Joe Horn has yet to be charged in the killings of 2 accused of burglarizing his neighbor's home [View All]

Nov. 26, 2007, 10:26PM

Lawyer: Pasadena man shot suspects out of fear
Joe Horn has yet to be charged in the killings of 2 accused of burglarizing his neighbor's home

By LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON
Associated Press

HOUSTON — A man who told police he planned to kill two men he believed were burglarizing his neighbor's house shot them only when they came on his property and he felt threatened, his attorney said on Monday.

Tom Lambright, who represents Joe Horn of Pasadena, said his client was just going to take a look around when he went outside after hearing glass break at his neighbor's house. He had seen Miguel Antonio DeJesus, 38, and Diego Ortiz, 30, crawling into and then out of a window, Lambright said.

Horn went outside, armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, to see where the suspects were heading when he came face-to-face with them in Horn's front yard, Lambright said.

Horn is 61 and heavyset. The suspected burglars were young and strong enough to beat him to death with their bare hands, Lambright said. So when one or both of them "made lunging movements," Horn fired, Lambright said. "He's trying to protect his own life," Lambright said. "He's scared."

Pasadena police were still compiling their report on the shooting and planned to present the case to Harris County prosecutors within the next two weeks, police spokesman Vance Mitchell said on Monday. From there it is expected to be presented to a grand jury. In the meantime, Horn remains uncharged.

...more
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5330708.html

------------------------

"Tom Lambright, who represents Joe Horn of Pasadena, said his client was just going to take a look around when he went outside after hearing glass break at his neighbor's house."

Yeah right, he was going to take a look around guns ablazing!