Texan Man Shoots Suspected Thief Trying to Steal Car Jack

A gun in a file photo. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

A Texas homeowner who went outside on the morning of Dec. 11, found a man trying to steal his car jack and shot the suspect, police said.

The shooting took place in the South Side of San Antonio around 6:30 a.m., outside a house on Jennings Avenue.

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said that the suspect took the jack to his own car after removing it from underneath the homeowner’s car and tried driving away, but the homeowner rushed over and fired several shots.

Police officials said that it appears the suspect was hit with gunfire, reported KSAT.

McManus said the suspect was able to drive away but crashed his vehicle into a tree a block away from the home and the car sustained heavy front-end damage.

It wasn’t clear whether the suspect, a man in his 20s, died from the crash or the gunshot wounds. McManus said the medical examiner’s office will determine the cause of death.

The homeowner, described as a man in his 40s, was not injured.

McManus told Fox that the homeowner would likely not face charges. He said the homeowner is a mechanic who uses tools like the car jack to make his living.

“This unfortunate case this morning is a matter of a homeowner protecting his property,” McManus said, reported MySA. “It simply boils down to a man trying to protect his property in the dark of night.”

A retired police officer fires a gun at the Ultimate Defense Firing Range and Training Center in St Peters, Missouri, in a Nov. 26, 2014 file photo. (Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)

Crime Figures

The FBI said that both violent crime and property crime decreased in 2017 compared to 2016.

Overall violent crime decreased 0.2 percent from 2016 to last year, while property crime decreased 3 percent during that time, the agency said in September, releasing data from the previous year.

“There were more than 1.2 million violent crimes reported to UCR nationwide in 2017. There was a 0.7 percent decrease in murders and a 4 percent decrease in robberies from 2016 to 2017. Aggravated assaults increased 1 percent in 2017. The FBI began collecting data solely on an updated rape definition last year, and 135,755 rapes were reported to law enforcement in 2017,” the FBI stated.

“The report also showed there were more than 7.7 million property crimes last year. Burglaries decreased 7.6 percent and larceny-thefts decreased 2.2 percent. Motor vehicle thefts increased 0.8 percent from 2016 to 2017.”

Data released by the FBI in September showed the breakdown of property crime and violent crime in 2017. (FBI)

These figures were compiled from more than 16,000 law enforcement agencies around the United States that submitted their crime data to the FBI.

Violent crime increased from 2015, the FBI said last year.

“The estimated number of violent crimes in the nation increased for the second straight year, rising 4.1 percent in 2016 when compared with 2015 data, according to FBI figures released today,” said the FBI in  September 2017.

In 2016, there were an estimated 1,248,185 violent crimes. Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses increased 8.6 percent when compared with estimates from 2015. Aggravated assault and rape (legacy definition) offenses increased 5.1 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively, and robbery increased 1.2 percent.

From NTD News