17-YEAR OLD ARRESTED IN DEATH OF U.T. FRESHMAN

  

Austin police have arrested a 17-­year ­old man in the death of a University of Texas student.

Austin Police report the arrest of Meechail Criner for the murder of 18-­year old freshman Haruka Weiser.

Weiser, a freshman theater and dance major at from Portland, Oregon was found, murdered, on campus Tuesday.

Police say Criner will be formally charged with murder later this afternoon.

KVUE-TV in Austin is reporting that Austin firefighters provided a crucial tip to police after they responded to a small fire involving a backpack and that they may have recovered some of Weiser’s belongings.

Earlier, authorities had released surveillance video of a man considered to be a person of interest. Police pleaded with the public to help identify him.

Weiser's death marks the first homicide at the school since the UT Tower massacre in the summer of 1966.