Eric Collazo, Bexar County, Texas man uses own key to enter wrong home, beats 79 year old he thought was intruder. Suspect had been out drinking earlier.
A Texas man faces felony assault charges after walking into his neighbor’s home and viciously beating him after believing the victim was an intruder. He wasn’t. He was the actual resident of his own home. It’s just the suspect was able to open the man’s door with his own key, believing he was walking into his own house.
Eric Collazo was booked with assault after ‘mistakenly’ attacking a 79 year old resident on his street, who he thought was an intruder upon walking into his house earlier this week.
The incident happened in the 6000 block of Carriage Cape off Evans Road in north Bexar County, just after 1.25 am, Sunday night, KSAT reported.
‘I thought he was an intruder…’
The victim told deputies that he heard a knock on his door and then the suspect entered. The homeowner said he was pushed into the bathroom and into the bathtub and was struck repeatedly.
Deputies observed a man at a neighboring house that matched the accused’s description.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office stated the male was wearing all black and was attempting to enter a parked car.
Johnny Garcia, a public information officer for BCSO, told KSAT that Collazo appeared to be intoxicated and went to the victim’s home, believing it was his.
Collazo, who lives nearby, used his own house key to enter the victim’s home.
During police questioning, Collazo allegedly said that he believed he was entering his own home — even using his own key to unlock the front door — and thought the victim was a home invader, leading to him attacked the ‘intruder.’
So how was one set of keys able to open two different homes?
‘I don’t play around,’ Collazo reportedly told authorities.
The victim told authorities that he was in the bathroom when he heard a knock on his door and then a tall man dressed in black — later identified as Collazo — entering the home and attacking the resident.
‘Upon deputies checking the suspect’s key to verify if in fact could open the victim’s door, the key in fact worked to open the door. It is unknown as to how the key works at the victim’s residence, however, investigators believe the issue may be related to the builder of the residences,’ Garcia said.
M/I Homes, the company that reportedly built both homes, told KSAT they would look into the issue of one key working in two homes and get back to the station at a later date.
The victim who was observed limping and his clothes shredded was transported to a hospital for treatment. It was later reported the 79 year old victim having suffered 3 broken ribs.
Eric Collazo was taken into custody during the early hours of Monday and charged with one count of injury to an elderly person causing bodily harm, lawandcrime reported.
Collazo was booked into the Bexar County Jail and released on Thursday after clearing bond set at $10,000.
Collazo is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on May 1, 2024.
