HARRIS COUNTY – Two thieves are on the run after breaking into a home and accidentally shooting an accomplice. Investigators say three robbers broke into the northwest Harris County residence with a family inside and struggled with the homeowner.
The 39-year-old homeowner is now walking with a limp, but he is alive and that's saying something given what happened Monday morning.
"My neighbor came out the side and he said, 'Man I'm being robbed, call 911,'" said the homeowner.
On Green Knoll Street near Bridge Cross, not far from TC Jester and the North Belt, the wild home invasion happened at around 6:30 a.m. Monday. The now-hobbled homeowner not only saved his own life and his 19-year-old son's life, he somehow got the three crooks so turned around that one of the robbers shot another robber with his own gun.
"His own partner shot him," said Lt. David Mayes. "All we know at this point is that a struggle did ensue and sometime during gunshots were discharged and a suspect was injured."
Once it was clear how badly they'd botched it, the two robbers abandoned the third robber they nearly killed.
"I saw one suspect heading out the door running down the street," said neighbor Zan Nelson.
The shot suspect took a bullet to or near the abdomen. He's expected to survive. Perhaps he'll be willing to talk about the colleagues who so eagerly left him for dead.
At this point, those two suspects -- possibly teens -- remain at large.
"He was young, looked like a teenager. He had on jeans, a windbreaker jacket and a little backpack on his back," Nelson said.
The homeowner said he'd never seen any of the three suspects before.