A man from Houston, Texas, who went to the extent of tracking down his own stolen car got far more than he bargained for when he reportedly ended up shooting the two teens he said stole his vehicle. Now it is the theft victim who is in jail.
According to a notice published by the Houston Police Department, 22-year-old Addrian Nicolas Garcia was arrested Tuesday and charged with shooting two juvenile males.
Garcia was charged at the 248th State District Court with two counts of aggravated assault-serious bodily injury and was booked.
ARRESTED: Addrian Nicolas Garcia, 22, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault-serious bodily injury in Tuesday evening’s (October 10) shooting of two juvenile males.
The males are expected to survive.
More info at: https://t.co/GLrOZ7VlLK#HouNews #OneSafeHouston pic.twitter.com/mrasvutBbO
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) October 11, 2023
Garcia did not flee after the shooting and police found him at the scene when they arrived. He readily admitted that he shot the two teens, both of whom were also still at the scene.
Garcia, though, said he had a reason for being there and for being armed.
He told officers that he discovered that the teens had stolen his car and he tracked them down to confront them over the theft.
Garcia also hinted that he shot at the pair when they threatened violence against him and he defended himself.
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The Houston Police Dept. added that Houston Fire Department paramedics transported the teens to a hospital and both are expected to survive their wounds.
Detective Q. Nguyen of the HPD Major Assaults & Family Violence Division told the news media that investigators are working with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office over charges against Garcia.
Officials did not mention whether the teens would be charged with anything.
It isn’t the first time that someone who felt they were a victim of a crime and who defended themselves was arrested.
Only a few months ago, a man in New York City was arrested for shooting and killing another man who had attacked him.
In that case, 65-year-old Charles Foehner was arrested after shooting the man because police said Foehner had unregistered guns in the famously anti-gun city. Still, even video of the incident seemed to show that Foehner tried to warn off the attacker several times before opening fire.
And Foehner’s neighbors defended him, too, one saying, “He was protecting himself. So how can I blame him? You know, unfortunately, the guy had to lose his life. I don’t wish that on anybody. But this is the circumstances when you randomly just rob people. You never know what you’re going to get.”
Taking matters into your own hands is often fraught with unwanted circumstances, for sure.
It is certainly easy to get frustrated, granted. But Americans really need to take the time to learn the laws they will face in these situations before taking action. Vigilantism is a very slippery slope, to be sure. And sometimes, no matter how justified it may seem, it can lead to very serious consequences.
