Garland man tells police he fatally shot burglars in self-defense
GARLAND (CBSNewsTexas) - A burglary-in-process left two men dead after an apartment tenant shot both suspects in self-defense, police said.
It happened on March 18 just after 2:30 a.m. at the Woodlands at the Preserve apartments in the 4300 block of North Garland Avenue. The luxury apartment complex backs up to the 33-acre Spring Creek Forest Park Preserve.
According to police, the tenant said both men broke in and started shooting at him.
Aubrey Scott and her husband went to bed on St. Patrick's Day and were awakened by the sound of gunfire coming from next door. A family with a young child lives there, according to Scott.
"I heard four shots," she recalled. "The last couple of shots were really loud, and I was worried for our lives."
When Scott came out of her bedroom, she found their patio door shattered, and a bullet hole in their wall, inches above the couch.
"It was terrifying realizing that, two hours before this had happened, I was sitting here watching TV. I could have lost my life."
Arriving officers said they found one injured suspect inside the apartment and the other outside.
"We arrived, and we located two individuals, one was just outside an apartment, and inside an apartment, there was another individual," said Officer Matt Pesta, spokesperson for the Garland Police Department.
Paramedics responded, but both men died at the scene. The Dallas County Medical Examiner has yet to identify them.
Police are continuing to gather evidence and interview witnesses. They said they don't know if the tenant knew the suspects. As for Scott, she said the experience reinforced for her the fragility of life.
"There's a real connection that happens when you realize that you could have been taken from this world. I feel a lot more connected to the life I'm living now than I did last week."
As of now, the tenant is not facing criminal charges. Police said they will eventually submit the case to the grand jury, who will decide if he acted in self-defense
