A 93-year-old California man fatally shot a burglary suspect late last month, local media reports.
Deputies with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on the 24000 block of Eucalyptus Ave. in the Moreno Valley on June 29 at about 12:30 a.m.
The 911 caller reported a burglary in progress.
The caller was identified as Joe Howard Teague, 93. He told deputies he foiled a robbery at his home and had several of the suspects at gunpoint.
Before police arrived on the scene, the suspects allegedly refused to cooperate with Teague’s instructions.
“I approached them to put them under citizen’s arrest. They wouldn’t adhere to that and then one of them came at me with a fishing pole,” Teague told reporters from KABC outside his home the following Thursday.
That perp has been identified as 33-year-old Joseph Ortega. Teague said Ortega and the other suspects also kept throwing things at him.
“It was just like somebody comes to a gunfight with a pocketknife, you know,” Teague said.
Fearing for his safety, Teague shot Ortega.
WATCH: Congressman Explains to House Committee What a ‘Weapon of War’ Actually Is
“Investigators have established that several individuals, including Ortega, were inside Teague’s property when a shooting occurred,” the sheriff’s department said.
Following the shooting, the other suspects fled the scene.
Teague was taken to the deputy’s office for questioning but was not arrested. Witnesses that also live in the neighborhood told police officers that Teague’s home has been broken into multiple times in the past.
A relative of Teague’s verified that he has been frustrated over being the victim of numerous home invasions. Sheriff’s department officials said it appears the shooting was justified but added that the investigation is ongoing.
“Based on the severity of Ortega’s medical condition, the Central Homicide Unit responded to the scene and assumed the investigation,” the sheriff’s department said.
Investigators are working to identify the other suspects, but no arrests have been made.
Ortega would not survive the encounter. He died days later at a local hospital.
God bless Mr. Teague, I pray that no prosecutor of the “liberal” persuasion decides to make this political.
I’m getting WAY too old to fight an intruder. But I can still pull a trigger just fine, and so can Mr. Teague. God bless you sir, and sleep well tonight! And thank you for taking out the trash!
The 93 yr old man did the right thing. Had he not, he would probably be dead. We have to stop the Demoncrap traitors that are destroying our country. We need the Military to clean out the Congresshional traitors and hangb them. Maybe that will send a message to the Socialists in our Govt. One of the only things that keeps China from taking over us is tha we are a nation of armed Citizans. THE DEMS are continually working to strip the Citazins of our right to protect ourselves. They must be stopped!! WE DON’T HAVE A GUN PROBLEM, WE HAVE A PEOPLE PROBLEM! THERE HAVE BEEN NO SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IN ISREAL!!
Much more efficient than just letting the law handle it. Don’t mess with old guys.
More people need to fight back against evil. Even when police dare to help the citizenry and stand up, which are unfortunately fewer and fewer—look at recent mass shootings, especially Uvalde, if you have doubts–they will never get there in time. Good riddance to that criminal. If he had not been shot, he would surely have taken the gun and shot the good guy. And the police always have doubts, and the good guy is likely going to be bankrupted with legal fees from the maggot lawyers on both sides and the judge who is another leftist lawyer. Who are the real criminals here? It seems like everybody and every government agency, all–except the GOOD GUY who finally fights back, when all else is failing—all according to the plans of the globalist left to cull the humans from the planet, and allow their evil to remain supreme. We need to wake up. We are the majority. We are the American majority.
Old Joe Ortega, couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
The older us old people get, the less that whole life in prison thing deters us
Laddyboy, You are spending too much time watching the Hollywood-produced TV shows to be a fingerprint expert.
I am sorry Mr. Teaque had to fire his gun in SELF DEFENSE. I hope he obtains PEACE OF MIND. SHAME on the Police not able to identify the other ASSALANTS, TERRORISTS using their FINGERPRINTS from the THROWN OBJECTS!!!
Don’t EFF with us old people, We don’t put up with SHIFF!
No doubt, fine job dispatching democrats.