Police: Food truck owner fatally shoots robber

HOUSTON (KTRK) – Police said a food truck owner in Texas fatally shot a man in self-defense.

She said an armed man was trying to rob her business, but she fired first.

The Elite Eats food truck had only been open an hour Tuesday. Derick Howard, one of the owners, was on his way to help his mother – who is a co-owner – and his uncle, who were manning the truck.

Before he could get there, things turned deadly.

Houston police said a 23-year-old man pulled up next to the truck around 1 p.m. and asked Howard’s mother and uncle what kind of food they served.

When they told him, he pulled out a gun.

Howard’s uncle shut the window to the food truck.

Police said the 23-year-old got out of his car, opened the window, put his gun inside and tried to fire, but it jammed.

Howard’s mother pulled out her own gun and shot the robber.

“Thank God. Because she’s a godly woman, that’s why the gun jammed, because God jammed it,” said family member Jacqueline Mitchell. “Because when she opened that window he could have shot her, but it jammed.”

When asked if his mother kept a gun on her out of fear that something like the attempted robbery would happen, Howard answered: “Correct. Nowadays you have to. Look … it’s bad.”

The robber, who hasn’t been identified by authorities, died in the parking lot.

Howard’s mother was taken to the hospital because she had a panic attack.

Howard said all of this was over $40, which was what the family had made Tuesday at the time of the attempted robbery.

“People need to get a job and stop trying to rob people, because some people are trying to make an honest living,” Mitchell said.

Police called it a self-defense shooting, and no one is in custody, but authorities are still collecting evidence to present to the district attorney’s office to determine if charges will be filed.

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