Arlington police searching for men wanted for string of vehicle burglaries

ARLINGTON, Texas - Arlington police need your help identifying two men wanted for a string of vehicle burglaries in December. One of them turned violent.

Police released surveillance pictures of the men they want to find. Police believe they were breaking into vehicles to steal guns.

In one case, police say one of the thieves used a gun on a man who tried to stop one of the burglaries.

The shooting happened just three days before Christmas. 

The victim says he’s still having complications and making multiple hospital visits from the gunshot wound. 

Friday, a 53-year-old Arlington man says he’s still fearful for his life weeks after he was shot in the stomach. 

"I thought I was going to die," he said.

The man didn’t want his face shown or to share his name but said he’s grateful to be alive. 

Arlington police say the shooter is one of two men caught on surveillance video from a nearby home days before the shooting.

Investigators believe the pair is responsible for multiple vehicle burglaries near I-20 and Matlock Road in December. 

"I got up about 3:45 to go to work," he said.

The victim remembers the morning of Dec. 22 vividly. He spotted someone on the driveway going through his wife’s car, so he ran outside to chase them off. 

"And I told them, ‘Get out of here!’ He turned around and said, ‘Eff you!’ And shot me. Then, he took off running" he recalled. "These guys are dangerous and need to get off the street."

"A detective followed up and was able to get video from other homes in the area," said Arlington Police Officer Jesse Minton. "We connected it to some other vehicle burglaries in the area not confronted by homeowners or anything like that."

On the same night as the shooting, investigators say the suspects took valuables out of a nearby vehicle. 

Also on Dec. 22, a third homeowner reported his truck was broken into and his gun stolen. 

Police say back on Dec. 16, the pair also stole a firearm out of a vehicle in the same neighborhood.

Arlington detectives are now asking the public for help in identifying the two men. 

"At this point, they have hit a dead end on leads," Minton said. "We hope someone will recognize the suspects and let us know. They are dangerous."

It’s unclear if one of the stolen firearms was used to shoot the Arlington man. He says he was just trying to protect his family. 

"I didn’t want to hurt anybody. I didn’t take my gun," he said. "I just wanted to run them off. I never thought they would shoot me."

Arlington police say they haven’t spotted the men since the shooting on Dec. 22. But they believe more than likely vehicle burglars do not stop; They just move on to a different city.