$255 dispute between customer, carpet store owner escalates into death threats

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A business deal escalates to the unthinkable -- a voicemail filled with death threats. Now the store owner who admits leaving that message for a customer is explaining himself.

It started friendly enough. A woman buys carpet and pays in full; but days later, the carpet is not installed and tempers flare. Part of that is caught on tape.

"I will kill you and I will kill you and your mother," was part of the message the owner of ABC Carpet left on the voicemail of Jerry McCruse.

"I knew right then, this was not going in a good direction," said McCruse.

Back in February, McCruse's mother paid ABC Carpet $255 to cover the floor in a room being used to care for his father, who recently had a stroke.

McCruse says three appointments to install the carpet were missed and he admits he was not very happy and wanted a refund.

"By three o'clock I sent another text, I said, 'You take my money, you don't perform the service, you run from us, but you won't run from the cops or the BBB or ABC-13,'" said McCruse.

Moments later, McCruse says this voicemail was left on his phone by the store owner:

"If you want your piece of **** money you mother ******, you come and ******* take your money from me you mother ******. Don't threaten my wife or my family."

Oscar Cantu is the store owner who left that message. He says his anger erupted after getting a call from his wife.

"She was telling me there was this guy coming to my house to hurt her and the kids," said Oscar Cantu.

While Oscar and Sandra did not want to appear on camera, they did tell us Oscar's outburst started only after Sandra was threatened first by McCruse.

"Immediately, before I even got the conversation out, he said, 'You did this and you did that, and you did not send anybody out here to do my carpet and I am going to kick your *** you *** ****," said Sandra Cantu.

Both the Cantus and Jerry McCruse have contacted law enforcement and an investigation is underway.

The Cantus say their carpet store is now bankrupt and a refund was mailed to the McCruse family four days ago.

In retrospect, Oscar Cantu admits his anger got the better of him.

I asked him, "Looking back, the call you made, probably not the right thing to do?"

"Not the right thing," said Oscar Cantu.

"Not the right thing, heat of the moment," said Sandra Cantu.

As for McCruse, he insists he did not threaten violence to anyone and never used a racial slur.

McCruse says he still can't believe the message left behind over a $255 dispute.

The Cantus did apologize for the call, and insist a refund is on the way. We'll keep you posted.