*A Texas church pastor and his wife are making headlines after fatally shooting an alleged burglar they caught breaking into their west Houston home Saturday night.
Police said when the Rev. Jeff Powers, 52, and his wife, Julie Powers, 54, heard noises in the back of their home, both retrieved firearms and went to investigate. That’s when they allegedly saw a man forcing open their back door, ABC 13 reports.
“A preliminary investigation revealed the residents were asleep in their bed when they were awakened by a loud noise. While investigating the cause of the noise, they noticed their backyard gate was opened and saw a male (suspect) in their back yard,” police said in a statement released on Monday.
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#UPDATE: Houston pastor, his wife shoot, kill armed intruder, police say https://t.co/xDtkq69n9H pic.twitter.com/ZLlJEPhjb0
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“The suspect then forced his way and gained entry into the residence. The residents, in fear for their lives, discharged their firearms several times, striking the suspect,” the statement read.
The couple called 911 and firefighters responded, finding the victim, 24-year-old Roberto Sanchez, mortally wounded inside the house, police said.
The Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office listed his primary cause of death as “multiple gunshot wounds.”
Following the shooting, the pastor and his wife went outside, placed their guns on the ground and waited for the authorities, the report states.
Houston police are still investigating the shooting. No charges have been filed against the couple, but the case will be presented to a Harris County Grand Jury to decide the fate of the pastor and his wife.
“Julie and I are not making any comments right now,” Rev. Powers told ABC News.
A statement from his church, United Methodist Church, said Powers and his wife are “mourning the loss of life and cooperating fully with authorities.”
The shooting happened a day before Powers gave his last sermon at Westminster United Methodist Church before turning the church over to a new pastor, Shannon Martin, a spokeswoman for the United Methodist Church in Texas, told ABC News on Monday. She said Rev. Powers attended Sunday’s service at the Westminster church, but it was unclear if he mentioned the shooting.
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