"He was tired because every time he calls the police, (they took) forever to come and assist him," relative says
An elderly homeowner put his firearm to use when a group of invaders broke into his house in California this week, authorities say.
The incident unfolded at around midnight on Wednesday in Moreno Valley, a city in Riverside County.
Joe Teague, 93, notified authorities that he was holding “several subjects at gunpoint” at his home.
When police arrived, they discovered a man identified as 33-year-old Joseph Ortega suffering from a gunshot wound.
The other suspects fled the scene before cops came, witnesses say.
Officers determined Teague had fired his weapon and that he was “justified in shooting of an intruder,” according to Fox News.
The suspects may have been apart of a group that has targeted Teague repeatedly.
“He was tired because every time he calls the police, (they took) forever to come and assist him,” a relative of Teague told ABC7. “He took the law into his own hands… He’s been working all his life and whatever little things he has, he’s (protecting).”
“It happened once on Friday. On that bright day, they went into the house. And now this happens in the middle of the night. They were looking for him. He’s an old, retired plumber. He has a lot of tools,” the relative explained.
“He’s a musician as well, so he’s got a lot of musical instruments. Little by little, they’ve been ripping him off.”
The wounded suspect was taken to hospital in critical condition.
An investigation is ongoing.