Fake utility worker shoots man during robbery

LEAGUE CITY — A homeowner was shot in the leg as he struggled with a robber during a home invasion Saturday morning, police said.

The robber got into the house by posing as a utility worker.

The homeowner was shot at 9:20 a.m. in the 2800 block of Carrera in the Tuscan Lakes subdivision.

The robber showed up at the house claiming to be a construction worker needing to check on the water pressure in the house. Tuscan Lakes is a relatively new neighborhood that is dotted with homes under construction.

The homeowner became suspicious and asked the man to leave.
The man pulled a pistol and held the homeowner, his wife and child at gunpoint, Lt. Bruce Whitten said.

The homeowner tried to turn the tables on the robber and fought to get the gun. During the struggle, the homeowner was shot in the leg, and the robber fled, police said.

The homeowner was taken by air ambulance to the hospital with a wound that was not life-threatening. The robber got away in a gray two-door Honda. Police said the robber had a partner who drove the getaway car.

The gunman was described as a white or light-skinned Hispanic man in his early 20s, slender build with medium-length dark hair. He was wearing a utility jacket, blue hat and a utility belt, police said.

Police had a limited description of the getaway driver.

Clay Anderson lives down the street from the scene. When the break-in occurred, it caught him by surprise.

“We didn’t hear anything,” he said. “All we knew was that my wife said there were police coming down the street. At first, it was just a couple, then there were more and more. Pretty soon, we had ambulances and police cars and everything going on.”

He found the brazenness of the break-in unsettling.

“It’s absolutely unnerving,” he said. “Apparently, it’s happening all over Houston. You hear about this on radio and TV. No one is immune, apparently, which is disappointing in this day and age.”

Police urged residents to check the credentials of any worker who shows up for an unscheduled appointment. Before letting an unscheduled worker into your home, obtain verification from the employee’s business office, police said.

If residents have suspicions about whether a person has legitimate business at the home, they should immediately contact police.

Michael Huynh, League City’s water production superintendent, said employees are sent to a home to check on water pressure only at the request of the homeowner. The city employee then will check the water pressure from the outside of the house. All city employees will be dressed in a city uniform that includes a city logo and name on the shirt and will be driving a city vehicle with a city logo on the vehicle.

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At A Glance
Anyone with information on the break-in may call League City police at 281-554-1819.