Photo: Montelongo Family / Courtesy
DALLAS – A A maintenance worker at a Texas apartment complex was shot after being mistaken for a burglar.
The man who was shot was only trying to help residents during the frost that hit the Grand Prairie area last Christmas Eve..
Grand Prairie Police reported that a resident of a housing complex shot a maintenance worker who was checking multiple balconies for frozen or broken water lines on Christmas Eve.
The shooting occurred around 6 pm on December 24 at an apartment complex located in the 2900 block of Alouette Drive. When cops arrived, they found a maintenance worker on a resident’s balcony with a gunshot wound.
53-year-old Cesar Montelongo was on a resident’s balcony at the apartment complex checking for burst pipes on Christmas Eve when the resident shot him. https://t.co/WjIKTdjQlS
— FOX 9 (@FOX9) December 27, 2022
The man shot, César Montelongo, 53, was rushed to a local hospital where he was unfortunately declared.
“As far as we know, my dad was only responding to work orders because he was on call at his apartment complex,” said Cesar Montelongo Jr, in an interview with FOX4News.
The resident who allegedly shot, who believed his apartment was being burglarized, grabbed a gun and shot Montelongo through a window, according to police.
“All I know is my dad was fixing leaky pipes and doing his job outside,” Montelongo Jr. said. “My dad wasn’t trying to break in. He was just looking for leaky pipes.”
The maintenance worker was checking multiple apartment balconies for water leaks when one resident thought he was a burglar and shot him. https://t.co/o05EKZnWZr
— DFW Scanner (@DFWscanner) December 27, 2022
Montelongo’s son says his dad was well known among the residents. “He was very humble, all of his residents knew him and he knew all of his residents,” he said.
The resident remained on the scene and is cooperating with detectives. At this time, no arrests have been made.
“I want justice done. I forgive him. I hope the Lord forgives him. But fair is fair and fair is fair,” Montelongo Jr. said.
Grand Prairie detectives will refer the case to a Tarrant County Grand Jury for review.
Montelongo would have celebrated his 29th wedding anniversary on Christmas Day. He leaves behind a wife and five children.
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