A Texas man has been arrested and charged after allegedly shooting an 18-year-old neighbor multiple times while the teen was in his backyard burying a pet guinea pig.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office reported that John Martin Dixon, 46, is facing two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to Law&Crime.
The shooting took place just after midnight on July 17, when Houston Police responded to a report of a shooting in progress on Belgard Street.
Upon arrival, officers discovered Emmanuel Menchaca, 18, suffering from three gunshot wounds, including one to the back, a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime revealed.
Menchaca’s younger brother was also present during the incident and told police he was shot at but not hit.
“Based on the statements by both complainants at the time, before the shooting occurred, both complainants were in the backyard of their home burying their pet Guinea Pig which had recently passed away,” the complaint reads. “After they were done, the complainants were going back towards the front of the residence in the driveway where they were shot at by their neighbor.”
Menchaca described the moment he realized he’d been hit: “a push from the back” that quickly turned into the terrifying realization he had been “shot in the back.”
His brother took cover behind a car and said he saw Dixon standing outside while watching his sibling take multiple bullets.
“He is a hardworking young man who, in his free time, enjoys playing soccer with his friends, going to the gym, and eating Raising Cane’s,” his mother wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to assist with medical bills and moving expenses. “Our son is such a loving, selfless, and goofy person who absolutely loves animals.”
Both young men ran back inside the house and alerted their parents.
Police later tied John Martin Dixon to the weapon used in the shooting, according to the complaint. The gun’s owner, Dixon’s father, told police no one else used the firearm but him.
“John Morgan Dixon stated he and his son, the Defendant, used the firearm earlier that day to shoot a snake by the back door of their home. Defendant also told officers on scene that he also used his dad’s firearm to shoot a possum earlier the same day,” the report states.
The weapon was recovered from the elder Dixon’s bedroom, found underneath a flashlight.
Investigators say Menchaca’s younger brother was able to make “eye contact” with the shooter during the attack.
Though the incident happened in July, charges were not filed until early August, and Dixon was added to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive List before being arrested this week.
Menchaca’s mother says she’s grateful for the arrest, but believes the charges don’t go far enough.
“I’m not satisfied with the charges. I would’ve preferred a higher charge,” Andrea Menchaca told KTRK. “Let’s not forget my son was in the hospital for 17 days in the ICU.”
Dixon is being held at the Harris County Jail with bond set at $200,000.
