Truck Sleeper Kills Car Thief Following Argument with Girlfriend

(DailyVantage.com) – According to Texas authorities, a man sleeping in his truck killed a car thief with an AR-15 rifle in Houston, Texas. Police claim the man decided to sleep in his truck after an argument with his girlfriend, where he encountered an alleged robber who entered his vehicle at approximately 3 a.m. The man reportedly woke up after the robber began rummaging through his truck, causing him to panic and reach for his rifle before shooting the alleged car thief multiple times.

Sergeant Ben Beall discussed the shooting and explained how the thief failed to notice the man before entering the truck. According to Beall, the truck had heavily tinted windows which hid the sleeping man’s presence. The tinted windows also kept the alleged thief from noticing the AR-15 rifle stored within the truck. Immediately after police arrived at the scene, authorities pronounced the car thief dead. Beall also said that the thief shouldn’t have been breaking into cars in the first place, seemingly supporting the shooter.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez addressed the shooting and shared additional information about the suspect who attempted to enter the sleeping man’s truck. Harris said the alleged thief seemed to have a weapon, which authorities later determined to be a Glock pistol. Gonzalez also shared information about how authorities learned about the incident, as the man who shot the car thief quickly went to his brother’s nearby apartment and reported the shooting to Houston police.

While the identity of either the shooter or the deceased suspect wasn’t publicly available at the time of this writing, authorities did claim the suspect had an extensive record of similar crimes. According to investigators, the suspect broke into other vehicles and stole items before the deadly shooting. The suspect also reportedly carried a screwdriver with him, which he used to break into various cars. Police also described the suspect as being in his early 20s but didn’t share any more identifying information.

While many online commenters feel the shooting was justified, authorities are considering possible charges against the truck owner. Investigators said the man remained at the scene of the shooting and cooperated with Houston authorities. Despite his cooperation, a grand jury will consider the shooting and determine if prosecutors bring any charges against the truck owner.