Neighbors Describe Scene After Burglar Shot, Killed In Northeast

A man in his 20’s was shot and killed early Wednesday in Northeast El Paso during a burglary attempt in a home.

El Paso Police say the man broke into the home on the 8000 block of Tonto and was inside the master bedroom when a struggle ensued between him and the homeowner. The struggle resulted in the intruder being shot multiple times with a handgun.

Pete Alvarez, a neighbor of the man who shot the intruder, said his neighbor told him he had no choice but to shoot him.

“He said, ‘I had to shoot him, Pete, I had to shoot him,'” Alvarez said. “And I said ‘you did what you have to do to protect your children.’ It’s a sad situation but that’s what you gotta do. we’ve got the right to bear arms and we will. we’ll protect ourselves any way we can up here.”

The burglar was transported to William Beaumont Army Medical Center where he died. Property belonging to the residence was located on the burglar’s person. There were no other reported injuries from residents of the home. Crimes Against Persons (CAP) and Crime Scene Investigators continue to investigate.

“We were woken up by the screaming and we wondered what was going on,” Alvarez said. “He tried to subdue him and sat him there on a chair and then the guy when he turned his back, he wacked him! He was pretty hurt from when I last talked to him before he went for questining. He said his back was killing him because the guy wacked him with the chair.”

Neighbor Anita Hille had sympathy for the homeowner and the victim.

“I’m very sorry for both the victim and for my neighbor because I know he must feel very bad,” Hille said.

Neighbor Anne Bechtel said, “isn’t their something that says if you have an intruder, you have the right to shoot? I think he did the right thing.”

All investigative findings will be turned over to the District Attorneys Office. The identity of the burglar has not been released pending his identification and notification of next of kin.

“It’s gonna send a message out there to people, if you’re gonna go and buglarize somebody, whether it’s tough times or the economy, you better watch where you’re going because we’ve got the right to bear arms.”