Suspect charged for illegal possession of firearm

Published 6:01 pm Saturday, August 17, 2013

After reports of gunshots near the Austin Public Library on Aug. 10, an Austin man has been charged with two felonies.

Ronald Carlyle Cox, 52, of Austin, was charged Friday for being a felon in possession of a firearm and user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm.

According to the Austin Police Department’s report, witnesses heard gunshots in the area of Mill Pond early on Aug. 10, sometime after a car with an assault rifle and pistol was reported stolen the previous day.

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While the court complaint does not link the suspect to the stolen vehicle and weapons, a witness claims Cox and a juvenile were leaving the area of the reported gunshots near that time.

Police found three 7.62×39 caliber shell casings in the area, and later searched Cox’s home, where they reportedly found a .22 caliber rifle and 31 grams of marijuana.

Still, the complaint does not connect Cox to the stolen car and weapons. According to the Austin Police Department, the stolen car was later recovered. There has been no word on the weapons.