APD searches east Austin game room after ‘joint investigation’

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police raided an east Austin game room Wednesday after receiving complaints about the business.

Luck 4 Ever, located on East Seventh Street, has seen a “high number” of arrests, according to an APD statement Wednesday. APD said it got “numerous complaints” about the business, which led to a joint investigation between APD’s patrol division and its organized crime unit.

Police executed a search warrant at the business Wednesday. A KXAN viewer sent photos of police outside the business, which shows officers pulling things out of the business.

“APD detectives are very early in the investigation, and no further details are available for release at this time. As detectives progress in their investigation, more information will be released at a later time,” APD said in its statement.

Neighbors frustrated by lack of response from city

All that’s left outside the Luck 4 Ever game room is a couple of magazines, empty cups and a stool on the front porch.

“ [The crime] really became pronounced during COVID and the shutdown,” said neighbor Patrick Jones. “Things changed and really snowballed.”

Earlier in September, federal court documents show an officer patrolling an area behind the game room stopping a man on his bike for not having a light. When he frisked him for weapons, the officer found a plastic baggie that tested positive for cocaine. Court documents show the officer also found meth and fentanyl on the man.

The man told the officer he worked at the game room.

The officer later found a backpack full of money and more drugs inside the man’s car parked behind the business.

“When we’re walking, we’ll see people that have overdosed,” neighbor Ricky Hennessy said. “People get violent [in the nearby] park. Pretty much everyone that lives near the park has had some story of getting something stolen off their porch or people trying to break in.”

Stats on the city’s official crime map show there have been 41 reported crimes on the block around the business in the last 30 days. The crimes range from burglary to assaults.

“[We want to] draw some attention to these problems and hope that we can get the city’s help in resolving them,” Hennessy added.

Council member Jose Velasquez, whose district oversees the area, told KXAN in a statement his office is continuing to monitor the situation.

Austin police said the investigation remains open and active, and more information about Wednesday’s raid will be released later.

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