Francisco Rodriguez, 41 of 1010 7th Ave.

Thursday, November 04, 1999

Francisco Rodriguez, 41 of 1010 7th Ave. NE, remains hospitalized in serious condition after being beaten early Wednesday morning, according to reports.

Rodriguez suffered serious head trauma in the beating and was rushed from the scene of the attack to Austin Medical Center Hospital’s emergency room near 3:25 a.m. Wednesday by a Gold Cross Ambulance crew. Then, he was transferred to St. Mary’s Hospital at Rochester by air ambulance.

If his condition worsens, the charges against his attacker could be upgraded from first degree felony assault.

Rodriguez remains unconscious at the Rochester hospital today.

According to Austin Police Department reports, Rodriguez was beaten after a dispute over a woman.

Arrested in connection with the attack is Oscar Salazar Duron, 35 of Austin.

Investigators were hampered Wednesday by the language barrier. Everyone they questioned in connection with the case was Hispanic and did not speak or understand English, according to Police Chief Paul M. Philipp. Ernesto Cantu, an Austin Police Department community service officer, assisted with the interrogations and interpreting the remarks.

A third individual, who took Rodriguez to the hospital, but left the scene, is not now being sought for further charges.

Duron has confessed to beating Rodriguez with his fists. The attack apparently took place at the Westwood Inn Apartments (formerly the Stardust Apartments) along U.S. Highway 218 north of Austin and was repeated at the Sterling Motel, where one of two sisters with the same first name lived and whom the men were arguing over. Blood was found at both places, according to Philipp.