A man was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries after an aggravated robbery outside the H-E-B at 9414 N. Lamar Blvd. in North Austin around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, and police say they quickly detained a suspect at the scene. Officers identified him as Braden Richardson and charged him with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, according to the Austin Police Department.
Responding officers found the injured man near the store and had him taken to a local hospital, as first reported by FOX 7 Austin. The outlet, citing the Austin Police Department, reported that officers detained Richardson at the scene shortly after the attack. The extent of the victim’s injuries and his current condition have not been detailed publicly.
The timing raises a question that remains unresolved: the H-E-B at that address typically opens to shoppers at 6 a.m., meaning the robbery unfolded roughly half an hour before the store’s doors opened for the day, according to the store’s listed hours on HEB.com. That leaves open whether the victim was a store employee arriving for an early shift, a delivery worker, or someone else in or around the parking lot when the attack happened — a detail that has not yet been made public.
Charge Carries Steep Mandatory Penalties
Richardson’s charge is not a minor one. Under Texas Penal Code § 29.03, aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon is a first-degree felony, carrying a potential sentence ranging from 5 to 99 years or life in prison, along with a fine of up to $10,000, according to FindLaw…