A maintenance worker for an apartment complex in Grand Prairie was fatally shot Saturday evening as he checked for burst water pipes at the property, police said.
Grand Prairie police responded to a shooting call at the Clayton Pointe Apartments in the 2900 block of Alouette Drive around 6 p.m., according to a news release.
Police arrived on the scene to find Cesar Montelongo Sr., 53, on a resident’s balcony, suffering from a gunshot wound. Montelongo was transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to police.
During their investigation, police determined that Montelongo was checking on multiple balconies for frozen or busted water lines. Some of the pipes at the apartment complex had ruptured due to the arctic blast that hit the metroplex over the weekend.
A resident believed Montelongo was burglarizing his apartment and shot him through a window, according to police. The resident did not leave the scene and cooperated with detectives. He was not arrested, but the investigation is ongoing.
While authorities may ultimately conclude the shooting was a justifiable homicide, the incident unfolded within the context of a rise in property crimes (like burglary) in neighboring Dallas, which has recently seen overall crime year-to-date overtake the number of incidents in 2021, undermining claims by the City that it is starting to get crime under control, as previously reported in The Dallas Express.
Criminologist Alex del Carmen told WFAA that there were many variables in the case and more questions for law enforcement to answer.
“Texas law is very clear; you can defend your property,” del Carmen said. “The question is whether or not the threat was commensurate to the response that was given in this case by a citizen, and that is the question that has to be answered here.”
In an interview with WFAA, Montelongo’s eldest son Cesar Montelongo Jr. said his father and mother planned to celebrate their 29th wedding anniversary on Christmas Day.
“And it’s sad that morning, the morning of the 24th, they went and had a breakfast date together because they knew everything was going to be closed on Christmas, and then he didn’t make it to the anniversary,” Montelongo Jr. said.
Montelongo Jr. told WFAA that his father had worked for the complex for 16 years and was the lead mechanic.
On Montelongo Jr.’s Facebook page, he thanked all who had been supportive.
“My family and I would like to say thank you for your kind words and for showing us so much support during this time. I know my dad would be grateful we have so many people on our side,” the post read.
The family would also like to know who pulled the trigger.
“We don’t know who the suspect is. We don’t know what state they were in. We just know that that happened,” Montelongo Jr. said. He told WFAA on Tuesday, “Because of our faith and love for God, we forgive him for what happened.”
“My dad was a huge man of faith. My mother is a huge woman of faith. And so we’re just believing and trying to get through it,” he added.
Montelongo Sr. leaves behind a wife and five sons. A fundraiser has been set up to help cover funeral expenses.
