Shotgun-toting teen defends mom, home from burglars, official confirms

MONTE ALTO — A 16-year-old boy used a shotgun to defend his mother from three would-be burglars in Monte Alto early Saturday morning, the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

After a string of burglaries in the area of Farm-to-Market Road 88 and FM 2812, the boy and his mother were checking to make sure everything was intact on their property when they saw a vehicle approach, a Sheriff’s Office official said.

About 1:45 a.m., with the shotgun in hand, the boy confronted the three strangers who approached and told them to leave. Instead, they shot at him, and he fired back, hitting one in the leg.

Authorities nabbed two of the suspects, both teenagers, as well. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the teen who was shot, a 17-year-old, was treated at the hospital, released and taken into custody. A 16-year-old also was arrested after the incident.

Sheriff’s investigators are still searching for the third man involved in the attempted burglary, who reportedly fled the scene. They believe he is 20 or 21, but no more suspect information was available at press time Sunday.

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Elizabeth Findell covers Pharr, San Juan, Alamo, the Mid-Valley and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4428.