HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Deputies near Katy say a 19-year-old burglary suspect was taken to the hospital by Life Flight after a homeowner shot him in the head early Friday.
It happened around 1 a.m. at a home on Park Valley and Park Brush east of Katy.
Harris County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the home after the teen allegedly broke into a garage and was breaking into a car inside. The elderly homeowner heard him and got his gun to confront the masked suspect, deputies say.
The homeowner told deputies the burglar lunged at him, so he fired one shot, shooting the teen in the head.
Minutes later, in home surveillance video the burglar can be seen running and hiding next to an A.C. unit before taking off again.
“I bet he won’t come back,” said neighbor, James Sprague.
Deputies say the suspect was caught a short time later, about a block away by deputies and a K-9 officer.
Sprague believes this isn’t the first time the suspect has targeted his neighborhood.
“It’s happened a lot in this neighborhood, to the point where I have 14 cameras outside of my house,” said Sprague.
The same cameras caught the most recent car break-in with who's believed to be the same 19-year-old suspect.
Sprague says the same suspect broke into his car just a month ago. The burglar was also caught on camera taking off with several items.
“We work hard for what we have, if I forget to lock my truck one night, I should expect it to be in the same condition it is when I wake up,” said Sprague.
Following the shooting, Life Flight took the suspect to the hospital and he was initially reported to be in serious condition.
Authorities now say the bullet appears to have grazed the suspect's head and he is expected to be OK.
The homeowner was not hurt in the incident. The suspect will now face burglary charges.
The investigation is still underway at this time, and officials have not yet released the suspect’s identity.