A bus rider in Austin, Texas, stabbed a fellow passenger on Wednesday, according to police. What is his alleged reason? The victim resembled his uncle. Deepak Kandel, 31, has now been charged with murder.
Police say officers and EMS responded to a call at 6:45 p.m. in the 500 block of South Lawar Boulevard. The caller reported that someone had been stabbed on a CapMetro bus. First responders discovered Akshay Gupta, 30, who was seriously injured. They attempted to save his life but declared him dead at 7:30 p.m.
Investigators claimed they quickly discovered Kandel was the murderer.
“Homicide Detectives and Crime Scene Specialists responded to process the scene and interview witnesses,” according to the police. “The investigation revealed that the suspect, later identified as Deepak Kandel, was sitting next to Mr. Gupta on the bus when, without provocation, Kandel stabbed him in the neck. When the bus came to a stop, Kandel exited it calmly with the other passengers and walked away from the scene. APD patrol officers were able to locate and apprehend Kandel shortly thereafter. Kandel admitted to stabbing Mr. Gupta because he resembled his uncle.
Police are contacting anyone with information about the case, as well as passengers who may have left something on the bus as a result of the stabbing. From their statement:
Anyone needing to retrieve personal property left on the CapMetro bus as a result of this incident is asked to contact CapMetro customer service at 512-474-1200 for instructions.
Anyone with information should 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. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.
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