BAYTOWN, Texas – A pastor surprised and shot a burglary suspect who broke into the Church of New Beginnings in Baytown early Tuesday morning. It's not the first time Pastor Benny Holmes has been in the news after pulling his pistol.
Holmes told Baytown police he was sleeping at the church at 3220 N. Alexander Dr. and woke up around 6 a.m. when he heard a loud noise in the hallway. He walked out to find Lee Marvin Blue, 27, carrying a box filled with electronics belonging to the church.
Holmes told police he shot one time with a 9 mm pistol after Blue made a move toward him. Blue was hit in the back shoulder. He was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he's listed in stable condition.
Blue has been charged with burglary of a building. He has a previous conviction for burglary of a vehicle and numerous public intoxication arrests.
Immediately after the shooting Holmes called 911. In a recording of that call, Holmes can be heard telling Blue, "OK, don't move or I'm going to shoot you again."
Blue can be heard talking, but his part of the conversation is inaudible. In another part of the recording, Holmes tells him, "OK, you should have stopped when I told you to stop. You tried to run."
Holmes has pulled a gun on thieves before. In September, he set a trap for a woman his home surveillance cameras photographed stealing packages left at his front door and from his neighbors' homes.
On Sept. 12 Holmes placed fake packages on his front porch as bait. When the woman returned and took the packages, Holmes held her at gunpoint until police arrived to arrest her.
"When I came out of my house and she turned the corner here, she met me and my gun," Holmes said. "She said, 'I'm looking for my dog.' I said, 'Well, guess what? You just found your dog. Bow, wow, wow.'"
Laurie Ferguson was later convicted of misdemeanor theft.
"The Bible tells us not to steal, and if you do, steal no more. Eventually you're going to get caught, and now you have to pay a price," Holmes said then.
Holmes declined to talk with KPRC 2 News Tuesday. An assistant said he was not happy with media coverage of the earlier incident.