An 18-year-old man has been sentenced to 16 years in state prison after a Cameron County jury found him guilty of one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of burglary of habitation.
Rodrigo Villarreal was found guilty of the charges Wednesday and 197th state District Judge Adolfo Cordova read the sentences handed down by the jury, which will run concurrently, the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office said in a media release.
Authorities said the incident occurred April 5, 2021, when Villareal entered the Brownsville victim’s home via an open garage door and walked into the victim’s bedroom. While the victim was sleeping, Villarreal took two phones and keys to an F-250 truck that belonged to the victim, the release stated.
As Villarreal was trying to flee, the victim heard him and realized there was an intruder in his home, officials said. The victim chased Villarreal out of his home and onto the street where Villarreal then pulled out a 9 mm handgun and shot the homeowner three times striking him once in the back, the released stated.
One of the bullets ended up going through the bedroom window of a next-door neighbor and that bullet lodged in the bed. The neighbor was not injured.
Authorities said the homeowner survived the shooting and Brownsville police officers captured and arrested Villarreal within a few days.
“This case could have ended very badly and very easily two people could have been murdered. While I believe in second chances, a person that shows this much disregard for human life needs to be held accountable and punished for his actions. This is why I am very thankful that the jury sent the correct message that gun violence crimes will not be tolerated in Cameron County. The jury’s message is very clear that people should be able to sleep in their own home without worrying of an intruder or a gunman hurting them,” the release stated.
