Homeowner shoots teen suspect who broke into his garage in west Harris County
A homeowner shot a 19-year-old suspected burglar during a home invasion in west Harris County, officials say.
WATCH: Surveillance video shows home invasion suspect
Deputies tell Eyewitness News a motion sensor light went off in the resident's home on Park Valley around 12:45 a.m. Friday.
That's when the man, who was home with his wife, grabbed a pistol and went to investigate.
He discovered the masked suspect in the garage who allegedly started to come toward him.
Authorities say the homeowner shot him in the head. The bullet grazed the suspect, who ran away.
Minutes before the suspect was shot, surveillance video from the next-door neighbor's camera shows him looking into cars.
"When he saw the alarms, he did not try to get in. He just went to the next house, just happened to been the wrong one," said neighbor James Sprague.
Sprague says his wife heard a gunshot minutes later. He then saw the suspect come back into their driveway.
The suspect is captured on video looking for a place to hide behind an air conditioning unit at Sprague's home.
This time, Sprague was in his own front yard ready with his gun.
"She woke me up, and I came out with my gun, and I was going to put another one in him, but I did not see him," Sprague told ABC13.
The 19-year-old was found a short time later about a block away from the home. He was taken into custody.
He's expected to survive.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office says there has been a recent spike in vehicle and garage burglaries, so neighbors are watching their homes closely.
"I am putting a gun in my dresser tonight. I think that, if that is what it is going to take, I am not going to let somebody come in and take my life or my stuff or my family. That's not going to happen," said neighbor Bob Vogt.
The homeowner who pulled the trigger declined to speak on camera. The case will be referred to the district attorney's office.
