Man is charged with murder after he 'lay in wait and shot dead burglar who was breaking into his van'

Source: Daily Mail Online
Published: Jul 5, 2017
Author: Cheyenne Roundtree For Dailymail.com
Post Date: 2017-07-05 19:21:58 by cranky
Views: 4374

  • Victor Ricondo, 48, was charged with murder after a shooting on Monday night
  • He shot dead Anthony Rangel, 39, who was allegedly trying to rob his car
  • San Antonio police determined Ricondo was 'lying in wait' and was in no danger

Victor Ricondo, 48, was charged with murder after a fatal shooting on Monday night in San Antonio

A Texas man has been charged with murder after he allegedly shot dead a burglar who was trying to rob his van.

Victor Ricondo, 48, shot dead Anthony Rangel, 39, outside a Texas Land and Cattle Steakhouse in San Antonio on Monday night, Bexar County authorities said.

Ricondo, told officials that he fired on the suspected car thief after he had attempted to break into Ricondo's large white van.

However, police determined Ricondo was 'lying in wait' for Rangel and was in no danger when he fired his weapon, prompting the murder charge.

According to the police report, Ricondo told officers his car had been the victim of burglary before and was just trying to protect his property, reported KSAT 12.

After reviewing surveillance video and conducting an investigation, police said this was not the case and Ricondo was waiting for Rangel.

Ricondo shot dead Anthony Rangel, 39, who was allegedly trying to rob his white van (pictured). San Antonio police determined Ricondo was 'lying in wait' and was in no danger

Police said Rangel was fleeing in his car when he was shot in the neck. He later died at hospital

Police said Ricondo pulled into the restaurant's parking lot at around 10pm, after the restaurant was closed, reported News 4 San Antonio.

Then another car, with Rangel and an unidentified woman in the vehicle, pulled up next to Ricondo's white van.

Rangel then exited his vehicle and opened up Ricondo's rear van door, according to police.

Rangel quickly shut the door when he realized Ricondo was in the car's back seat, and ran back to his vehicle, the police report continued.

As Rangel was backing away in his car, Ricondo began to open fire at the suspected car thief, hitting him in the neck, the report stated.

Although the woman in the car with Ricondo was uninjured, the car crashed into two other vehicles in the parking lot.

Rangel was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died of his injuries.

Ricondo was charged with murder and his bail is set at $150,000.

Texas state law allows the use of deadly force to protect property in certain cases, but officials determined this law didn't apply here.

The incident on Monday night took place at this Texas Land and Cattle Steakhouse

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#1: Vicomte13    To: cranky (#0)

Yeah. You can't do that. Even in Texas.

Vicomte13 posted on 2017-07-05 19:31:11   Reply   Private Reply

#2: Justified    To: cranky (#0)

I do not think I could convict him.

Get behind the vehicle and use your body as a stop. If they try to run you over then you have a right to pop them but as much as I dislike the law I think putting down criminals is a good thing even if they are running away. Its kinda hard to work if you are always worried if someone will break into your property. It just sucks!!

Basically you have to be smarter!

Justified posted on 2017-07-05 20:03:58   Reply   Private Reply

#3: Tooconservative    To: HomerBohn, cranky, sneakypete, Vicomte13 (#0)

So he pulls into the parking lot of a closed steakhouse, leaves his van doors unlocked, waits for some guy to try to break in to his van (which was not ordinarily parked for any reason in this parking lot), waits for some petty criminal to try to open it to see what could be robbed or to steal the van, then shoots the guy in the neck as he tries to run. And his only reason to sit in the parked van with a gun was...?

It's pretty close to textbook lying-in-wait.

It sounds like the script of some old Charles Bronson vigilante movie.

Tooconservative posted on 2017-07-05 21:37:37   Reply   Private Reply

#4: rlk    To: cranky (#0)

Were I on the jury, I would vote to give Ricondo a medal for a job well done. The lesson to be learned is "Hands off stealing other people's stuff!"

Jail the prosecutor for being an accomplice.

rlk posted on 2017-07-05 23:07:48   Reply   Private Reply

#5: cranky    To: Vicomte13 (#1)

You can't do that

Nope.

Murder by stealth or ambush.

A classic.

BTW, I've read in in the middle ages, in europe (at least in germany), the charge of murder needed an element of stealth or ambush.

Absent either, it was considered a private matter and no business of the state.

cranky posted on 2017-07-06 06:50:08   Reply   Private Reply

#6: misterwhite    To: rlk (#4)

"Were I on the jury, I would vote to give Ricondo a medal for a job well done."

Yep. Jury nullification. The law is unfair.

-- Was he compensated by society for his initial loss? No.
-- Was the perpetrator caught and punished? No.
-- Did society do anything to prevent a repeat of the burglary? No.
-- Did the police set up a sting to catch the burglar? No.

So he acted on his own. He didn't hunt the guy down. He waited until the criminal returned. Had he not returned to continue his string of robberies, he'd be alive today.

Job well done. A scumbag removed from the streets.

misterwhite posted on 2017-07-06 09:43:46   Reply   Private Reply

#7: misterwhite    To: cranky (#5)

BTW, I've read in in the middle ages, in europe (at least in germany), the charge of murder needed an element of stealth or ambush.

My guess is that the charge of murder would be applied if stealth or ambush was used on an otherwise innocent person, not against a individual committing a crime on your property.

I understand the law. It's just that I don't agree with it.

misterwhite posted on 2017-07-06 09:49:00   Reply   Private Reply

#8: sneakypete    To: Tooconservative (#3)

It's pretty close to textbook lying-in-wait.

It sounds like the script of some old Charles Bronson vigilante movie.

I agree.

Especially since he didn't even bother to lock the door. Even with him sitting in it and armed,the justification for shooting changes if the guy busts out a window and breaks into the vehicle while you are in it.

sneakypete posted on 2017-07-06 10:25:43   Reply   Private Reply

#9: sneakypete    To: cranky (#5)

BTW, I've read in in the middle ages, in europe (at least in germany), the charge of murder needed an element of stealth or ambush.

Absent either, it was considered a private matter and no business of the state.

Interesting. I have never heard of that before.

Thanks.

sneakypete posted on 2017-07-06 10:26:59   Reply   Private Reply

#10: sneakypete    To: misterwhite (#6)

So he acted on his own. He didn't hunt the guy down. He waited until the criminal returned. Had he not returned to continue his string of robberies, he'd be alive today.

You have no way of knowing the guy shot was the original thief.

sneakypete posted on 2017-07-06 10:28:18   Reply   Private Reply

#11: cranky    To: sneakypete (#9)

Interesting. I have never heard of that before.

Presumably, after europe rid itself of kings, queens, kaisers, czars and the like, that pretty much changed.

But that is what i have read.

cranky posted on 2017-07-06 11:10:21   Reply   Private Reply