Man shoots accused child sex predator, case to go to grand jury for indictment decision
HOUSTON - Joe Moses Rodriguez was arrested in January and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, accused of shooting Miguel Mendez four times.
On March 14, Mendez was charged with a child sex abuse charge (continue sex abuse of a child), shedding new light on why prosecutors say Rodriguez pulled the trigger.
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Harris County District Attorney Prosecutor Billy Morian III says that Rodriguez was called over to Mendez's apartment on January 5.
Once he got there, he was informed that Mendez was sexually abusing a young girl close to Rodriguez.
"He basically, in the heat of passion, pulled a gun out and shot the man who was accused of molesting [the girl]," said Morian.
A neighbor and family friend, who didn't want to be identified, said she saw Rodriguez with his family often, and hates that this happened.
"I worry about the kids and I worry because he's a great dad," she said.
FOX 26 made attempts to contact Mendez and went to his last known address, but the apartment was vacant.
'He deserves to be charged for what he did to the little girl. It's not fair. It's not fair what he did," said the family friend.
Rodriguez's lawyer did not want to comment on the case.
Rodriguez's case will be referred to a grand jury, who will decide whether to indict Rodriguez or not.
"It's important for Harris County to have a voice to decide if these are the cases we're going to prosecute or not," said Morian.