There’s an old adage, “Don’t mess with old people. They are too old to fight and will just shoot you.” Such is the case with Joe Howard Teague. The 93-year-old Los Angeles homeowner who was fed up with numerous home break-ins shoots one intruder, sending the others running. This retired plumber is the new face of “mess around and find out.”

93-Year-Old Homeowner Shoots One Intruder and Chases Off Others

Apparently, this isn’t the first home invasion that Teague has experienced. The Riverside County resident expressed frustration over numerous home break-ins. According to reports, his home was targeted by thieves, leading to a string of invasions. Adding to his frustration is a lackluster response from law enforcement.

According to ABC News, “’He was tired because every time he calls the police, the police were taking forever to come and assist him,’ [relative Oscar] Malma said.”

This time the suspects kicked in his door, entered his home, and began throwing things at him. So, Teague approached them to place them under citizen’s arrest. According to him, they would not adhere to that, and one of them came at him with a fishing pole.

“It was just like somebody comes to a gunfight with a pocketknife, you know,” Teague said in a New York Post story.

Teague called 911 around 12:30 a.m. but sometime between the call and police arriving, the homeowner shot one of the intruders. When police arrived, they found one person with a gunshot wound and took him to the hospital in critical condition. Witnesses told deputies they saw several people fleeing Teague’s home on foot before law enforcement arrived.

A relative of Teague told reporters that he has a lot of tools, as well as musical instruments. And little by little, they’ve been ripping him off.

Malma told ABC 7, “He took the law into his own hands… He’s been working all his life, and whatever little things he has, he’s (protecting).”

Teague was taken into custody for questioning but was released shortly after.

According to the New York Post story, “The sheriff’s office said the initial investigation showed that Teague was ‘justified’ in the shooting, but the probe was still ongoing.”

Guns save lives, pass it on.