Man arrested in Austin, suspected of shooting girlfriend near Medical Center

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A violent fugitive suspect in the shooting of his ex-girlfriend has been captured in Williamson county after an standoff with a special violent offenders task force.

Austin Birdow was arrested Friday afternoon in the 1500 block of East Palm Valley in Round Rock, where police say he was in hiding.

Birdow is suspected of shooting his ex-girlfriend Thursday evening while she was leaving her office in the Texas Medical Center area. According to the victim's family, Birdow wanted to get back together with the woman and even gave her flowers before shooting her in the back of the head.

"It looked like movie. It looked like a movie. I'm not going to lie," said Round Rock resident Oscar Moreno, who saw the take-down happen across from this apartment Friday afternoon. "They pulled out these big ol' guns. The were M-4s or big ol' automatic guns."

Birdow was found in a third-floor apartment. Sources say his friend lived there and he was trying to hid out.

"He had his head down like this, and he was walking with his hands back in handcuffs. They put him back in the car," said Moreno.

Birdow was arrested by the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force and booked into the Williamson County jail.

"It's crazy, because you look at him and he looked like a normal guy. He did seem like he could get angry," said another resident at the apartment complex where Birdow was arrested.

The Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force traced Birdow to the Round Rock apartment. Birdow is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The charge can be upgraded if the victim dies. She is listed in critical condition.

Birdow is expected to be brought back to Harris County soon.