HARRIS COUNTY, TX – A protective 14-year-old caught in a terrifying situation responded forcefully when a stranger attempted to break into his home on Thursday morning in the Cloverleaf area. The teen fatally shot the man, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. The man, believed to be in his late twenties or early thirties, had been spotted on a surveillance camera in the vicinity of Brownsville Street near Nancy Rose Street before the incident.
Araceli Herrera, a neighbor, had noticed the strange behavior of the intruder. She told reporters, “As soon as he climbs out the ditch, I’m like, ‘This guy has some weird behavior.’, I’ve never seen him before, and I was on alert.” That alertness led her to observe the man trying to gain access to her neighbor’s home. Knowing the young teenager was home alone, she attempted to call the neighbor.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez narrated further that the young teen was alone at home. His father was at work, and his father’s girlfriend was away dropping off the younger children. The teenager, consequently, fired five to six shots through the doorway when the man attempted to enter the house.
The incident unfolded before 7 am, after neighbors made two 911 calls, reporting an unidentified individual trying to break into houses and demanding money. The intruder was also seen wearing gloves and carrying a backpack, suggesting a potential break-in attempt, according to Sheriff Gonzalez.
Later, members of a homeless outreach team acknowledged recognizing the shot man as a homeless person they had previously engaged with. The teen is assisting with investigations and, as of now, has not been taken into custody. The occurrence has deeply impacted the young teen’s neighbor, Herrera, whose daughter is of the same age.