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Express-News Staff

A Seguin homeowner shot and killed a burglar Monday morning after the man broke through a back door and attacked him and his wife, authorities said.

Police identified the burglar as Esequiel Urias, 28, of Seguin.

Seguin Police Department spokesman Aaron Seidenberger said the homeowner and his wife were awakened at 5:20 a.m. when Urias smashed through a back door at their home in the 700 block of Renee Street.

After picking up a wooden object in the home, he used it as a club, attacking the couple, Seidenberger said.

The couple repeatedly pleaded with Urias to leave while he struggled with the husband. When he attacked them a second time, the husband fired a handgun, striking him once in the upper torso, Seidenberger said.

"They were truly in fear of their lives," he said.

Urias staggered out the broken back door. Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Darrell Hunter pronounced Urias dead at the scene.

Seidenberger said no charges were filed against the homeowner.

I'm glad the couple are okay.

Boy wouldn't that just scare the poo outta ya? I always try to run situations through my mind but seeing someone in my house in the middle of the night must be one heck of a rush!

Oh, that is scary.

One more reason to have a dog and a .45!

Russ

My dog isn't dangerous, but he's loud. (He weighs about 22 pounds.)
I'm afraid if someone ever got in, he might lick the intruder to death.
I make a big fuss and tell him what a good boy he is everytime he barks when someone approaches the house. I like to know way ahead of time.

I truly believe that guard dogs, especially larger breeds, are too unreliable. I would rather my dog act as my alarm system, and then just keep my gun handy.
Guard dogs can't tell a new postal employee from an intruder-- I can.

Venus Pax wrote: Guard dogs can't tell a new postal employee from an intruder-- I can.

Not a flame, Venus. We always talk about training with our weapons. Training for animals is also paramount.

Venus Pax wrote:My dog isn't dangerous, but he's loud. (He weighs about 22 pounds.)
I'm afraid if someone ever got in, he might lick the intruder to death.
I make a big fuss and tell him what a good boy he is everytime he barks when someone approaches the house. I like to know way ahead of time.

I truly believe that guard dogs, especially larger breeds, are too unreliable. I would rather my dog act as my alarm system, and then just keep my gun handy.
Guard dogs can't tell a new postal employee from an intruder-- I can.

My dog is also a lover, a licker, but she is very loud when someone comes up to the house.

I'm not advocating a K-9 quality unit for home security... Nay! Like you I just want to be informed by my alarm dog; i.e.: barking, that someone is near that should not be there.

I'll then at least be aware of their presence before they can even get into the house.

So, Venus, I do think that we agree!
Russ

Venus Pax wrote:I would rather my dog act as my alarm system...

I have big dogs, and I largely agree with you.

First and formost, my dogs are alarms. They are alert even at night and can hear things I can't hear.

As my dogs are big, they are a deterrent too. But I count on my gun more.

Paladin wrote:

Venus Pax wrote:I would rather my dog act as my alarm system...

I have big dogs, and I largely agree with you.

First and formost, my dogs are alarms. They are alert even at night and can hear things I can't hear.

As my dogs are big, they are a deterrent too. But I count on my gun more.

+1

My Lab is a lover, but she announces intruders very loudly, then she crouches down as she runs toward the person to get petted.

My Rhodesian Ridgeback looks a lot meaner than she is, same as above except she likes to jump on people.

The Cocker and MaltiePoo add to the general cacaphony.

Another article:

http://seguingazette.com/story.lasso?ew ... 9b50051ef5

"Homeowner shoots, kills burglar

By Melissa Johnson
The Gazette-Enterprise

Published September 5, 2006

SEGUIN — As most families were sleeping soundly early Labor Day morning, a local homeowner shot and killed a man who smashed through the back door of his home.

“The homeowners, who were asleep, awoke to a living nightmare,� said Seguin Police Department public information officer Aaron Seidenberger. “A person had broken into their home, and now they were violently struggling to get the suspect to leave.�

After breaking into the home at 798 Renee St. at 5:20 a.m., the man made his way down the hallway to the homeowners’ bedroom, where the husband and wife awoke. The male homeowner physically struggled with the burglar, who had armed himself with a wooden club-like object he found inside the home, police said.

The homeowner retrieved a gun from his bedroom and yelled for the man to leave. When the burglar charged, the homeowner shot the man at least once in the upper torso with a .40 caliber handgun, said Police Chief Luis Collazo.

“He shot from 10 feet or less,� Collazo said. “It’s point and shoot.�

The man staggered out the back door and fell to the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Darrell Hunter.

Burglaries are a common occurrence in every city, even small town Seguin, Seidenberger said. It’s not unusual for a burglar to enter a home unarmed, grab a pillowcase and fill it with whatever he can carry.

But the Monday morning incident struck officers as odd for a number of reasons.

“Nine times out of 10, the guy breaks in and will run if the homeowners show up. But instead of fleeing, he chooses to attack?� Seidenberger said.

“What I find strange to it is the person chose to stay and fight. That’s what we don’t have every day. It’s not common at all that the burglar gets shot and killed.�

Collazo said the home would not have appeared empty to any would-be criminal.

“There were cars in the driveway — two,� he said.

The department is awaiting toxicology reports to determine if drugs or alcohol played a role in the man’s behavior.

As of press time, authorities were working to confirm the identity of the deceased. The suspect was described as a 5-foot-9, 200-pound Hispanic male.

The man was not carrying a wallet and a car was not found nearby, Collazo said.

The suspect’s body was taken to the Travis County Medical Examiner Office in Austin, where officials can use dental records, fingerprints and DNA to determine the man’s identity.

The Seguin Police Department entered photos of the suspect into a database and was exploring possible leads, also.

“We have some idea who he is, but we’re not for sure,� Collazo said. “I’m confident in the next day or so we’ll know who this person is.�

Officers did not disclose the identity of the homeowners and said the couple, who are in their late 40s or early 50s, did not want to talk about the incident with the media.

Though the homeowner is undoubtedly dealing with the psychological impact of his decision, Seidenberger likened the incident to an officer having to shoot a suspect in self-defense.

“He has to look at it [from the viewpoint of] ‘If I had not done what I did to protect myself and my wife, then I might not be here.’“

Collazo said the family was shaken by the morning’s events but was receiving support from friends and family.

“The neighbors were unbelievably supportive and very caring,� Collazo said. “There were four or five families out there immediately consoling the homeowners. This is a very close-knit and quiet neighborhood. That tells me two things — that crime can happen anywhere, and you and your neighbors make all the difference in the world.�

The homeowners were not visibly injured in the incident, said Lt. Mike Watts. No charges will be filed against the homeowner, Collazo said."

Paladin wrote:After breaking into the home at 798 Renee St.
<SNIP>
Officers did not disclose the identity of the homeowners

Police have the decency to keep quiet on the victims' information, but the paper is perfectly OK with printing the exact address. Nice.

Anybody feel like writing some letters to the editor?

Online form and physical address at:
http://seguingazette.com/letter.lasso?e ... 9b50051ef5

Maybe if we start writing in every time a paper goes too far in opening up a victim to further trouble, some of them could get the hint.

Paladin wrote:

Venus Pax wrote:I would rather my dog act as my alarm system...

I have big dogs, and I largely agree with you.

First and formost, my dogs are alarms. They are alert even at night and can hear things I can't hear.

As my dogs are big, they are a deterrent too. But I count on my gun more.

++1....even with our 4 Labs....quite a racket when someone strolls up for sure!

KD5NRH wrote:

Paladin wrote:After breaking into the home at 798 Renee St.
<SNIP>
Officers did not disclose the identity of the homeowners

Police have the decency to keep quiet on the victims' information, but the paper is perfectly OK with printing the exact address. Nice.

Anybody feel like writing some letters to the editor?

Online form and physical address at:
http://seguingazette.com/letter.lasso?e ... 9b50051ef5

Maybe if we start writing in every time a paper goes too far in opening up a victim to further trouble, some of them could get the hint.

I got into the article and same thought crossed my mind re: address.....will follow up on that one....that's just stupid reporting!

My first thought on seeing it was "Gee, their house has been compromised already, and their gun is probably in a police evidence locker right now. Nice of the paper to help out the next burglar looking for a victim."

Locally, it's standard practice to just give the block number. The neighbors already know who had a yard full of cops, and those interested in crime stats by neighborhood have a good enough area to work with. Burglars have to think twice; picking the wrong house would be a lot worse since the other folks on the block will be on high alert, with no more "it can't happen in our neighborhood" to relax their vigilance.