Homeowner fights back against would-be car thieves

[paramedic70002]

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?se...cal&id=5049683

Homeowner fights back against would-be car thieves By Mark Garay
(2/20/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - An accused car thief was killed and a bullet grazed the man he was allegedly trying to rob.

Two men allegedly tried to break into a car parked outside a home on Campbell Road near Derrick in northwest Houston. The situation quickly escalated into a gunfight between the two men and the owner of the car.

"By the time I made it to the corner, they were shooting at him," said the victim's fiancé Katrina Burgess.

Burgess says she and her fiancé, Alfred Stephens, were inside their home around 5:30am when their alarm on their blue Buick went off. A small camera mounted outside revealed two men apparently trying to take the vehicle. Stephens chased the men outside and gunshots soon ran out.

"He told me to hurry," said Burgess. "He said, 'they shooting at me. They shot me'. And that's when started running back to the house."

By the time police arrived, one man was found dead a block away. A second suspect was captured and taken into custody.

The suspected get away car was lodged in a ditch and Stephens appeared to have bullet holes in his T-shirt.

"I guess it went like this. I don't know," said Burgess. "The ambulance (crew) says he was really lucky."

Police recovered a silver-plated semi-automatic weapon from inside the home.

If the suspects wanted the car it wouldn't have been easy to get to it since Burgess used another vehicle to block it in. She does this every night since this isn't the first time something like this has happened.

"Someone has already broken into my house," she said. "Somebody has already tried to steal this car four times. I told him to sell this car. It's not worth his life."

Police have made no arrests in this incident just yet. Neighbors told Eyewitness News that they have seen an increase of drug activity over the last four to five years.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Tom G]

Did the home owner get any grief about shooting? Did the home owner shoot first? I was just wondering about the out come will be. Also did the police take home owners gun?

[craze]

Interesting. This kinda plays in to the ongoing disscussion on this board about using deadly force to protect property.
I hope everything works out for Alfred. As I understand it is legal to use deadly force to protect property at night in Texas. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[buckeye .45]

Police recovered a silver-plated semi-automatic weapon from inside the home.

Silver plated pistol, that thing must be expensive. Hope the home owner doesn't get charged with anything.

[Packman73]

Burgess says she and her fiancé, Alfred Stephens, were inside their home around 5:30am when their alarm on their blue Buick went off.

"Someone has already broken into my house," she said. "Somebody has already tried to steal this car four times. I told him to sell this car. It's not worth his life."

That must be some Buick...

[Moga]

That must be some Buick...

I was thinking the same. It must be a custom job on a vintage sedan. Like an old Riviera or 225 Limited, etc.

I'm sure it ain't your Grandma's Century.

[havegunjoe]

Good for the homeowner. I hope he doesn't get into trouble for protecting what is his. My feeling has always been you can't go out guns-a-blazing, but you don't have to let someone walk off with your property either. I am glad he wasn't hurt.

[PapaScout]

I owned a 1984 Buick Century Limited. Power everything. Loved the car but I wouldn't have risked getting dead over it.

On the upside perhaps his car will be left alone now.

[peacefuljeffrey]

Or perhaps they and their property will suffer gang-related reprisals.

Either way, it sounds like that neighborhood is ripe for moving-the--out-of!


I love how the article made it through copy editing with this: "Stephens chased the men outside and gunshots soon ran out."

Gunshots RAN OUT? Does that mean the shooters exhausted their ammunition?

Perhaps the crappy reporter meant "rang out." (Although that sounds like an old-timey, archaic description.) There is no professionalism or excellence in journalism any more.

[peacefuljeffrey]

Go to the link for the news story, and you can see what kind of car it is and why it might be "homey-bait." It's surely that. It's too bad that people can't have (what they consider) nice things because others want to snatch them without earning them or buying them.

[downrange]

this is really complex if you think about it besides the obvious. i hope if they really are good people, and he is ok, that they can (and afford) to just move. it just isn't safe there. defence is your right but sometimes you've just got to leave.

[nonsnob]

he chased them? if they are retreating and he shot BAD NEWS if they are running away threat over call cops be good witness they get paid to risk life and limb not him screw the car id rather be alive.

[BIG E]

Take the car... not worth getting shot over.

[retsupt99]

Shoot 'em in the house...shoot 'em in the car...but running away, nope!

When someone else starts shooting, head for cover and then decide your actions.

OMO

Stay armed...stay safe!

ret

[sgtD]

I love how the article made it through copy editing with this: "Stephens chased the men outside and gunshots soon ran out."

There is no professionalism or excellence in journalism any more.

I watched the video on the link and think it is safe to say that proper grammar is not highly esteemed by anyone involved with the story.

Perhaps the reporter attended the same public school system as the lady who was interviewed?

It's truly a shame that adults, probably born and educated in the U.S., can't speak proper English.

At any rate, I hope these folks can take the neighborhood back from the criminals. 1 dead is certainly a start.