Texas man cleared in fatal shooting of illegal immigrants

Joe Horn, who shot two men he suspected had burgled his neighbor's house in Pasadena, Texas, was cleared by a grand jury on Monday, writes the L.A. Times' Miguel Bustillo.

The two men, Diego Ortiz, 30, and Hernando Riascos Torres, 38, were illegal immigrants from Colombia, and the case has stirred a national debate over whether Horn was a vigilante or a hero.

"The incident in Pasadena, a city of about 140,000 east of downtown Houston, outraged some activists, who staged protests in the neighborhood.

"They argued that if Horn -- who was not arrested -- were not white and his victims not dark-skinned, he would have been taken to jail immediately."

Read the full report here...

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City

Comments

[Maria]

These bloggers sound like the KKK...I can understand an old man being afraid for his life in a rural town in Texas, but all this talk about killing illigal aliens is going way overboard...this is truly ignorance at its best...

[Jeanne]

If it is legal to shoot anyone coming into your sovereign nation illegally, is that not applicable to all other sovereign nations as well? Including Iraq?

[Luke]

How can shooting an illegal alien a crime? They are illegal so they are a crime. He shot to crimes. Its high time we rewarded true Americans for defending our nation.

[Anna]

I think its about time that someone took matters into their own hands! Thank God for people like Joe Horn. Whether or not the home was empty or whether Mr Horn was threatened is not the issue. The fact remains that these two were ILLEGALS which is a crime in itself, and this was most likely not their first break in. If Joe Horn hadnt shot them, they would have been breaking into some other hard working Americans home the next week or even the next night. Personally Im fed up with the illegals and their crime in this country. They come here, live off the radar, and when crimes like this are committed, most of the time theyre not caught simply because their fingerprints or other information is not in any database in country! So, I say good for Joe Horn for protecting his neighbors property when they werent there to do it. I am a single female (with a college degree) in my 30's and you better believe I own a gun. Who is there to protect me but me? Wake up America and take it back before its the next 3rd world country!

[Mark]

The answer to this problem is.......Don't break the law!!!!!!!....
The two illegal immigrant criminals took a gamble and lost. I have no sympathy what so ever for them.

[karen]

Odd the story doesn't tell what the men stole. I've heard the video of the incident: "I'm going to shoot! I'm going to go shoot them!" while the dispatcher begged him not to. Then BLAM BLAM and he shot both in the back dead. He wasn't frightened, he was angry. He was in no physical danger AND the men were not even breaking into his home, nor was anyone home in the house they did break into. Second, shooting someone unarmed in the back is cold blooded murder - thief or no thief. Shoot 'em in the leg, foot, arm, but not dead center in their backs.

Even in the Wild West this man would have been convicted for murder. This story makes me want to throw up!

[Sruli P]

Kevin O'Neill ,

I'm taken aback by your pathetic disregard for the brilliance of our founding fathers. They understood that there is good and evil on this earth. The good are grossly disadvantaged without a weapon to defend themselves with. Do you believe that law-abiding citizens who own guns would use them against other law abiding citizens? Liberals, such as you, want everyone to believe that the problem is the gun when in fact the problem is the criminal. Look at Texas crime statistics and compare them to other municipalities that have heavy gun control i.e. our nation's capitol. You and those you represent are the ones who are blind.

Sruli

[Kevin O'Neill]

I could not be more embarrassed at some of the so-called American comments I see here. Ignorance and fear are our biggest enemies, and if you put pride and immaturity in the mix, multiply that by the scary responses we see here, the conclusion is that America IS truly threatened. But not by illegal immigrants. What is truly threatening is an armed population that is increasingly blind and afraid.

[Allan Jones]

Hey Dave,

I am soooooooooo HURT by your " You are a grammar CRIMINAL. TOO bad our system has failed you." comment. Sniff! Sniff!
You stupid liberals always resort to personnal insults that have nothing to do with the subject at hand when you LOSE an argument!

[Neal Bingham]

A few gun shells, Police wrap up the case with no problem.

This sounds like a way to save the Tax Payer and get rid of the crooks at the same time.

AN ARMED SOCIETY IS A POLITE SOCIETY!!

[Andrew]

Last time I checked we didn't execute for robbery. The reason you don't care about these two deaths be cause they where just a couple of brown people.

If this trigger happy hick had gunned down two white teenagers pulling some stupid stunt he would be behind bars for the rest of his life. But thats the point isen't it, If they where white HE NEVER WOULD HAVE PULLED THE TRIGGER!!!!!

[Wesley]

Mr. Joe Horn has saved the prison system 20 years times 2 for what these criminals should have got. Thats about a Million Bucks plus or minus.
Monies saved can be used to improve America.
With more Joe Horns America would be much better off.

[Aztlan Buster]

Don't we have a second amendment to protect ourselves from criminals any tyrannical governments? I thought so, and that's why the failure to indict Horn is such great news.

These errant pendejos turned out not only to be robbers, but illegal alien scum to boot. A double whammy, so to speak. If we used Horn's methods on the borders our cities wouldn't be crawling with border-hopping reconquista vermin. Hmmmm.

[Hernandez, proud US]

Typical Liberals whom see the victim as the problem and the criminals a misunderstood.

WHAT PART OF THEY WERE ROBBING a PERSONS HOME do they not understand. These criminals were not starving CHILDREN, but hardened criminals whom would have killed the old man.

If your sick and tired of these foreign criminals using our media, politicians and robbing this country and taking jobs from Americans.

Then please join http://www.numbersusa.com a group of loyal AMERICANS from all walks of life, races and religions whom see these people as a threat to our nations security.

[Law Dog]

It's very easy not to get shot while in the commission of a crime. Choose a different way to make a living. No sympathy for the "victims."

[Dave]

Allan Jones,

You are a grammar CRIMINAL. TOO bad our system has failed you.

[MRAYVAN]

Joe Horn is a Hero
.
He is a hero in the sense that most people think he what most people would like to do
With Illegals.
People are tired of the government not doing there job.
It’s in the constitution you can protect.
Check the second Amendment .With the police hands tide buy or Government the people of this country will show the law to them. It is not about illegals only about Illegals it is about the lack of law that is going on it this Country.
I do not want a policed state but a state of police doing the job that the people expect them to do. But now that the states are so over whelmed with this problem is only getting worse.
Second Amendment reads

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

The Second Amendment embodies the right to defend oneself and one's home against physical attack -- particularly if a citizen shows specifically that organs of government charged with providing protection are unable or unwilling to do so.
The Second Amendment embodies the right to defend oneself and
one's home against physical attack.
The tradeoff becomes more dubious, however, when a citizen
makes a particularized showing that the organs of government charged with
providing that protection are unwilling or unable to do so.
Even a convicted felon reacting out of reasonable fear for his life or safety in the course of a conflict he did not provoke may take temporary possession of a firearm to defend himself.

[MRAVAN]

I dont think it is about Illegals but it sure seems the more we have the more crime there is .
I live in texas and most prefer that they all go back to there home country.
You if your going to do someting illegal here beware.
Do to the mass influx of the illegal population the police dono have much time to go to all the crimes I know this from living in Los Angeles.
People are pretty feed up in America and if the politicians
wont do there jobs and the police are held prisioner by this the the people will revolt.
Read the second ammendment.
We have the right to do so.
This is way there trying to change it all the time.
Its not for your saftey its for their's.

[Essence]

I was almost shocked at the comments on this board, but I had to think that we are in America......and ignorance is bliss...........

[Sparky]

The guy wasn't threatened, he called 911, was told not to do anything, got his gun and shot the two guys in the back. The 911 recording is on the internet.

I don't think he should have gotten away with it with a slap on the wrist. He killed two men who hadn't done anything to directly provoke him. I don't think his part was racially motivated, but it does show a disregard for life that is counter to any place I'd feel safe living in.

[j2tharome]

I don't care what color you are if you're out there robbing ,and I have a gun, you best believe I will use it. However, I wonder if these robbers used any threat to gentleman prior to the shooting.

[Allan Jones]

Two Illegal Immigrant CRIMINALS shot dead!
AWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!
To Bad.............

[zeezil]

Getting illegal alien criminals out of our country...one way or another.

[King Richard III]

Ya got to love Texas justice! A great outcome to this story!