Records: Travis County judge sentences son for father’s 2022 murder
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A son convicted in the January 2022 murder of his father was sentenced to serve 20 years in state prison Wednesday.
Travis County court records said 32-year-old Rico Manalang pleaded guilty to the murder the same day he was convicted and sentenced.
In addition to the 20-year prison sentence, Manalang must also pay $445 in court fees.
According to a past KXAN report, Austin Police arrested Manalang in connection with the Jan. 23, 2022, death of his father, 59-year-old Joseph Manalang. At the time, both were experiencing homelessness and living out of a pickup truck.
The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office autopsy revealed Joseph died of “blunt force trauma.”
APD said Manalang was connected to his father’s death from “evidence seized inside the truck,” according to the previous report.
Travis County jail records showed Manalang was booked into the facility Jan. 28, 2022. As of Friday, Manalang remained booked in jail.