Friendswood residents fed up with crime fight back

FRIENDSWOOD, TX (KTRK) -- Residents in Friendswood are fighting back after a rash of burglaries. They're fired up. And they're armed.

Friendswood is a nice community, where the kids play soccer in the street and the lawns are kept tidy.

"We've never really had too much trouble," said resident Tami Metts.

That is, until now.

Overnight, five cars were broken into. One belongs to Metts.

Her neighbor's purse was stolen.

"All of her credit cards and everything were in her purse, her cell phone, so they got a purse full of make-up," said Metts. "So I hope he's enjoying his make-up today."

Up the road, a resident's small son started screaming in the middle of the night.

"He said, 'Dad, there's somebody at my window right there,'" said Raul, who didn't want us to use his last name.

Dad came out and caught the would-be intruders in the act.

"I saw him running over here and I hollered and then I let out two rounds," he said.

Jose Rubio's surveillance cameras captured the crooks.

"What they're doing is that they're pulling up until the street and then parking a couple of houses down away from the house that they're trying to break into," said Rubio.

But now, residents are watching each other's back. Neighbors are starting a patrol system, taking turns watching at night.

"They come in with guns," he said. "We got to come out with guns."

Friendswood police have marked and unmarked cars patrolling the neighborhood.