Anna, Texas

From the McKinney Courier-Gazette of July 22, 2007

Anna man catches boy breaking into truck

Robert Trammell, of Anna, said his son woke him up Thursday morning after he saw someone breaking into his truck.

“My son come running in here and hollered at me and said, ‘Daddy, get up, get up, someone just broke in the truck,’” Trammell said. “So I jump up and he said they took off running so I didn’t know if it was an adult or who it was, so I grab my shotgun and went to chase him.”

When they finally caught up to him, Robert said he realized the guy who broke into his car was just a 13-year-old boy.

“He said, ‘I’m only 13 years old, and I was like whoa, whoa, back up,” Robert said.

The vehicle burglary happened around 1:30 a.m. Thursday in the 3600 block of County Road 421 in Anna, according to Collin County briefing reports.

Lt. John Norton, of the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, said Robert’s 18-year-old son, Zach, first witnessed someone trying to break into his father’s 1996 Ford Ranger pickup.

Robert said he wasn’t sure who was out there, so he brought along a shotgun for protection.

“We come out and got in the car and went to chase after him,” Robert said. “At that time, we came running back around the corner and my son almost run into him with the car.”

Robert said he pointed the shotgun at him and ordered him to lie on the ground.

“He kept sticking his hand in his pocket, and I didn’t know if he had a gun or not,” Robert said. “I had the operator on the phone from 911 and she said do you feel like you’re in danger? And I said, to be honest with you ma’am, I don’t know what he keeps trying to put his hand on and she said by all means you could shoot him to defend yourself if you want to.”

The suspect eventually got on the ground, Robert said.

“Finally, he lied down on the ground and the last time he stuck his hand in his pocket, I put that shotgun on the back of his back and I told him, you need to lay still or I’m going to shoot you because they just informed me that I can if you keep sticking your hand in your pocket and I don’t know what you’ve got in there,” Robert said.

He kept talking to the suspect until police arrived. He said he was shocked when he learned the guy who tried to break into his truck was only 13 years old.

“I asked him if you’re 13 years old, what are you doing out at 2 in the morning?” Robert said. “He said my mom and dad are poor, so I’m out trying to get some money. I told him do you realize you almost just lost your life over a $40 radio from Wal-Mart?”

Norton said sheriff’s deputies took the unidentified boy to Medical Center of McKinney for injuries he sustained when he ran into the car door. He was treated and released and transported to Collin County Juvenile Detention Center, where he was being held Friday.