A Texas grand jury will decide whether to criminally charge a Houston taqueria patron who shot a robber dead last week, police said.
The Houston Police Department announced Monday the 46-year-old customer has turned himself in and is cooperating with the investigation into the deadly shooting. He has not been named because he was not arrested or charged with any crime.
The heist took place inside the Ranchito #4 Taqueria around 11:30 p.m. last Thursday, when a suspect, identified as 30-year-old Eric Washington, entered the business, produced what appeared to be a gun and demanded that all patrons hand over their cash and wallets.
Chilling surveillance video from the eatery shows customers cowering under tables as the masked and gloved perp, dressed in all black, walks around grabbing their possessions.
As the suspect heads for the exit with his loot, the 46-year-old diner sitting in a booth stands up, pulls out a handgun and opens fire on the robber, causing him to collapse.
Then, while standing directly over the wounded intruder, the customer shoots him again at point-blank range, as seen in the video.
The armed good Samaritan then collected the stolen money and belongings from Washington and returned them to their owners before fleeing the taqueria.
Washington was pronounced dead at the scene. Police later determined that the gun in his possession was not real.