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A suspected burglar picked the wrong Mesquite home for an early-morning break-in Saturday.
According to CBS News Texas, officers responded to a shooting around 4:15 a.m. in the 2600 block of Brushwood Lane. Police found a wounded man outside the residence and immediately provided first aid.
Residents told investigators that loud banging woke them from sleep. One resident went to investigate and reportedly saw someone entering the home.
That resident grabbed a firearm and opened fire, striking the suspected intruder.
Police identified the wounded man as Arthur Alonzo. Officers took him into custody on a charge of burglary of a habitation before paramedics transported him to a local hospital.
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Authorities have not released Alonzo’s condition. Police also have not disclosed how he allegedly entered the house, how many shots were fired or where he was struck.
The resident who fired has not been publicly identified. No charges against that individual had been announced as of the latest report.
FOX 4 independently reported the same basic sequence, citing information from the Mesquite Police Department. That report also confirmed that officers found the wounded suspect outside the home and rendered aid.
Texas Law and Forced Entry
Texas law gives residents strong legal protections when confronting someone who unlawfully and forcibly enters an occupied home.
Under Section 9.32 of the Texas Penal Code, a resident’s belief that deadly force was immediately necessary can be presumed reasonable when the person targeted unlawfully and forcibly entered, or attempted to enter, an occupied habitation.
That protection still depends on the circumstances. The person using force must not have provoked the confrontation or been engaged in unrelated criminal activity. Police and prosecutors determine whether the facts satisfy those requirements.
For now, the publicly available information points to a fairly straightforward defensive gun use: residents awoke to banging, someone allegedly entered their home and an armed occupant responded.
Alonzo faces an allegation, not a conviction, and the Mesquite Police Department says its investigation remains ongoing.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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and thats the way it should be everywhere!