Click to watch Rucks Russell’s 11 News report

 

 

A Harris County grand jury on Monday heard the case of a Pasadena man who shot and killed two suspected burglars.

 

Joe Horn, 61, claims the men were stealing things from his neighbor’s home last November when he opened fire. A 911 operator urged Horn to stay inside and wait for police, but he went outside anyway.

 

Horn’s attorney, Tom Lambright, said Monday that even though his client was within his legal rights, he regrets taking that action.

 

“A mistake from a legal standpoint, no. A mistake in terms of his life, yes. It has affected him terribly. And if he had it to do all over again, he would stay inside,” Lambright said.

Horn has been invited to testify before the grand jury,

but Lambright said they haven’t yet decided if his client will take the stand.

 

The men Horn shot – Diego Ortiz, 30, and Hernando Torres, 38 – were both illegal immigrants from Colombia.

 

Police suspect they were part of an organized home burglary ring.

 

Torres had been previously deported after serving a prison term for distributing cocaine.

 

Horn said he shot the men as they exited his neighbor’s home carrying a sack of cash and jewelry.

 

An autopsy indicated the men were shot in the back.

 

Horn told police he acted in self defense.

 

“He didn’t expect to go outside and confront these people. That’s the last thing he expected,” Lambright said.

 

The grand jury must decide if Horn’s actions were justified.

 

“And even today, he’s looking over his shoulder thinking what if I had done this, what if I had done that,” Lambright said.

 

The shooting prompted a national debate about the use of deadly force in protecting property. Many of Horn’s neighbors support his actions, while some community activists have condemned him as a gun-toting vigilante.