Grandmother shoots cyclist trying to break into her home, police say

A Texas grandmother shot a man who was masturbating and attempting to break into her Houston home Tuesday, police said. (Facebook)

A Texas grandmother shot a man who was riding a bicycle, masturbating and trying to break into her Houston home Tuesday while her granddaughter was inside, police said.

The woman, who was not identified, was taking out her trash at around 5:15 p.m. when she said the masturbating man followed her to her front door and attempted to break in, Lt. Larry Crowson told The Houston Chronicle.

"She told him stay away and not come in the house or she would get a gun and shoot him," Crowson said.

When the man persisted, the woman said she got a gun and fired one shot through the door, hitting the man in the chest, The Chronicle reported. The man tried to flee on his bike, but only managed to pedal a few feet before collapsing.

Paramedics rushed the unidentified man to a local hospital. He was in critical condition, but is expected to survive, the paper reported.

Neighbors told reporters that if they were in the woman’s shoes, they would have acted similarly.

“Protect your family. She did what she had to do.”

— Anonymous neighbor

“Protect your family,” a neighbor, who asked not to be identified, told KPRC-TV. “She did what she had to do.”

The woman’s 14-year-old granddaughter was home during the attempted break in, but didn’t see the incident, the Chronicle reported.

The man had been arrested a week earlier for allegedly walking around the same area while naked, KPRC-TV reported.

The man was not immediately charged. Police said investigators were working to determine whether the woman would face charges.