A Texas man thwarted masked armed home invaders on Tuesday, saving his family in the process.
Around 4 A.M. four armed men wearing ski masks broke into the Houston, Texas, home of the Garcia family. They attacked the mother, father, and young daughter while two 19-year-old twin brothers attempted to barricade themselves in their room. After the intruders threatened to shoot their little sister, however, the brothers surrendered to them.
"They had my little sister at gunpoint, so we couldn't do anything," 19-year-old Rene Garcia told KVUE.
"I didn't know what was happening until I saw a man holding a gun to my mom's head," Rubin Garcia, Rene's twin brother, told KPRC.
The intruders then proceeded to tie up the family and ransack the home looking for valuables.
"They took all our jewelry and all the cash our dad has," Rene told KVUE.
But the ordeal was heard by their uncle who lives next door. He grabbed a firearm and went to investigate. When he encountered the armed, masked intruders he opened fire striking two of them, killing one. At that point the other two robbers ran off.
The police have yet to identify the suspects who escaped the scene. "They were all wearing ski masks," Houston Police Department homicide detective David Stark said in a press conference.
Though the father and one of the twin brothers required stitches for their wounds, the entire family was soon back home and safe. Rubin Garcia credited his uncle for saving their lives.
"If he didn't save us, I think most likely one of us, we wouldn't be here today," he told KPRC.