Photo: Austin Police Department
Authorities in Texas believe they found a "possible" gravesite tied to a suspected serial killer who was arrested in May. Investigators were following up on a lead after learning that Raul Meza Jr. was stopped by officers in Pflugerville in March 2022.
Bystanders called 911 and reported that somebody was walking near an apartment complex and looked like they had been involved in a fight. When officers arrived, they observed Meza "walking through a large field" and approached him. They noted that he was bleeding and had blood on his hands and mouth. When asked about his injuries, Meza "offered no logical explanation."
A search of the field uncovered brass knuckles, a "smashed phone," and two cell phone cases. Meza was not detained following the stop.
After reviewing body camera footage from the interaction, the Austin Police Department secured a search warrant for the field. Using drones, detectives found several locations that "displayed the properties of a possible burial site."
When detectives went to the field, they found "a gravesite that contained partially buried clothing and a tarp." While they did not find any human remains, officials noted that the remains would have likely decomposed and could have been scattered across the field by animals.
Meza has been in jail since May, when he called the police and confessed to killing his 80-year-old roommate, Jesse Fraga, and 66-year-old Gloria Lofton in 2019. When officers found him five days later, officials said that "he was ready and prepared to kill again."