A Texas man was shot to death Wednesday night during an attempted carjacking, according to police.
Police said the man, Jarvis Houston had been out of the Angelina County Jail for less than an hour when the incident took place, according to KTRE.
The outlet reported that the man who owned the truck admitted he shot Houston but said he did it to prevent the vehicle from being stolen.
The Lufkin Police Department said the “fatal overnight shooting” came out of “an attempted vehicle theft with the victim’s family inside,” according to a police post on Facebook.
The post said, Marco Leyva, 25, indicated that he had stopped at his business located in Lufkin at about 9 p.m. on Wednesday.
While the vehicle was stopped, a man not known to Leyva allegedly “entered his running truck with his wife and baby daughter inside,” the police post said.
“Despite Leyva's warnings and offers of an alternative vehicle, a physical altercation ensued, resulting in the suspect being shot,” the post said.
Leyva was detained after police arrived.
Houston was taken to a local hospital but later died.
The post said that Leyva’s account of what took place was confirmed by surveillance video from his business.
Lufkin man shot dead in carjacking involving baby https://t.co/qnf4yHHX98
— Gene (@Gene86893975) June 6, 2024
Police said that no charges are expected to be filed against Leyva, ruling the case to be one of self-defense, but the case is being reviewed by the Angelina County District Attorney’s Office.
No injuries to Leyva or his family were reported.
“Despite initial difficulty in identifying the suspect, officers discovered a paper sack at the scene, suggesting a recent jail release. Subsequent contact with the jail confirmed the suspect's identity as Jarvis Houston, 47, of Lufkin,” the post said.
“Jail officials informed officers that Houston had been released less than an hour prior,” the post said, after Houston was jailed on charges of assault/family violence causing bodily injury and a misdemeanor warrant. Police indicated there were no charges pending against Houston when he left the jail.
Police said that the investigation into the incident is continuing.
