HARRIS COUNTY – A trucker was arrested in northwest Harris County after deputies said he shot a man vandalizing his big rig.
The trucker was identified by the Harris County Sheriff's Office as 51-year-old Douglas Saintlouis.
Saintlouis told deputies he was sleeping in his 18-wheeler outside of his apartment complex on West Little York and Langham Way Tuesday night after a rash of vandalism.
Just after 10 p.m., Saintlouis heard a noise outside of the rig. He got up and looked outside. The trucker told police he saw a man slash his tires with a knife.
Police said Saintlouis then got out of the cab and ran after the man, chasing him about 100 feet into a church parking lot.
There, police said Saintlouis said he pulled out a gun and shot the man twice in the rear end.
Officials said the suspected vandal, later identified as 58-year-old Guillermo Montoya, was wounded in the hip and transported to Ben Taub General Hospital in stable condition.
Saintlouis was injured. Officials said he broke his finger while shooting the gun.
Saintlouis was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Police said there were multiple 18-wheelers with flat tires outside of that apartment complex.
"So it happened to him the day before, And then it happened again. This tire was not like this last night at 9:30... they should not have arrested him," said Saintlouis' girlfriend, Monica Treuil.
A neighbor didn't agree with the arrest either.
"My opinion is he was protecting his property, whether I like that they park her is beside the point," said Elsie Markuson.
Despite the apparent vandalism, deputies said the District Attorney's office has no plans to press charges against Montoya because Saintlouis was not in fear of his life and should not have fired his gun.