Texas maintenance worker fatally shot by apartment resident while checking pipes

A upkeep employee in Texas was checking for frozen and burst pipes at an condominium advanced on Christmas Eve when he was fatally shot by a resident who mistook him for a burglar, police stated.

Cesar Montelongo Sr., 53, was on a balcony when he was critically wounded by a shooter who fired from a window, Grand Prairie police stated in a Monday assertion.

The taking pictures occurred about 6 p.m. Saturday at an condominium advanced on the 2900 block of Alouette Drive. Montelongo was declared lifeless at a hospital, police stated.

“Detectives decided the sufferer was checking a number of balconies for freezing and busted waterlines after a number of pipes had ruptured,” police stated. “The resident, who believed his condominium was being burglarized, armed himself with a firearm and shot the sufferer by a window.”

Police additionally stated: “The resident remained on the scene and is cooperating with detectives. Right now, no arrests have been made. Whereas the case stays beneath investigation, Grand Prairie Detectives will refer the case to the Tarrant County Grand Jury for evaluate.”

Cesar Montelongo Jr., 28, of Arlington, instructed NBC Information on Wednesday his father was the pinnacle upkeep employee on the Clayton Pointe advanced in Grand Prairie, a suburb of Dallas, the place he was fatally shot.

“Come to search out out, it was not only one bullet that was fired, however 4,” he stated. “He wasn’t doing something malicious. He wasn’t even attempting to open the balcony door. He wasn’t attempting to get into the condominium. My dad was employed there for 16 years. All the residents knew him, and he knew all of the residents as effectively.”

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Workplace stated Montelongo Sr. died from a gunshot wound to his chest and declared his demise a murder.

NBC Dallas-Fort Price reported protection lawyer and former prosecutor Russell Wilson, who isn’t related to the case, stated the Citadel Doctrine, a regulation that enables owners to defend their properties, on this case, towards an anticipated housebreaking, may very well be relevant within the taking pictures. Wilson stated the property might lengthen to the balcony.

Nevertheless, the most important query is whether or not the resident was given discover there could be upkeep work on his property, Wilson stated. He stated that reply would “play a really massive position,” the information outlet reported.

Nobody with Clayton Pointe may very well be instantly reached for remark Wednesday.

Montelongo Jr. stated his father was on name on Christmas Eve, which was the day earlier than his twenty ninth wedding ceremony anniversary. Montelongo Jr. is the oldest of 5 male kids his father leaves behind.

Montelongo Jr. described his dad as “selfless” and stated he most popular to reside life smiling.

“All over the place he walked, he was only a mild,” he stated. “He all the time had a smile on his face. He didn’t take pleasure in being upset. He was anyone who would by no means need to harm anyone.”

Montelongo Jr. stated his mom has been “devastated” by her husband’s demise, noting, “He by no means made it house to the anniversary.”

Montelongo Jr. additionally stated his father’s taking pictures may have “one hundred pc” been averted however he’s attempting to maintain issues in perspective.

“We’ve been praying quite a bit and looking for peace inside one another as a household,” he stated. “Believing within the Lord, we forgive the one who did it. So far as what’s to come back, that shall be decided by a grand jury and the nice Lord himself.”