AUSTIN, TX – A local man, Hayden Lerond, 22, is being held in jail after allegedly stabbing his father to death in South Austin. The incident took place on July 1 on Windrift Way near West William Cannon Drive and Menchaca Road.
According to police affidavits, Austin Police Department officers were dispatched to the scene following a distress call from a neighbor who reported hearing cries of “He stabbed me!” Upon arrival, first responders attempted life-saving measures on 51-year-old James Lerond, who was found in the street and later pronounced dead.
The crime scene exhibited a trail of blood leading from the body into a nearby home, where Hayden was found lying on the living room floor with bloodstained knees. A witness described seeing James twitching on the ground while his son stood nearby, covered in blood and wielding a large silver knife. However, when approached by police, Hayden Lerond declined to provide his account of the events.
An autopsy later identified that James Lerond sustained seven sharp-force injuries, including severe trauma to the chest that fractured his ribs and an 8-inch cut on his neck that punctured his jugular vein, leading to his death.
Hayden Lerond’s bond has been set at $200,000. This incident is currently being treated as Austin’s 30th homicide of the year. The investigation is ongoing as police seek to understand the circumstances that led to the shooting.