San Antonio police say a security guard fatally shot a 41-year-old man he found in a drainage ditch.
SAN ANTONIO — A south-side family is grieving after a 41-year-old man was shot and killed by a security guard behind an auto body shop on Monday night.
Police said just after 10 p.m., a security guard encountered Eric Rodriguez and a friend in the drainage area behind Crash Champions, located on the 700 block of SW Military Drive.
An argument reportedly broke out and investigators said the guard believed Rodriguez had a weapon, at which point he shot him in the chest. Rodriguez was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
His family, however, says the shooting was senseless and unwarranted.
“He wasn’t trying to break into the property or anything,” said Ida, Rodriguez’s sister. “He wasn’t homeless, but he would come and feed everybody. He would bring them food and water.”
Rodriguez, a father of six, was known to regularly help people living in the area, especially those without housing, according to his family.
“He wasn’t out here causing trouble. He was on his way home,” said Amanda, the mother of Rodriguez’s children. “I believe that security guard should’ve stayed on his premises.”
His family disputes the guard’s claim that Rodriguez had a weapon.
“He’s never carried anything on him, weapon-wise,” Amanda said.
The security guard was detained by officers at the scene. He has not been charged with a crime.
Rodriguez’s sister says the family is planning to contact the business and the security agency involved to better understand what happened and whether protocol was followed.
“We want to know what the rules are,” she said. “He shouldn’t have been shot just for being out here.”
KENS 5 reached out to Crash Champions for comment. A local representative referred us to their corporate office, which has not yet responded.