Police said a man accused of shooting 29-year-old Chris Lopez, who was trying to break into his uncle's home on Longmeadow Drive, will likely not face charges.
Police said Lopez, a 2001 Texas Youth Commission graduate, was trying to break into the back door of a home when the homeowner's nephew warned him that someone was inside.
Lopez then tried to take off with a lawnmower from the the carport and that's when the nephew opened fire through the kitchen window, hitting the man in the chest, killing him.
A neighbor and a woman who knew Lopez both said what happened at the house was bound to happen sooner or later.
A friend of his family said Lopez -- who died despite the paramedics working on him in the backyard -- was known for breaking into houses, even in his own neighborhood.
Lopez's sister, 14-year-old Amanda Lopez, said he did have a criminal past but that he was turning his life around.
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Given the recent burglaries, neighbor Daniel Villanueva said he does not blame the homeowner for having a nephew house sit, armed with a shotgun.
Villanueva said he is glad Lopez was shot, hoping the break-ins will stop.
“You have to protect your house. You have to protect yourself,” said Villanueva.
