A dramatic shootout unfolded at a gas station in north Houston on Tuesday when an armed couple confronted two would-be robbers, leaving one suspect injured. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. when a woman noticed two men brandishing firearms in the gas station’s parking lot. She promptly alerted her husband, who was inside the store, and both armed themselves. As the suspects attempted to rob the establishment, one of them threatened the husband, leading to a violent exchange of gunfire.
According to police reports, the chaos erupted when a woman witnessed two men exiting separate vehicles, each armed with a gun, in the parking lot of a gas station in north Houston. She immediately contacted her husband, who was also carrying a firearm, to warn him of the imminent danger. Meanwhile, the two suspects proceeded with their robbery attempt. The situation escalated when one of the assailants threatened to kill the husband and struck him with a pistol, resulting in a gunfight.
During the shootout, one of the suspects sustained multiple gunshot wounds, while the other managed to flee the scene in a green Dodge Charger. Fortunately, neither the husband nor the wife sustained any injuries. The couple, who had dialed 911, held the wounded suspect at gunpoint until the arrival of the police. The injured suspect, identified as 39-year-old Mario Ipina Duque, received immediate medical attention from Houston Fire Department paramedics before being transported to a local hospital.
Upon investigation, authorities determined that the husband and wife had acted in self-defense when they shot Duque. The couple was detained at the scene, and their weapons were confiscated for further examination. Duque, who remains hospitalized, is currently in custody of the Houston Police Department. He received charges of aggravated assault using a deadly weapon, as well as unlawful carrying of a weapon.