Homeowner shoots man breaking into his Crosby home, deputies say

CROSBY, Texas – A homeowner in Crosby shot a man who broke into his home Tuesday morning after the man had broken into vehicles in the neighborhood, deputies said.

The shooting happened about 5:30 a.m. at a home in the 100 block of Spanish Trace Street.

According to deputies, the man, identified as Christoper Cottle, used a landscaping brick to break the glass door of the home. The homeowner heard the commotion, grabbed his gun and shot Cottle twice.

Mike Hathaway, a neighbor of the homeowner who fired the shots, said he had confronted a man who Hathaway said was Cottle a few hours before, when Hathaway said he broke into another neighbor’s truck.

Hathaway said he heard a noise outside his home about 2 a.m., grabbed his gun and ran outside. He said that is when he saw someone rummaging through a white truck.

“I asked the guy, I said, ‘Clint, is that you?’” Hathaway said. “The guy said, ‘No. He’s my boss. I’m training.’ I said, ‘What are you training for at two in the morning?’”

Hathaway said he had his gun pointed at the man, and then his neighbor came outside, holding his gun. He said that was when the man sprinted for some nearby woods.

Police responded and determined that the man had also broken into Hathaway’s truck and had stolen his 9-millimeter gun, Hathaway said.

“So, I was very fortunate we didn’t get into a gun fight,” Hathaway said.

Hathaway said his neighborhood is normally quiet, but tight-knit.

“We all stick together really well,” Hathaway said. “We were all together, and we’ve always been that way.”

Cottle, 31, was taken to a local hospital via helicopter, police said. He was shot in the back twice, but is expected to recover. Cottle is charged with burglary of a habitation. He was still hospitalized as of Friday.

The homeowner was not injured.