HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A grand jury declined to file charges against the man who shot and killed a robber at a southwest Houston taqueria last year.
The shooting happened on Jan. 5, 2023, at the El Ranchito taqueria on South Gessner Road.
Eric Eugene Washington, 30, was shot and killed as he walked through the restaurant robbing people, according to police.
In the wake of the shooting, there were calls for the shooter to be charged. Some called him a "vigilante." Others called the man who shot and killed the robber a hero.
Restaurant owner Pedro Lopez agreed with the grand jury's decision. He also said the customer who fired the shots hasn't returned in the year since the shooting.
The 46-year-old shooter was never identified.
What happened
It happened just before 11:30 p.m. Thursday at the restaurant on S. Gessner near Bellaire Boulevard.
Houston police said an armed, masked man entered the restaurant and demanded money and wallets from customers. However, as he was leaving, one of the customers shot him.
The incident was caught on surveillance video.
According to police, at the time, the man who shot and killed the robber collected the stolen money and returned it to the other patrons. They said the rest of the people in the restaurant left the scene before police arrived.
No one else in the restaurant was injured. Investigators said the robber ended up not having a real gun.
The shooting
Grand jury process
According to the Harris County District Attorney's Office, "grand juries are composed of 12 randomly selected residents who meet regularly for a period of three months to review all criminal charges to decide whether there is enough evidence for a case to proceed. If nine or more grand jurors agree that probable cause exists, they issue a "true bill," or indictment, and the case continues on through the criminal justice system. If nine or more grand jurors determine probable cause does not exist, they may issue a "no bill," effectively clearing the individual of criminal wrongdoing. The final decision as to whether to indict rests with grand jurors, not with prosecutors."
"This process ensures that members of the community, rather than the District Attorney’s Office, determine the appropriate outcome in all homicides in Harris County," the DA's office said.