A Texas man was sleeping in his truck in Houston when he found himself facing a harrowing encounter with a would-be robber. Luckily, the truck owner was armed and was able to protect himself and his property. Amid rising crime rates in the city, his decision to arm himself could have saved his life.

Harris County law enforcement rushed to the scene after receiving an emergency call about an attempted robbery. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez explained that the suspect, who was believed to have been carrying pistols, had broken into the man’s truck while he was sleeping in it.

Harris County deputies said the man was sleeping in his car because he had just gotten into a fight with his girlfriend.

Authorities said another man who may have had a pistol got into the vehicle and may not have realized the sleeping man was in the truck.

"They shouldn't be out doing it in the first place. I don't believe that he realized that the reportee was sleeping in this truck before it was too late," said Sgt. Ben Beall with the sheriff's office.

The would-be victim had what the sheriff said was an AR-15 and reportedly shot the man several times. The suspected thief was pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies said the suspect had already stolen from several nearby cars before the shooting.

The shooter reportedly stayed at the scene and was cooperating with law enforcement.

The incident, like many others, underscores the importance of gun ownership and the right to self-defense. Reports suggest that law enforcement is investigating the matter and that it will likely be presented before a grand jury to decide whether the man should be charged with a crime. The fact that he was not the aggressor in the situation indicates that it is likely he will not face prosecution.

Good thing this did not happen in California or New York City, right?

The incident occurred against the backdrop of Houston’s ongoing fight against crime. The city’s crime rate is higher than most others nationwide.

With a crime rate of 57 per one thousand residents, Houston has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes - from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 17. Within Texas, more than 98% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Houston. In fact, after researching dangerous places to live, NeighborhoodScout found Houston to be one of the top 100 most dangerous cities in the U.S.A.

This situation is one of many showing that you never know when you might be confronted with a dangerous person. In this case, the offender probably did not realize the man was sleeping in his truck when he broke into it. If the thief was armed, the outcome could have been far different.

It is also fortunate that this altercation occurred in a state that isn’t hellbent on disarming residents. The story is a prime example demonstrating the importance of the Second Amendment.