the murders of Aviles-Martí and Rivera, whose remains were discovered mere miles apart in 2024. This six-year span has raised eyebrows, with authorities noting a “pattern of violence directed at vulnerable women.” There seems to be a consistent method of operation among those who commit such crimes.

Furthermore, Benitez Gonzalez has been implicated in the shootings of two additional women in Austin late in 2025, both of whom survived. In all four incidents, he has claimed self-defense, but officials are skeptical and he has yet to enter a plea.