Security Camera Captures N. Texas Homeowner Attack

HALTOM CITY (CBSDFW.COM) – Haltom City police are searching for the person who attacked a homeowner after he confronted suspects trying to break into vehicles in his neighborhood.

Just before midnight on January 10, homeowner Robert Richter noticed some suspicious activity on his security camera. The man saw at least two people, with flashlights, trying to open the doors of vehicles parked on the street in the 4700 block of Woodhaven Lane.

When Richter went to the door and yelled at the suspects one of the men attacked him. “I heard somebody coming up behind me, turned around, and he was coming after me. We took a couple swings at each other and he backed off, [then] started in with the gun and knife,” he recalled.

The suspect was yelling obscenities and cut Richter’s arm.

The homeowner was able to retreat back inside the house but suffered minor injuries. “When I stepped through the glass storm door he came after me again and I tried to catch his leg between the storm door and the frame of the door,” Richter said.

“The suspect then picked up a potted plant, that was on the homeowner’s front porch, and he threw it at the front door breaking out the storm door of the house,” explained Haltom City police Cpl. Joe Hackfeld.

The attacker left on foot and was quickly picked up by a person driving a dark colored SUV, possibly a Chevy Tahoe.

The entire incident was captured on surveillance video.

“For someone to run across the street and attack a witness is very unusual and extremely dangerous for the witness so we would like to identify this person as soon as we can,” Hackfeld said.

When asked what he’d do if a similar incident happened, Richter said, “I wouldn’t go outside. I’d just call the police and wait, unless they tried to come in the house.”

Haltom City police are asking that anyone with information about the attack or suspects call (817) 222-7000 or email Cpl. Daniel Pearson at dpearson@haltomcitytx.com.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/01/11/security-camera-captures-n-texas-homeowner-attack/