Posted on 12/22/2004 4:25:32 AM PST by Ellesu
- HOUSTON) — A home invasion turns deadly when an elderly homeowner opens fire. The 79-year-old man says he fired his gun after he told the teenage suspect to leave.
Daniel Strelec fought in World War II and hoped he'd never have to kill again. Still, many people in his neighborhood think he had no other choice. But the veteran is rethinking his deadly decision.
For most of his life, Daniel Strelec enjoyed the home his father built. But these days it's more like a prison for the 79-year-old man. He hopes boarding up windows and doors will keep the bad guys out. "We've tried to get him to come live with us numerous times," said Janice Sebastian, the homeowner's daughter-in-law. "He refuses to leave. He's like a hermit in here."
But all that protection, police say didn't help when Robert Hinojosa, 19, ran through the yard, climbed in a window and broke into Strelec's home overnight.
Sebastian told Eyewitness News, "He sleeps with a gun under his pillow. So he got out of bed and stooped down in the corner and told him, 'Get out of my house or I'm going to shoot you.'"
Police say when the 19-year-old ignored that and a second warning, the man fired a single shot, hitting the teen in the stomach. That's when the robbery suspect bolted out the back door and ran away, collapsing in the yard not far from the home. He died on the way to the hospital.
"He just kept saying, 'Why did he have to do it? Why did he have to break in?' You know, he's just a young boy. He hasn't lived his life," Sebastian said.
Still, neighbors understand why the elderly man fired the fatal shot.
One neighbor said, "He had to protect himself, you know what I'm saying?"
"Well, he's an old man and I think he has his best protection now," said neighbor Edwin Flores. "There's nobody with him in there. It's the only way he could protect himself."
A few other young men who were thought to be hanging out with Hinojosa early Tuesday morning were taken in for questioning but not arrested. This case will now go before a grand jury. But police tell us some similar cases have been ruled as justifiable homicide.
Probably the result of all the self-esteem training he got in school.
Good shootin' Gramps.
Mi Casa Es Su Casa
You jest. This kid was never in school.
Awwwwww, don't you just love a happy ending?
ITs a crying shame that that kid felt so desperate that he risked his life to gain....what? Some cash from a wallet? Change in a couch?
The whole thing is so stupid and irrational it defies explanation.
But the vet did the only thing he could do, and I hope the jury respects that.
I think this is the perp, started his career early in life, was let out way to soon,
Name
HINOJOSA,ROBERT GREGORY State Identification Number
07082767 Date of Birth
Oct 6 1985 Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Brown Weight
155 Height (ft inches)
509 Race
White
Gender
M
Alias Names
none found
Alias Date of Birth
none found
Custody
none found
Custody Status
none found
Court
State Identification Number
07082767 Date of Arrest
Apr 26 2003 Sequence
A Tracking Incident Number
9033886189
Tracking Incident Suffix
A001 Final Pleading to Offense
Guilty Court ORI
TX101205J Court Disposition Numeric
DEFERRED -- THE FINDING OF GUILT HAS BEEN POSTPONED.
Cause Number
094684501010 Court Disposition Date
Jun 25 2003 General Offense Character
none found
Level & Degree of Court Offense
Felony - 2nd Degree
Statute Citation
30.02C Court Offense Numeric
Burglary Of Habitation -- 30.02(c)(2) PC Court Offense Literal
Date of Sentence or Status Change
Jun 25 2003
Court Sentence Suspended-Time
Court Sentence Suspended-Fine
Court Confinement
0Y Court Probation
10Y
Court Fine
Court Cost
Court Provision Numeric
none found
Court Provision Literal
Date of Appeal
Disposition of Offender During Appeal
none found
Final Court Decision on Appealed Case
Uncoded Agency Receiving Custody
TX101035G
Multiple Sent. Concurrent/Consecutive
Single sentence
State Identification Number
07082767 Date of Arrest
Apr 26 2003 Sequence
A Tracking Incident Number
9033886189
Tracking Incident Suffix
A002 Final Pleading to Offense
Guilty Court ORI
TX101205J Court Disposition Numeric
DEFERRED -- THE FINDING OF GUILT HAS BEEN POSTPONED.
Cause Number
094684601010 Court Disposition Date
Jun 25 2003 General Offense Character
none found
Level & Degree of Court Offense
Felony - 2nd Degree
Statute Citation
30.02C Court Offense Numeric
Burglary Of Habitation -- 30.02(c)(2) PC Court Offense Literal
Date of Sentence or Status Change
Jun 25 2003
Court Sentence Suspended-Time
Court Sentence Suspended-Fine
Court Confinement
0Y Court Probation
10Y
Court Fine
Court Cost
Court Provision Numeric
none found
Court Provision Literal
Date of Appeal
Disposition of Offender During Appeal
none found
Final Court Decision on Appealed Case
Uncoded Agency Receiving Custody
TX101035G
Multiple Sent. Concurrent/Consecutive
Single sentence
Arrests
State Identification Number
07082767 Arresting Agency Identifier
Arresting Agency ORI
TX1010000 Agency Case Number
041030426084
Arrest Name
HINOJOSA,ROBERT GREGORY Tracking Incident Number
9033886189 Sequence
A Date of Arrest
Apr 26 2003
Charges
State Identification Number
07082767 General Offense Character
none found
Prosecutor Case Referred To
HOUSTON DA Arrest Disposition Date
Apr 26 2003
Arrest Disposition Literal
Arrest Disposition Numeric
HELD -- SUBJECT REMAINS IN CUSTODY PENDING FURTHER ACTION BECAUSE HE/SHE CANNOT MAKE BAIL, IS HELD WITHOUT BAIL, OR IS HELD FOR ANOTHER AGENCY. Level & Degree of Arrest Offense
F2 Statute Citation
30.02C
Arrest Offense Literal
TX10100000304260491 Arrest Offense Numeric
BURGLARY OF HABITATION Date of Offense
Apr 26 2003 Tracking Incident Suffix
A001
Sequence
A Date of Arrest
Apr 26 2003
State Identification Number
07082767 General Offense Character
none found
Prosecutor Case Referred To
HOUSTON DA Arrest Disposition Date
Apr 26 2003
Arrest Disposition Literal
Arrest Disposition Numeric
HELD -- SUBJECT REMAINS IN CUSTODY PENDING FURTHER ACTION BECAUSE HE/SHE CANNOT MAKE BAIL, IS HELD WITHOUT BAIL, OR IS HELD FOR ANOTHER AGENCY. Level & Degree of Arrest Offense
F2 Statute Citation
30.02C
Arrest Offense Literal
TX10100000304260491 Arrest Offense Numeric
BURGLARY OF HABITATION Date of Offense
Apr 26 2003 Tracking Incident Suffix
A002
Sequence
A Date of Arrest
Apr 26 2003
Prosecution
State Identification Number
07082767 Date of Arrest
Apr 26 2003 Sequence
A Tracking Incident Number
9033886189
Tracking Incident Suffix
A001 ORI of Prosecutor
HOUSTON DA Date Charge Rejected
Prosecutor Action Field
Prosecutor accepts the charge.
Prosecutor Offense Numeric
Burglary Of Habitation -- 30.02(c)(2) PC Prosecutor Offense Literal
Level & Degree of Prosecuted Offense
Felony - 2nd Degree General Offense Character Prosecution
none found
State Identification Number
07082767 Date of Arrest
Apr 26 2003 Sequence
A Tracking Incident Number
9033886189
Tracking Incident Suffix
A002 ORI of Prosecutor
HOUSTON DA Date Charge Rejected
Prosecutor Action Field
Prosecutor accepts the charge.
Prosecutor Offense Numeric
Burglary Of Habitation -- 30.02(c)(2) PC Prosecutor Offense Literal
Level & Degree of Prosecuted Offense
Felony - 2nd Degree General Offense Character Prosecution
none found
It's called deterrence, and it works.
>>But police tell us some similar cases have been ruled as justifiable homicide.
In Houston? I can't imagine that there's the remotest shred of a chance of it being anything else, given what I think I know about Texas law. Am I off-base here?
Sure saves those tax dollars for other things...
Way to go! Some of these punks need a message and I hope this one gets through.
Good riddance!
The old man was nice enough to warn him. Interesting story.
Shooting them is much more effective.
So9
Just think. If that old dude didn't have that deadly assault weapon, that nice young man might be alive today.
No you are very much on base. But it is Houston and the thug was Black. So there is about a 10% chance the DA will indite.
HINOJOSA,ROBERT GREGORY
State Identification Number 07082767
Date of Birth Oct 6 1985
Hair Color Black
Eye Color Brown
Weight 155 Height
(ft inches) 509
Race White
Gender M
I must have missed that part. Where is it?
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