One person is dead and two are injured after a man confronted a couple of suspected car thieves in San Antonio, Texas, on Thursday.
According to KENS-TV, the vehicle was allegedly stolen from a mall parking lot while the owner was shopping.
The owner ended up tracking it down to the other side of the parking lot.
Upon approaching his truck, the owner saw a man in the driver’s seat and a woman in the passenger seat. He proceeded to order the two out of the vehicle at gunpoint.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said that as the owner was waiting for police to arrive, the man pulled out a gun and shot him.
The owner returned fire, hitting both the man and the woman.
The alleged thief was pronounced dead at the scene, and both the owner of the vehicle and the woman were transported to a hospital.
The woman is in critical condition, while the owner is stable, according to police.
McManus stated that “the owner of a stolen vehicle certainly has the right to track down their vehicle.”
However, the police chief added, “We would prefer that [you] call the police before taking that into your own hands, but he did what he felt he needed to do.”
Defense attorney Nico LaHood told KENS that, based on the preliminary information, he believes the owner was in the right.
“Citizens have a right to prevent the consequences of a theft,” he said. “You can use force to prevent a theft. You can use physical force, but the law also says you can display a weapon.”
As the alleged car thief used deadly force against the owner, LaHood noted, “he had the right to use deadly force to prevent his own injury. He should not be facing any charges from this incident.”
The deceased man’s brother disagreed, calling the suspected thief a “victim” and the car owner “a vigilante, not a hero.”
“There are two sides to every story,” Jose Garcia said. “Whether my brother was wrong or right, he had a gun pointed at him.”
“A vehicle is not worth taking someone’s life. … You don’t take the law into your own hands,” Garcia added.
