Texas dad kills man molesting 4 yr old daughter after hearing her scream

[debk589]

A Texas father who said he witnessed his 4-year-old daughter being molested beat her alleged attacker to death with repeated punches to the head, police said Monday.

A relative of the 23-year-old father, who was not identified by local reports, said he was later remorseful for killing the suspected predator, who was also not named pending notification of his death to his family.

“It was an accident,” the young girl’s grandfather told the Victoria Advocate newspaper.

Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon said he doesn’t expect the father to be arrested in Saturday’s incident, and that no evidence so far has led investigators to doubt his version of events.

Authorities said the 47-year-old man of Gonzales, Texas, was a casual acquaintance of the father, and had been at the family’s ranch in Shiner to help take care of horses.

The alleged sexual attack took place in a pasture near a barn, and police said the father was alerted after he said he heard the girl screaming.

“In the course of trying to get her away from him, and protect her, he struck the subject several times in the head and the subject died,” Harmon said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene and the girl was taken to a hospital, CNN reported.

She was doing “OK besides the obvious mental trauma,” Harmon said.

The man didn’t have a prior criminal record, police said.

Depending on what investigators find, a grand jury could decide to indict the father in the man’s death, although officials said he has a strong case.

“You have a right to defend your daughter,” Harmon said. “He acted in defense of his third person.”

Many Shiner residents sympathized with the family.

They “will have to deal with (the attack) the rest of their lives, no matter what happens to the father,” Mark Harabis told the Victoria Advocate. “Even if they let him go, he and his child will have to deal with that the rest of their lives.”


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...#ixzz1xaI6U3lU



I say props to you dad!!!! He shouldn't feel guilty at all, who knows how many more little girls this sicko would have molested (or had already molested). This guy did society a favor. Kudos.

[kevansvault]

This is what happens when you fuck with someone's child. And the fact that he caught the guy in the act I'm certain is the reason the perp is dead. This is a reminder that you don't need to have a "criminal record" to be a bad person. This asshole was a bad person.

They pronounced him dead at the scene, which means that dad tore this man's head up.

And I hate the tone at the end of the article. Yes, goddamnit he's gonna have to deal with it! He killed a bad person because a bad person was sexually assaulting his baby girl. A four year old? Yeah, fuck him. Funny, you think you can trust people you meet who work with you/around you. Nope, sorry...this world has an asshole around every corner. As if dad doesn't feel bad enough, then they'll have to convene a grand jury to possibly indict this guy. Ugh. Dad might have thought that his worst nightmare was his daughter being sexually assaulted. Hopefully he can endure the grand jury and anything that comes after, knowing that he did the right thing in protecting his daughter...regardless of the outcome.


It's like I tell my children: I will always protect you. It's my job to keep you safe. I don't care how big you are, how badass you think you are. Threaten the safety of my children and I won't need a gun, a knife, a stick, or six friends to wipe the walls with you.

[Monter]

Absolutely terrifying...and absolutely something I could see myself doing in that situation. Gah.

[g r ee n ey e s]

Pretty hardcore.

[danakscully64]

If what the father said happened really happened... props to him. No sympathy for the perp.

[White trash bitchy blonde]

I think the dad behaved as any other normal parent would. If only we were all allowed the ability to do this. If he wouldnt have caught this guy on his daughter, he would have had to live with what this guy did, most importantly his daughter would have to deal with it and this guy would have gotten a 2 day sentence and a slap on the wrist.

More power to this guy for protecting his child! I really hope that no one steps in and decides he needs to be charged and I hope he doesnt get sued by that asshole's family.

That little girl was lucky.

[McMama]

I can see myself reacting the same way. It's nature.

[PCP777]

Hell to the yeah.

[White trash bitchy blonde]

Yeah, I could see reacting the same way also for sure. At least the taxpayers are getting out of paying for this molester to go on trial and possibly end up back on the streets again because if I read it right, he didnt have a prior record of this kind of stuff. Not saying he hasnt done it before without getting caught but nothing on his record anyways.

It would be perfect if all parents could get ahold of the person that ever harms their child. Well, it would be perfect actually if this stuff never even existed.

[PCP777]

Yeah, I could see reacting the same way also for sure. At least the taxpayers are getting out of paying for this molester to go on trial and possibly end up back on the streets again because if I read it right, he didnt have a prior record of this kind of stuff. Not saying he hasnt done it before without getting caught but nothing on his record anyways.

It would be perfect if all parents could get ahold of the person that ever harms their child. Well, it would be perfect actually if this stuff never even existed.

I don't think people reach the age of 47 and then one day decide, "I think I'll fuck a toddler!"

[White trash bitchy blonde]

You have a point.

[kevansvault]

I don't think people reach the age of 47 and then one day decide, "I think I'll fuck a toddler!"

Nah, some have been thinking it all their lives. He just acted on his thought cuz he had opportunity. Ugh.

[neenerneener]

i'd beat the dude to death, too. fuck that shit. i read that the case is being sent to a grand jury to decide of charges will be brought against him. i hope they don't charge him with anything. he had a right to protect his child.

[debk589]

This story reminds me of this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi3Hyxuf5AE

That father from the 80's who went straight up murderer on his son's kidnapper (and potential sexual abuser). Don't blame either one of these men, I would've done the same thing in both instances.

[Ron_NYC]

i'd beat the dude to death, too. fuck that shit. i read that the case is being sent to a grand jury to decide of charges will be brought against him. i hope they don't charge him with anything. he had a right to protect his child.

Yea, but only IF he was actually protecting his kid and isn't just some psycho weirdo that assumed something was going on when there wasn't.





It happens.

[White trash bitchy blonde]

Ron does have a point. My husband, brian and I were talking about this yesterday and if this happened the way it's been reported then by all means, this dad was protecting his child. What did they call it.....self defense by a third person?

Many parents could see themselves doing what this guy did to the alleged molester, and not many parent sget that opportunity. I think this case is going to raise a lot of questions and maybe set a new boundar on what is socially and lawfully acceptable and what isnt?
I don't see it being a standard thing to automatically kill the molester but I believe a parent has a right to act on their childs behalf. This dad just happened to walk in at the right time.
I seriously hope that no one is lying about what happened and that this really was a protective father protecting his child.

I honestly wouldnt be suprised if they did end up charging him with something. Think about it, if they don't somehow make an example of this man and what he did, then we are going to possibly see a total rise in revenge killings.

And FTR, I have children. If I walked in and saw this stuff happening, God help that person because no one else is going to.

[neenerneener]

Yea, but only IF he was actually protecting his kid and isn't just some psycho weirdo that assumed something was going on when there wasn't.





It happens.

dammit, ron.

i agree with you. if it turns out that this guy made the wrong assumption and pounced, then he should be punished. if he did indeed walk in on this guy molesting his kid, though, i don't think he should be charged with anything. to me, it doesn't seem like a situation where he was actually trying to kill the guy. i mean, no weapons were used...just his fists (allegedly.) he must have gone totally apeshit on that dude. O.o

[Ron_NYC]

I honestly wouldnt be suprised if they did end up charging him with something. Think about it, if they don't somehow make an example of this man and what he did, then we are going to possibly see a total rise in revenge killings.

No, not at all. This wasn't some Batman type plot that the guy carried out. It was in defense (of another) and the spur of the moment, without any weapons.

It's pretty much a perfect storm if you wanna walk away from taking a life.

dammit, ron.

i agree with you. if it turns out that this guy made the wrong assumption and pounced, then he should be punished. if he did indeed walk in on this guy molesting his kid, though, i don't think he should be charged with anything. to me, it doesn't seem like a situation where he was actually trying to kill the guy. i mean, no weapons were used...just his fists (allegedly.) he must have gone totally apeshit on that dude. O.o

Yea, not using any weapons is really gonna put him in the clear. I was just pointing out that we only have his word, and the word is an unreliable witness. I say that cause a child this age can be led to say anything.

But I'm sure they're going to look into it. And to be honest, I hope it is true. All around better scenario in my opinion. Seems to be obviously good one though.

[k_bass]

Texas dad beats 4-year-old daughter's alleged attacker to death


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By Molly Hennessy-Fiske
June 12, 2012, 9:43 a.m.
HOUSTON -- A central Texas father who told investigators he fatally beat a man he caught molesting his 4-year-old daughter at a horse barn on Saturday has not been charged, authorities said Tuesday.

Lavaca County Dist. Atty. Heather McMinn told the Los Angeles Times that the investigation was pending and that the case was due to be turned over to her office by Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon.

“Upon the completion of the investigation, the case will be presented to my office and a Lavaca County grand jury,” McMinn said.

On Tuesday, an autopsy was completed on the victim by the Travis County Medical Examiner, and preliminary results were turned over to Lavaca County's justice of peace, said Sarah Scott, the medical examimer's chief administrative officer.

Justice of Peace Alene Lyons told The Times that the results would not be released until the 47-year-old man's next of kin could be notified.


Harmon could not be reached by phone Tuesday, but Lyons confirmed much of what the sheriff had already said about the case, including that the 23-year-old father told investigators he beat the man with his hands.

"He did not use a weapon," she said.

On Monday, Harmon told Houston's KPRC-TV that the victim, whose name has not been released, was from Gonzales, Texas, and did not have a criminal record.

Harmon told KPRC that the victim was an acquaintance of the girl's father who came to the barn near Shiner, a town about 130 miles west of Houston, on Saturday to help care for some horses.

The adults were shoeing a horse and had sent the 4-year-old and her brother to feed chickens when the attack occurred, a relative told KPRC.

The children's grandfather said the boy returned to alert his father that the little girl had been taken away by a man. The father found the pair partially naked, investigators told KPRC.

"In the course of trying to get her away from him, and protect her, he struck the subject several times in the head and the subject died," Harmon told KPRC. "There doesn't appear to be any reason other than what he told us."

The girl was taken to a hospital to be examined and has since been released, Harmon said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/n...,5906401.story


I could see this happening to anyone if they walked in on a scene like this. I would be a little more skeptical about it if he went and got a weapon or something, but he just immediately reacted.

[Ron_NYC]

I could see this happening to anyone if they walked in on a scene like this. I would be a little more skeptical about it if he went and got a weapon or something, but he just immediately reacted.

Yea, I don't think this falls in the vigilante category. Not at all.

The only way it would be a total slam dunk is if the "victim" had previous charges. Then it wouldn't even be a conversation.

[strmmrgrrl]

I could see this happening to anyone if they walked in on a scene like this. I would be a little more skeptical about it if he went and got a weapon or something, but he just immediately reacted.

Not to mention how they keep wording it - "In the course of trying to get her away from him, and protect her,". Like, if a dog bites and latches on to my kid and won't let go, I'm gonna punch him in the head until he does.

[debk589]

The children's grandfather said the boy returned to alert his father that the little girl had been taken away by a man. The father found the pair partially naked, investigators told KPRC.
[/B]

Well there ya have it. Way to go pops.

[McMama]

Well there ya have it. Way to go pops.

Yes. If this is exactly how things played out, I don't blame Dad one bit.

[emmieslost]

i fully understand that a parent would do something like this in this situation, but i still feel like he should be charged. you can't set a precedent that you can just murder people without consequences, even if the person 'deserved it.'

it makes me think of when an abused woman kills her husband/lover after years of violence against her. a lot of times they get off 'easy' and just do a few years instead of spending life in prison. i think something like that would be good in this situation, maybe do a small amount of time and then probation or something.

people can't just go around killing someone without consequences. i mean, i guess they do sometimes in texas. i have to keep reminding myself this is where this happened.

[danakscully64]

It wasn't premeditated though, he attacked when he came across the scene. Many abused women are never tried for protecting themselves or their children. I think spending time in jail would be a BAD idea in this case. He's already gone through the pain of having an abused child, then accidentally killing someone (a child molester, at that).