On Christmas Eve in Texas, a resident fatally shot a maintenance worker who was inspecting frozen and ruptured pipes at an apartment complex and thought he was a burglar, according to authorities.
A shooter who fired from a window struck Cesar Montelongo Sr., 53, critically, according to a statement released by Grand Prairie police on Monday.
Around 6 o'clock on Saturday, a shooting took place at an apartment building on the 2900 block of Alouette Drive. According to investigators, Montelongo was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Police added that when many pipes burst, "detectives found the victim was inspecting multiple balconies for frozen and cracked waterlines." The resident shot the victim through a window because he thought his flat was being burglarized and he had a gun with him.
The resident stayed at the scene and was collaborating with investigations, according to the police. No arrests have been made as of yet.
Cesar Montelongo Jr., 28, of Arlington, stated on Wednesday that the Clayton Pointe complex in Grand Prairie, a suburb of Dallas, where his father was tragically shot, served as the top maintenance worker.
Come to find out, four bullets were discharged instead of only one, he stated. "He wasn't acting maliciously at all. Not even an attempt was made to open the balcony door. He had no intention of entering the residence. There, my dad worked for 16 years. He and every resident shared a mutual familiarity with one another.
Montelongo Sr. died from a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office, which ruled his death a homicide.
According to Republic Aeon Dallas-Fort Worth, defence lawyer Russell Wilson, a former prosecutor who is not involved in the case, suggested that the Castle Doctrine, a statute that permits property owners to defend their homes against impending burglaries, may have applied in the incident. Wilson claimed that the balcony might be part of the property.
The fundamental issue, according to Wilson, is whether the resident received notice that there would be maintenance done to his property. The broadcaster quoted him as saying that the response will "play a very major role."
On Wednesday, no one from Clayton Pointe could be reached for comment.
The day before his 29th wedding anniversary, on Christmas Eve, according to Montelongo Jr., his father was on call. The oldest of his father's five remaining sons, Montelongo Jr.
Montelongo Jr. called his father "selfless" and stated that he chose to live a happy life.
He claimed that "he was just a light" wherever he went. "His smile never left his face. He didn't like feeling angry. He was a kind man who would never intend to harm someone.
He never made it home for the anniversary, Montelongo Jr. said, adding that his mother had been "devastated."
Additionally, Montelongo Jr. stated that the shooting of his father might have "100%" been prevented, but he is attempting to maintain perspective.
He stated, "As a family, we've been praying a lot and trying to find peace. "We forgive the perpetrator because we believe in the Lord. In terms of future events, a grand jury and the good Lord himself will make that determination.
