Don't mess with Texas: Woman shoots armed man who followed her home

DESOTO, TX- Texas police have indicated that a DeSoto woman shot an armed man who followed her home. The incident took place around 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 8th.

According to FOX4, neighbors reported hearing several gunshots and when police arrived on scene, they found a man with gunshot wounds laying inside the woman's garage. A pistol was laying next to him. Police said that the woman told responding officers that a truck followed her home from a nearby Taco Bell.

Surveillance video shows a family flicking on their back porch lights just before 8:00 p.m., and that's when police say that a woman shot a man who was trying to break into her home, which is located near South Polk Street and Belt Line Road. The armed intruder was later identified as 35-year-old Octavio Flores Mondragon.

Surveillance video shows a caravan of police cars responding within minutes of the shooting. Police said that dispatch could hear a woman screaming as Mondragon tried to force his way into her home through the garage door. The video then shows officers holding guns running to the back alley where they found Mondragon shot and a loaded pistol lying next to him.

The woman told police that a truck followed her home from a nearby Taco Bell and that the truck then pulled into her driveway, which is when the armed man attempted to get into her home.

Police said that the woman called 911, grabbed a handgun and shot Mondragon. He was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for his injuries and remains in critical condition. Police are still investigating a possible motive and if he is linked to any other crimes in the area.

Neighbors remain concerned, saying it could have happened to any one of them. Many of them were quick to call 911 after hearing multiple gunshots. Neighbor DJ James said, "I just heard one gunshot go off first. Then it was followed by two more." Another neighbor, Joe Kindred said, "There was a lot of confusion going on. Shortly after that, the DeSoto Police Department showed up."

Kindred added, "We just don't have this kind of activity here, so it was jarring and scary." According to public records, Mondragon lives about a mile away from where the incident happened. NBCDFW reported that police said Mondragon is expected to be charged with burglary of a habitation with intent to commit another felony. That is a first-degree felony punishable by up to $10,000 and six years in prison. 

In Champaign, Illinois, police reportedly responded to a home invasion that turned deadly as the homeowner defended himself against the armed intruder. The incident happened at 4:09 a.m. on Sunday, November 10th. Police found two men injured, including the homeowner, who suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the arm. The other individual, identified as the intruder, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Initial reports suggest that the homeowner confronted the intruder, leading to a physical altercation. During the struggle, the homeowner fired multiple shots, injuring himself and fatally wounding the intruder. No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing. Crime Stoppers is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case.