Sheriff: Man shoots attackers during botched kidnapping near Mission
McALLEN – Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies kept watch at McAllen Medical Center on Tuesday, waiting for a suspect in an attempted kidnapping case to recover from surgery to treat two gunshot wounds.
Mission resident Randal Jones, 49, told authorities he shot at least one of three men who allegedly tried to kidnap him outside of his home just before 8 p.m. Monday.
Soon after, the unidentified suspect arrived at Mission Regional Medical Center with two non-fatal gunshot wounds, a sheriff’s office press release states.
Jones told deputies that “two kids” shot him near 29th Street and Nolana in McAllen. The incident apparently was not reported to McAllen police, which recorded no such event in that area Monday evening.
Once the suspect was transported to McAllen Medical Center for surgery, the sheriff’s office posted two deputies to stand guard nearby until they can determine if he was involved in the alleged incident.
Jones told investigators that he was unloading a van at his home on the 8900 block of Doffing Road, just north of Mission, when a gray pickup truck stopped behind him. Three men told Jones in Spanish that they would take him and struck him with a gun.
Jones said he then pulled out his own concealed handgun and fired six rounds toward the men. He told authorities he saw at least one suspect “go down” before the two others picked him up, dropped him in the bed of the truck and then drove south toward Farm-to-Market Road 2221.
“If evidence indicates that shooting victim attempted to kidnap Mr. Jones, then no charges will be filed against Mr. Jones,” Sheriff Lupe Treviño said in the press release.
While investigators had not found a motive in the case Tuesday afternoon, the sheriff said investigators were working at the crime scene and hospital to identify any possible connections the shooting victim may have had to the attackers.
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Neal Morton covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956)683-4472.
