Grand Prairie man shoots & kills maintenance worker he mistook for burglar
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — Police are investigating after a maintenance worker was allegedly shot and killed on Christmas Eve by another person who mistook him for a burglar.
On Dec. 24, 2022 at about 6:00 p.m., Grand Prairie police officers responded to reports about a shooting at an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Alouette Dr.
When they arrived, they found Cesar Montelongo, 53, lying on a resident's balcony with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital but did not survive his injuries.
Detectives believe that Montelongo was checking balconies for frozen and broken waterlines after several pipes had burst earlier when the resident mistook him for a burglar trying to break into his unit. The resident allegedly grabbed his gun and shot Montelongo through a window.
The resident remained at the scene and is reported to be cooperating with police.
According to a GoFundMe page set up by his family, Montelongo was killed just a day before the 29th anniversary of his marriage. He is survived by his wife and their five sons. The page has surpassed its expense goal by more than double.
No arrests have been made, but the case will be referred to a grand jury for review.
The investigation is ongoing.