An armed thug was fatally schooled on the true meaning of “Don’t Mess with Texas” after breaking into a truck while the owner was sleeping in the back.
Unbeknownst to the would-be robber, the truck’s sleeping owner was armed with an AR-15 and was ready to take out the trash.
When the owner awoke to find the crook inside the vehicle with him, he grabbed his rifle and shot the intruder dead.
Police said that the man was sleeping in his four-door truck in northeast Houston on Tuesday morning when the incident unfolded.
The alleged robber broke into the vehicle that was parked outside of an apartment complex on Parramatta Lane at about 3 a.m.
“When he woke up, he has this strange individual in the truck with him,” said Sgt. Ben Beall.
“He grabbed his gun and shot him multiple times.”
He added that the windows had a heavy tint, so, the sleeping man was not clearly visible.
Initially, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said that the suspected robber was possibly armed with pistols.
Police later confirmed that he had a Glock pistol in his pocket.
“They shouldn’t be out doing it in the first place,” Beall added.
“I don’t believe that he realized that the reportee was sleeping in this truck before it was too late.”
Gonzalez said the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
The owner of the truck went to his brother’s apartment in order to call the police to report the incident.
Investigators said that the suspect had already burglarized other vehicles before the deadly incident.
They were able to find a large screwdriver that they believe he used to break into cars.
Police only described the criminal as being in his early 20s and didn’t reveal his identity.
The owner of the truck stayed at the scene and cooperated with the investigation, according to police.
News video shows the black truck had several gunshots in it.
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KTRK-TV reported that the incident would be referred to a grand jury for possible charges.
It’s unclear what those charges would be, however, as the car owner didn’t appear to break any laws.