A 73-year-old man on San Antonio's West Side was shot at early Friday after he confronted two people he saw checking cars in his neighborhood, and police are still searching for the suspects. The gunfire struck the man's vehicle, though he was not reported injured in the exchange.
Call Came In As Shooting In Progress
According to WOAI News 4 San Antonio, the San Antonio Police Department reported that officers were dispatched for an aggravated assault and shooting in progress in the area of Elkins Drive and Jamar Boulevard. That intersection sits in the city's 78226 ZIP code on the West Side near General McMullen Drive, an area of residential streets bordered by major transit corridors, according to Moovit.
Per the same report, the man told officers he saw two suspects checking cars as if they intended to burglarize the vehicles. When he confronted them, one suspect allegedly opened fire on him and his vehicle, with gunfire striking the car. Both suspects then fled the area, and while police searched the neighborhood afterward, they had not located the pair as of the report. No arrests had been made, and the investigation remains active and ongoing.
What Texas Law Says About The Confrontation
If the suspects are identified and caught, they could face serious consequences. Opening fire on a victim or their vehicle constitutes aggravated assault with a deadly weapon under Texas Penal Code § 22.02, a second-degree felony carrying two to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to FindLaw. That charge applies regardless of whether the victim was physically injured, as long as a deadly weapon was displayed or discharged during the assault.
The underlying offense that apparently triggered the confrontation — vehicle burglary — carries far lighter penalties on its own. Under Texas Penal Code § 30.04, breaking into a car is classified as a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in county jail and a $4,000 fine; entry can include intrusion by part of the body, but the offense also requires intent to commit a felony or theft, per FindLaw. The offense only escalates to felony status under specific aggravating conditions, such as repeat convictions or the theft of a firearm.
A Familiar And Dangerous Pattern On The West Side
This is not the first time a West Side resident has confronted suspected car burglars with violent results. In March 2024, a West Side vehicle owner in his 50s shot and killed a suspected car thief at an apartment complex off Micron Drive after catching the suspect inside his car before dawn — the third time intruders had reportedly targeted that same vehicle. Texas Penal Code § 9.42 addresses the use of force or deadly force to protect property, including when a person reasonably believes it is immediately necessary to prevent theft during nighttime hours.
San Antonio Crime Report lists 30,125 theft reports and 8,227 motor-vehicle-theft reports. Overall property crime citywide dropped 18.1% year-over-year, falling from 100,457 reported cases in 2024 to 82,232 in 2025, per statistics San Antonio Police Department presented to the City Council, as reported by KSAT.
Pressure Builds On Police And Lawmakers
The frequency of car break-ins has created friction at City Hall. During an April 2025 Public Safety Committee hearing, council members urged SAPD Chief William McManus to target property crimes as aggressively as violent crimes, noting that residents reported an average of 233 property crimes per day during early 2025, KSAT reported at the time. San Antonio officials also lobbied the Texas Legislature in March 2025 to elevate vehicle burglary from a misdemeanor to a felony, citing how often break-ins serve as an entry point for illegal firearm acquisition, according to a prior Hoodline report.
That same risk — guns left in unattended vehicles — has fueled broader criminal activity in the region. A joint ATF and San Antonio police investigation in August 2024 dismantled a local gun trafficking ring that recovered nearly 200 firearms, including 39 confirmed stolen mostly from unattended vehicles. Whether Friday's suspects are connected to any broader vehicle burglary ring operating in the 78226 area, and whether investigators recover surveillance footage or shell casings from the Elkins Drive and Jamar Boulevard scene, remain open questions as the investigation continues.
