HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A burglary suspect died at a hospital after complaining of shortness of breath and that he could not feel his legs while he was in custody, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said Precinct 4 deputies were called just before 3 a.m. to a burglary in progress call at a home on Renmark Lane near Champion Forest in northwest Harris County. Deputies spotted three males walking from the home carrying what appeared to be stolen items.
The three men took off running and deputies chased after them. One of the men dropped some of the stolen items while running away.
Investigators said one of the deputies caught up with one of the men who ran into a neighbor’s backyard.
Investigators said there was a struggle between them. The deputy ended up tasing the man before handcuffing him.
A short time later, investigators said the man started complaining of shortness of breath and that he couldn’t feel his legs. Paramedics arrived to check him out.
Paramedics said he was talking and conscious at the time, but at some point, he became unresponsive. They tried to administer CPR as he was taken to a hospital.
Investigators said the man was pronounced dead at the hospital. He has not been identified yet. They only know that he was in his early 20s.
Deputies didn’t find any weapons on him at the time he was detained. The deputy was also injured during the struggle but is going to be OK.
The sheriff’s office is looking for the other two other men who got away. The only description they have is the two men were wearing dark clothing.
Investigators are talking to neighbors and looking for surveillance video to see if they can get a better idea of who they are.
The homeowner was not home at the time of the burglary. They were out of town and were alerted by their home security system.
HCSO Sgt. Sidney Miller said they don’t believe residents should be concerned about their safety and that they believe this was an isolated incident.
“At this point, we believe this wasn’t a series of burglaries,” Miller said. “We can’t definitively say this house was targeted, but there were no other homes burglarized.”
Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact the sheriff’s office at (713) 221-6000 or Crime Stoppers at (713) 521-4600.