Topline: Police say the intruder was armed and forced his way inside the home, but investigators determined there was probable cause to charge the homeowner with murder.
Published: January 19, 2026 8:36 am ET
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Joel Adrian Florez (via Big Spring Police Department)
BIG SPRING, TX — A late-night shooting in a west Texas neighborhood has led to a murder charge against a homeowner after police say an armed man forced his way inside and was fatally shot.
According to the Big Spring Police Department, officers were dispatched around 10:32 p.m. Jan. 9 to the 2600 block of Langley Drive after reports of shots fired at a residence. When officers arrived, they encountered Joel Adrian Florez, 43, standing outside the home along with a 40-year-old woman, police said, according to statements cited by KOSA.
Florez told officers there was a gunshot victim inside the residence, police said. Officers then found Phillip Samuel Lozano Jr., 36, suffering from gunshot wounds inside the home. “Big Spring Police Department Officers discovered that Lozano had suffered from gunshot wounds and was deceased,” the department said in a statement. Lozano was later pronounced dead by Justice of the Peace Campbell, according to police.
Investigators determined that Lozano was armed and had forced his way into Florez’s residence before the shooting, police said. Despite those circumstances, Big Spring Police Chief Chad Williams said investigators found probable cause to pursue a murder charge, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram.
Detectives subsequently obtained a murder arrest warrant for Florez, who was taken into custody on Jan. 10 and booked into the Howard County Detention Center, police said. Jail records show he is being held on a $1 million bond.
Authorities have not said whether Florez and Lozano knew each other, according to KOSA and WKRC. Police said the investigation remains ongoing and that no additional details were being released.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Texas Homeowner Charged With Murder After Fatally Shooting Armed Intruder
Police say the intruder was armed and forced his way inside the home, but investigators determined there was probable cause to charge the homeowner with murder.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 19, 2026 8:36 am ET
Joel Adrian Florez (via Big Spring Police Department)
BIG SPRING, TX — A late-night shooting in a west Texas neighborhood has led to a murder charge against a homeowner after police say an armed man forced his way inside and was fatally shot.
According to the Big Spring Police Department, officers were dispatched around 10:32 p.m. Jan. 9 to the 2600 block of Langley Drive after reports of shots fired at a residence. When officers arrived, they encountered Joel Adrian Florez, 43, standing outside the home along with a 40-year-old woman, police said, according to statements cited by KOSA.
Florez told officers there was a gunshot victim inside the residence, police said. Officers then found Phillip Samuel Lozano Jr., 36, suffering from gunshot wounds inside the home. “Big Spring Police Department Officers discovered that Lozano had suffered from gunshot wounds and was deceased,” the department said in a statement. Lozano was later pronounced dead by Justice of the Peace Campbell, according to police.
Investigators determined that Lozano was armed and had forced his way into Florez’s residence before the shooting, police said. Despite those circumstances, Big Spring Police Chief Chad Williams said investigators found probable cause to pursue a murder charge, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram.
Detectives subsequently obtained a murder arrest warrant for Florez, who was taken into custody on Jan. 10 and booked into the Howard County Detention Center, police said. Jail records show he is being held on a $1 million bond.
Authorities have not said whether Florez and Lozano knew each other, according to KOSA and WKRC. Police said the investigation remains ongoing and that no additional details were being released.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Texas Homeowner Charged With Murder After Fatally Shooting Armed Intruder
Police say the intruder was armed and forced his way inside the home, but investigators determined there was probable cause to charge the homeowner with murder.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 19, 2026 8:36 am ET
Joel Adrian Florez (via Big Spring Police Department)
BIG SPRING, TX — A late-night shooting in a west Texas neighborhood has led to a murder charge against a homeowner after police say an armed man forced his way inside and was fatally shot.
According to the Big Spring Police Department, officers were dispatched around 10:32 p.m. Jan. 9 to the 2600 block of Langley Drive after reports of shots fired at a residence. When officers arrived, they encountered Joel Adrian Florez, 43, standing outside the home along with a 40-year-old woman, police said, according to statements cited by KOSA.
Florez told officers there was a gunshot victim inside the residence, police said. Officers then found Phillip Samuel Lozano Jr., 36, suffering from gunshot wounds inside the home. “Big Spring Police Department Officers discovered that Lozano had suffered from gunshot wounds and was deceased,” the department said in a statement. Lozano was later pronounced dead by Justice of the Peace Campbell, according to police.
Investigators determined that Lozano was armed and had forced his way into Florez’s residence before the shooting, police said. Despite those circumstances, Big Spring Police Chief Chad Williams said investigators found probable cause to pursue a murder charge, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram.
Detectives subsequently obtained a murder arrest warrant for Florez, who was taken into custody on Jan. 10 and booked into the Howard County Detention Center, police said. Jail records show he is being held on a $1 million bond.
Authorities have not said whether Florez and Lozano knew each other, according to KOSA and WKRC. Police said the investigation remains ongoing and that no additional details were being released.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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