HPD: Homeowner shoots, kills burglar in southwest Houston

Houston – Neighbors say break-ins and crimes scenes are far too common here in this southwest Houston neighborhood near Maplecrest Drive.

"It was pretty big. Boom," said Danny Triplett, a neighborhood who heard the gunshots Tuesday morning.

"I thought someone was banging on my door," said Jeffrey Hamby, another neighbor.

It may have taken Triplett and Hamby a minute to realize what had just happened around 1:30 Tuesday morning but when they found one of their neighbors shot and killed an intruder, it wasn't a surprise anymore.

"This is not the end of it, it's just getting closer and closer to our front door," Hamby said.

He means that literally, telling Channel 2 his next door neighbor was burglarized hours before the intruder homicide. Houston police have not made that connection yet.

Police did say a man tried to break into a townhouse on the 8500 block of Maplecrest Drive. The homeowner, who is new to the neighborhood, heard someone break the glass next to his front door. He went downstairs with his gun, saw the guy and opened fire.

"It's a sad shame somebody loses their life over a handful of 20, 25, 30, 50 dollars," Hamby said.

With neighbors afraid to let their kids play in the yard alone, they say it's time to do something about it.

"We're going to the homeowner's association at our next meeting and we're going to get security out here again," Triplett said.

Police say this case has been forwarded to a Harris County grand jury.