According to CBS Austin, chaos broke out in a south Austin neighborhood when a nude man allegedly high on drugs came into a residence and assaulted a woman, resulting in a SWAT situation.
The odd entrance on March 7 has aggravated the community’s long-standing concerns about homelessness, drug use, and mental health. Larry Robinson, 44, barged into a residence on Merle Drive at the intersection with Manchaca Road.
Elena Doguet, the homeowner, returned to find Robinson naked and high in her living room.
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In an interview with the Austin American-Statesman, Doguet described her anxiety as she attempted to escape via a window while the burglar watched, comparing the experience to “like a horror movie.”
Neighbors such as Nick Marchioni can sympathize, citing increased trespassing and attempted break-ins as evidence of the community’s escalating anxiety as a result of homelessness and related difficulties.
Residents are demanding more decisive action to address the crisis, with Doguet emphasizing the need for long-term solutions, particularly mental health resources, as transient traffic from an abandoned property across the street fuels the neighborhood’s decline.
Marchioni said it looks like a “warzone over there,” and efforts to secure the location have been ineffective, according to a CBS Austin report. Despite outreach by the city’s Homeless Strategy Office and its partners, participation in voluntary programs and shelters does not appear to be reducing the neighborhood’s difficulties.
Robinson, who is now facing a second-degree felony charge for burglary, has emerged as a key figure in a broader discussion about accountability and support systems needed in the community, after the city’s outreach initiatives, which have left locals wanting more action.
While Robinson’s charges are pending, Doguet told CBS Austin that what matters most is that he receives the assistance he requires, signaling a compassionate yet desperate cry for solutions that address not only the crimes but the underlying circumstances that lead to such desperate actions.
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