SAN ANTONIO — A homeowner shot a suspected burglar on the southeast side early Thursday morning, according to authorities.
San Antonio Police responded to a burglary in progress near the 2300 block of Hicks Avenue around 5 a.m.
Neighbors told KENS 5 they heard about four "muffled gunshots" before officers arrived. Police said the homeowner, 43, pulled out a handgun and shot the alleged thief, but no victims were found at the scene.
A 48-year-old man believed to be the alleged burglar was found in a detached garage with apparent gunshot wounds near the 1400 block on Vanderbilt Street. He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and was later placed in police custody.
When solar panel installers, Rafael Olivares and Vincent Rojas, arrived at a job site on Hicks Avenue around 7 a.m., they found the street blocked by police vehicles.
"There was a lot of commotion in the morning here," said Olivares. "There were a little over 20 cop cars, I believe. They were all on the streets taking pictures of those two houses over there.”
“I thought it was pretty crazy," added Rojas. "They brought out like this big van and hauled a bunch of evidence or whatever into it.”
A mother told KENS 5 she is sick of the shootings on her street. She worries about stray bullets hitting home, but she wasn’t particularly concerned about burglaries. Several neighbors suspect the homeowner may have known the intruder.
We tried to speak with a man leaving the house where the shooting happened, but he declined to comment.
“You have to be safe nowadays," said Olivares. "Especially since there’s a lot of crazies nowadays. Just make sure you lock your doors. If you have valuable stuff, just make sure y’all put them inside during the nighttime.”
So far, the homeowner is not facing any charges. The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) says homeowners are allowed to protect their property under state law. Investigators will determine if this incident falls into that category.