A Texas man shot and seriously wounded a 19-year-old utility worker as he was installing fiber optic cables in his neighborhood.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said it was called to the scene in Magnolia shortly after 1 p.m. on Tuesday and found the utlity worker, later identified as Briley Delacruz Rodas, shot several times in what they described as “a disturbance between the resident and a utlity worker.”
Rodas was shot, the sheriff’s office said, after “the disturbance escalated.” The sheriff’s office did not say what the dispute was about, but AT&T crews had been in the neighborhood for several weeks installing the underground cables, neighbors told KPRC.
The shooter was identified as Keith Matthews, 53, who was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Prosecutors said in Matthews’ probable cause hearing that he got into an argument with Rodas and another installer. He yelled at the workers, threw cables, and sprayed pepper spray before pulling out his handgun and shooting Rodas in the back three times. Court records say he accused the workers of trespassing on private property.
Rodas remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Matthews was given a $200,000 bond.
