Texas: maintenance man was checking frozen pipes on apt balconies. Tenant shot him through window

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

Texas man shoots, kills maintenance worker he mistook for burglar on Christmas Eve


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/texas-maintenance-worker-shot-dead-while-checking-frozen-pipes-after-being-mistaken-for-burglar/ar-AA15IgHW

Police say that 53-year-old Cesar Montelongo was shot in Grand Prairie as he looked at waterlines on a balcony in frigid temperatures.

Officials say that the resident thought his apartment was being burgled and shot the victim through the window of the apartment.

Montelongo was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead, according to WFAA.

Police say that the shooter remained at the scene, cooperated with detectives and was not arrested.

An investigation is ongoing and the case will be referred to a grand jury in Tarrant County for review, say officials.

“We don’t know who the suspect is. We don’t know what state they were in. We just know that that happened,” the victim’s son, Cesar Montelongo Jr, told WFAA.

-----------------
https://www.kwtx.com/2022/12/27/texas-man-man-shoots-kills-maintenance-worker-he-mistook-burglar-christmas-eve/

On Dec. 24, 2022 at about 6:00 p.m., Grand Prairie police officers responded to reports about a shooting at an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Alouette Dr.

When they arrived, they found Cesar Montelongo, 53, lying on a resident’s balcony with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital but did not survive his injuries.

Detectives believe that Montelongo was checking balconies for frozen and broken waterlines after several pipes had burst earlier when the resident mistook him for a burglar trying to break into his unit. The resident allegedly grabbed his gun and shot Montelongo through a window.


The resident remained at the scene and is reported to be cooperating with police.

According to a GoFundMe page set up by his family, Montelongo was killed just a day before his 29th anniversary. He is survived by his wife and their five sons.

No arrests have been made, but the case will be referred to a grand jury for review.

[SunSeeker]

1. A good guy with a gun made 5 kids fatherless.

Even if he truly believed Cesar was a burglar, what could that miscreant possibly have in his stupid apartment that was worth taking a man's life to protect?

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

2. its weird.. I have a patio off to side of my front door. Heard shuffling at 2am.

My first thought wasn't "go kill someone". I listened. Heard a paperbag being set down, then the gate opening again. Figured someone was leaving something. Peaked out the door and called the UberEats guy back to tell him wrong address.

Yes, it was scary but going for lethal response? and in this Texas case, it was before 6PM!!!

[SunSeeker]

3. He should be charged, at a minimum, with manslaughter.

And then the widow should sue him into oblivion, taking every little possession that idiot thought was so precious it was worth killing someone for fear of losing it.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Good God!

[cstanleytech]

5. Should be charged with manslaughter, reckless homicide or whatever they call it in that state.

[sakabatou]

6. +10

[mwb970]

10. It's Texas. They call it "Saturday".

[Skittles]

7. fucking disgusting

what a fucking COWARD

[lostnfound]

8. Here's another hardworking Hispanic father killed for doing his job in Texas

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/texas-mechanic-ambushed-and-executed-over-500-repair-bill-family/ar-AA15IqoM?cvid=02a5fa8f1c024611b66229e354296310
Luis Manuel Casillas, only 29, executed over a $500 car repair bill. Two kids left without a dad.



Such a sick country.

[mwb970]

9. A needlessly terrified conservative kills an innocent man with his gun.

Nothing "new" about this news.

[Tickle]

20. I can't find the guys name

never mind his political stance

[yankee87]

11. Texass back to Mexico

Let’s give Texass back to Mexico.

[Paladin]

34. Wow! 10 posts before the "Texass" thing.

This thread is really easy-going.

[48656c6c6f20]

36. I apologize for not getting in the TexAss sooner.

I'm usually quicker on these things and it needs doing.

[Paladin]

43. I guess you're entitled.

Given how things in Chicago are so dead-solid perfect.

[48656c6c6f20]

44. See. I knew you couod do it.

[Paladin]

50. It's spelled "could" in Texass. (nt)

[kaotikross]

12. No warning

No "what the hell are you doing?", Nothing. They just start blasting. Welcome to red state "justice".

[Demobrat]

13. No "Hey what are you doing"

Just get the gun and blast away because why let an opportunity go to waste.
That’s the problem when cowardly, low self esteem males get guns. They start looking for reasons to use them.

[Skittles]

15. I have long lived in apartments

if I saw a guy in my patio I would go outside and ask him what he was doing - or, if I was genuinely concerned, I would call the cops. Because I AM NOT A FUCKING GUN HUMPING COWARD.

[Old Crank]

14. I hope the apartment owners

Notified the tenants about checks otherwise there won't be any charges.

[Skittles]

17. they usually do it by email

easy to miss, which is why a simple question HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING would have sufficed.......

[Irish_Dem]

23. It was an emergency service, not routine.

And on the exterior of the building.

There is probably some sort of clause in the renter's agreement about owners allowed to
provide emergency repairs on the exterior. I live in a condo and we are often not told about
exterior work on the property.

I understand the owners didn't want to have to pay for expensive water damage if pipes burst
because of the frigid temps. So they called out the maintenance man on Christmas Eve.

They didn't know they were sending the man to his death.

[Old Crank]

33. True but you can still contact

Seems to be very important in a state where you can expect to have armed citizens empowered to protect their property.

[Irish_Dem]

35. Yes they should have. Might not have mattered anyway.

This guy sounds like he wanted to shoot someone.

[Kaleva]

24. True but hopefully guilt will eat the insides out of the idiot with a gun

That's probably the best we can hope for. Throw in some public condemnation and ridicule for good measure.

[treestar]

42. Yes, that would make sense to do

Especially in Texas.

I could see someone on your apartment balcony giving cause for concern.

[Mr. Sparkle]

16. The shooter should be charged with murder and the gop charged with accessory to murder

for their deliberate weak gun laws. Its the environment they have created in many southern states.

[Emile]

18. In Texas they run water pipes on the outside of buildings?

Not making excuses for the gun nut!

[stopdiggin]

26. yeah. I've never seen water pipes on a 'balcony' either

have heard of pipes in exterior walls. Cheap assed construction. (but that's on neither the maintenance guy or the tenant) Notification?

(but, yeah - it might have been possible to ask, before proceeding to blast away through a window.)

[peacebuzzard]

19. downright wrong on all accounts.

apartment complex? people everywhere.

Even if this scenario happened around a single house down a lonely road, you would want to investigate a little bit more.

[Kaleva]

21. My guess is the gun owner didn't have any training.

Didn't retreat to a designated safe room or vacate the aoartment and call 911.

[Shipwack]

30. Don't have to anymore.

The ground rules of the “Castle Doctrine” have been expanded so much you can pretty much shoot someone anywhere, as long as you are able to mouth the words that you were in fear of your life.

Having the right skin tone also helps (though I’m unsure of the ethnicities of those in in this particular case).

[Kaleva]

32. As far as I know, no state mandates comprehensive training

It's up to the individual gun owner and as we see by incidents described in the OP and so many others here, it's safe to say many gun owners are very lax when it comes to training .

When I recently renewed my CPL, Michigan requires that I spent at least 1 hour on the range and did 3 hours of study in the past 6 months prior to renewing. I'm well above that requirement and even then I don't feel up to speed so all my live ammo is in a metal military surplus ammo box padlocked and down in the basement . In the meantime, I practice dry fire drills with dummy ammo. I had my shoulder replaced a few months ago so it's going to be awhile before I feel I'm competent enough to have live ammo in the gun safe with my revolver

[Irish_Dem]

22. Residents of a building know what the maintenance man looks like.

The handyman is all over the complex usually, making repairs, etc.

And this man was obviously a responsible, hard working employee who was working
outside in frigid weather on Christmas Eve to prevent damage to the apartments.
The resident had to have seen him before.

If the shooter says a strange man was on my balcony, it doesn't make sense.

[Vinca]

25. Kill first ask questions later? A simple "who are you" might have prevented this.

[Deuce]

27. This shooter should not go unpunished!

[panader0]

28. I don't have any possessions worth killing for and don't own a gun anyway.

[dembotoz]

29. isn't that what 911 is for...having the maintenance guy there is a good thing

with my condo it means my hoa dues are doing something beside lawn care

[HAB911]

31. If he had only been carrying his own AR15...........

at least there would be 2 dead

[maxsolomon]

37. Guns make everything worse.

Does this count as a Defensive Gun Use?

[gratuitous]

38. We know all about Montelongo, including how long he was married

The person who shot him dead? Just "the resident." Gotta protect someone's privacy, and it isn't going to be the dead guy or his family. And what do you charge "the resident" with? If the resident can say he or she was appropriately scared and started shooting first before asking any questions, what recourse is there under the law? None.

[lindysalsagal]

39. Plenty of time to leave the apartment and call for police. But, no, we love shooting people too much

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

45. exactly. front door would be in total opposite direction of balcony

[Jeebo]

40. "No arrests have been made" ?

The trigger-happy son of a bitch should have been arrested on the spot. Was his name George Zimmerman by any chance?

-- Ron

[shrike3]

41. Shooter won't be punished.

He was afeared for his life, and that justifies anything and everything.

[Dysfunctional]

46. I lived in a condo in Florida. I came home from work about midnight.

I had to walk passed the laundry room and I heard a noise. I turned on the light and there was a man in the back corner. He had been stealing quarters out of the machine. I drew my weapon. The man said he wanted to leave. I had the choice of shooting him or letting him leave. I backed out of the laundry room and left him a way out. I let him take the quarters. I called the police a little later to make a report. My weapon is for my self-defense not to just gun down people.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

52. you made the wise choice. but scary story

[a kennedy]

47. This just breaks my heart........

[Iggo]

48. Gun fuckers.

I blame you all.

[Kaleva]

49. And that will accomplish what?

Might as well just thoughts and prayers .

[Demobrat]

51. If the shooter gets away with this

he’ll be on the lookout for an excuse to do it again.