Councilman Luis Chavez. (Photo: The Fresno Bee)
It’s safe to say that the words “California city councilmen” don’t evoke images of gun-wielding neighborhood defenders.
But that’s exactly what one would-be home intruder stumbled upon in Fresno, Ca., when he tried to cross Councilman Luis Chavez.
“Out of the corner of my eye, I see this guy looking through my window, looks through my door, then the side window; then comes over here and tries to shimmy the door,” Chavez told the GV Wire.
Chavez recognized the man as the person who had previously broken into his home and stolen several of his belongings.
“Immediately, I go grab my gun,” Chavez said. When the burglar went around to the backyard, Chavez confronted him through the window with his gun raised.
“He sees me pointing the gun at him and immediately freaks out. That’s when I told him ‘don’t move’ and he just bolted and took off and I went after him,” Chavez said.
Most home owners would have called the police at that point, grateful to have repelled the criminal. But Chavez felt he had a duty to the people of his city, and he wasn’t about to let another bad guy run away.
“I know it’s not the protocol to follow,” Chavez told the Fresno Bee, “but I was so angry I had to do something. … I’m sick and tired of people who think it’s OK to break into homes and cars and steal property. It’s not right, and it’s so rampant across the city. I hear stories like this from constituents all the time.”
Chavez grabbed his keys and chased the intruder in his car, calling the police as he drove. He tracked the man as he fled through alleys and backyards until the police finally caught him about three-quarters of a mile from Chavez’s house.
Chavez credits the Second Amendment for giving him the ability to repel and catch the intruder.
“I’m a big Second Amendment guy,” he told the GV Wire. “I’m an NRA member. I believe in that. It proved to be true that time. I didn’t go out looking for trouble, but trouble came to my home. Luckily, I was armed and had an opportunity to defend myself and my family.”
It’s a good thing he did. According to Fresno police Lt. Mark Hudson, the would-be burglar could have been particularly dangerous.
“In this kind of case, where something happened on Wednesday and then he comes back on Sunday, it shows that this thief wasn’t too concerned about people being home – a ‘hot prowl’ case,” Hudson said. “These people can be dangerous.”
As to Chavez’s decision to chase the suspect, Hudson admitted it shouldn’t be the first priority for a homeowner.
“In this case, it sounds like (Chavez) was able to follow at a safe distance, and be on the phone to get the police officers to where this person was taken into custody,” Hudson said. “The first priority is to protect yourself in your home and call 911.”
But if one decides to follow, “keep at a safe distance and be a good witness,” Hudson added. “In this case, it ended well.”
It’s amazing the intruder came back for seconds. I live in the Republic. We still have some counties that are 2nd Amendment friendly. The intruder attempted to enter the home. Luckily the politician was ready. Lessons learned indeed.
Take the gun away from the Congress person and make his house a gun free zone. Ha ha that is the stupid way California thinks, vote out all politians in office now and just maybe save California from the so called smart people in office.
Mr. Chavez, when California kicks you out, you will be very welcome to move here to Arkansas.
We would embrace him here down south also!!!
Kalifornia. I thought only gang bangers were allowed to have guns.
Commiefornia??!? A politician has a gun?? That just sounds extremely hypocritical huh??
Commiefornia??!? A politician has a gun?? That just sounds extremely hypocritcal huh??
Dear Councilman Chavez, please run for the seat in the U.S. House of Representatives that represents your district.
I lived in California City and congratulate the City Councilman, Mr Chavez. However, he broke several laws in his pursuit. Oops! It’s illegal to talk on the cell phone while driving. It’s illegal to have a loaded firearm in the car while you’re driving. Please Councilman Chavez, be careful how you describe what happened so the district attorney doesn’t decide to prosecute you.
Yes there are gun owners who are also law abiding citizens. I was one of them till I moved out of state, unable to stand the hypocrisy and lies of the leftist government, including state reps who try to pass ever more stringent gun control measures while being a black market dealer to drug “importers” and other criminals. As others have said, if the coasties, the folks who live in Sacramento, over to the coast and down around San Franscisco to the area around San Jose and then a 10 mile wide strip along the coast to the Greater Los Angeles area and all of it and most of the land 20 or 30 miles inland down to the Mexican boarder could be split off from the rest of the state Everyone there could have their ultra leftist state and the conservatives in the rest of the state could be properly governed in accordance with the constitution.
It’s mind blowing when I hear a judgment over laws that were not observed at the time of a home being violated with with the owner standing in the window watching.
This lack of compassion lost by someone wanting to make a point?
The persuit of what can be found wrong with how a person who handled his right to protect his life & property.
This man in a free thinking society governed by his right to bear arms to protect his life is hardy news.
What stifles me is how any person in the mits of protecting their home and property gets called out and noting is mentioned about the entity actually breaking the law.
OMG
If we do not stop picking on each other and stand for our freedom there will be no choices
left the way our world is going.
Wake up and smell the coffee we are all in trouble.
Firearms in California ? I thought,only drugs and lefties
The left coast has nothing in common with central california. Its why we often try to split the state.
Oh – I guess you have to be a city counselman member to own a gun in kalifornia.
Guess again numbnuts.
You’re a fool if you are not armed to defend yourself, especially in an armpit city like Fresno. I’m sure the snowflakes in the Senate will try to censure him for acting like a true American too. It’s something that the majority of them know nothing about.