Uncle shoots masked suspects during home invasion

A man came to the rescue when his relatives next door were tied up and assaulted during a home invasion in northeast Houston overnight.

Houston Police Department officers responded around 4 a.m. Tuesday to a call of a burglary in progress at a home in the 3700 block of Crandon Street.

“They had my little sister at gunpoint, so we couldn’t do anything,” said 19-year old Rene Garcia. 

He and his twin brother tried to lock themselves inside their bedroom when they heard their mom and dad screaming and struggling.  At least one gunman threatened to shoot a family member if Rene and his brother didn’t open their bedroom door, Garcia said. 

Investigators said four male suspects tied up the family inside the home using their shoelaces.  Rene Garcia and his father were pistol-whipped to the point they were rushed to the hospital and given stitches to the backs of their heads.

“They took all our jewelry and all the cash our dad has,” said Garcia.

Garcia’s uncle heard the commotion. He grabbed a gun and confronted the suspect who was beating one family member in the backyard. The uncle shot and wounded that suspect. 

When the other three tried to jump a fence, one of them turned toward the uncle with a pistol so he shot him, police said. That suspect died at the scene. 

Two others got away.

“They were all wearing ski masks,” said Houston Police Department Homicide Detective David Stark.  Police haven’t been able to track down a solid description of two suspects, nor do police know if the men got away on foot or in a vehicle.

If you have any information, please call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477). 

The shootings by the uncle will be referred to a grand jury without charges. 

Read the complete article: TX | KVUE