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Shotgun-wielding man holds teen burglary suspects for police at historic Victoria's Black Swan Inn

Three of the suspects are already out on bond.

SAN ANTONIO — Nestled on a rise just east of the meandering Salado Creek, Victoria's Black Swan Inn has been welcoming guests for all kinds of special events for years. 

The 1867 mansion hosts romantic weddings and market days. When the sun sets, they say spirits are likely to come out for paranormal tours.

But what happened early last Friday was scarier than most ghost stories.

"It was 1:18 in the morning," Owner Jo Rivera said. "I heard a crack. I got up and I'm looking out the windows and I could see lights and like shadow movement happening outside."

Thinking it was a vendor showing up to get started on repair work, she thought nothing of it until she was startled by piano music inside her home.

"It was about the time that I was about to drift off that I heard piano music, but in this house sometimes you hear music boxes play, things happen," Rivera said. "And then, a few minutes later, the piano started louder and I was like, 'Oh my God, there is someone in the house!'"

Rivera said while she called police, her partner headed downstairs, armed and ready for trouble.

"He comes down with a shotgun and he tells them, 'Don't move! Stay right here!' And so they didn't and there was like four of them and it's pitch dark down here!" Rivera said, adding when she realized they were all teenagers she lit into them like an angry mom.

Rivera said she told the teens "How stupid are you? You could be dead! This was the dumbest thing you've ever done! Like, what were you guys thinking?"

Of the two girls and two boys, Rivera said one of the girls started crying.

"She's like, 'I just wanted to play the piano!' and I'm like, 'You broke into our house at 2:00 in the morning to play a piano?  How stupid can you be? Where are your parents?'" Rivera said, happy that her partner has a cool head and handled the situation calmly. "The whole thing could have gone dramatically differently."

Several San Antonio police officers arrived within moments, Rivera said, but she said she found the reaction of the teens to be dumbfounding.

"They were so blasé about it. It was like it was no big deal!" Rivera said. "The arrogance of these kids. The boy, even when the police are here, he's like, 'Well what's going to happen if I don't show up for court?' And the officer is like, 'We will issue a warrant and you will go back to jail. You are going to jail!" 

Rivera said police towed the car the teens showed up in, but she wonders if any of this will make an impact on the group.

 "It was surreal! It was like how is this even happening. It's a school night! Get ready to go to school, not break into somebody's home!" Rivera said, adding "I don't understand how the system is so broken, that we as citizens of San Antonio, we're not safe!"

Because they didn't realize at the time that items had been stolen from the home, the three adult suspects taken into custody were only charged with criminal trespass and criminal mischief. 

One 18-year-old male was released on a personal recognizance bond. 

"The same one who was standing here laughing, asking what would happen if he didn't show up for court, walked out of jail by signing his name!," Rivera said. 

Two other teens, aged 17 and 19, had bonds totaling $3,000.   

Rivera said "We are teaching our kids there are no repercussions for their bad judgement. They could have died! They could have been shot and killed over what? The $500 worth of t-shirts and stuff they stole?  $2,000 worth of damages? They were just being stupid and arrogant!"

Rivera said she is stunned at how easily the teens are being treated.

"Something has to change. Something has to happen within our judicial system that actually makes sense. This is not okay!" Rivera said. 

The three adults are all scheduled for arraignment hearings in March.

One 15-year-old juvenile was also arrested, but those charges are not available because of the girl's age.

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