Travis County Jury Convicts Man of Murder
Travis County, TX — On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, a Travis County jury convicted Victor Orellana-Carranza, 39, of Murder.
Jury selection for Orellana-Carranza’s trial began on Friday, August 14, 2026, and the State started presenting evidence on Monday, August 17, 2026. On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, the jury deliberated, found him guilty of Murder, and sentenced him to 40 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
On May 4, 2025, the Austin Police Department (APD) arrested Orellana-Carranza and charged him with Murder in connection with the death of 15-year-old Neithan Jadiel Montenegro-Chavarria. After a shooting was reported in the 5700 block of Hammermill Run, officers arrived to find Montenegro-Chavarria suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite attempts to save him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators found that Victor Orellana-Carranza had visited the residence in the 5700 block of Hammermill Run to look for his two-year-old son, whose mother lived there. When he arrived, the home was occupied by the mother of their two-year-old, her 16-year-old son, and his friend, Neithan Jadiel Montenegro-Chavarria. Investigators stated that Orellana-Carranza entered the home, assaulted the child’s mother, and was stopped by her son and Montenegro-Chavarria, which led to a physical altercation among the three. Orellana-Carranza left the residence, returned with a firearm, and shot at her son and Montenegro-Chavarria, hitting Montenegro-Chavarria before fleeing.
Later that day, APD’s Tactical Intelligence Unit found and arrested Orellana-Carranza, and he confessed to shooting Montenegro-Chavarria and trying to escape out of the country.
On July 24, 2025, Orellana-Carranza was indicted for the offense of Murder.
Assistant District Attorneys Melissa Pulido and David Levingston presented the case against Orellana-Carranza with the support of Victim Counselor Whitney Allen, Investigator Daniel Evans, Paralegal Katrina Spradling, and Legal Secretary Monica Hernandez. Austin Police Department Detective James Eichenholz investigated the case against Orellana-Carranza.
“Our office hopes this conviction honors the victim, whose life was tragically cut short, and that it continues to help his family heal,” said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. “We are grateful to our team and law enforcement partners for their tireless work on this case, which ultimately delivered justice for the victim and his family.”
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