A Van Zandt County, Texas woman fatally shot a convicted sex offender as he was trying to break into a side door of her rural home Tuesday morning, an act of self-defense the local sheriff praised in light of an understaffed police force.
Christopher Ray Foster, 37, died at the scene after the unidentified woman shot him at her home near Canton, Texas. She called 911 at around 4:30 a.m.
Foster, who had an extensive criminal history, was recently released on a personal recognizance bond from Van Zandt County jail for failure to register as a sex offender, KLTV reported. Police also believed Foster was the prime suspect in an arson which occurred on Monday.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s sex offender registry, Foster was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1999 for sexual assault of a child. The female victim was 15.
According to the registry, Foster also went by the aliases Outlaw and XX.
Christopher Ray Foster (Source: Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office)
After the shooting, Van Zandt County Sheriff Michael Lindsey issued a statement appearing to praise the homeowners’ self-defense in light of recent budgetary issues.
“Presently, as the result of underfunding and inadequate staffing at the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, homeowners need to take appropriate precautions to protect their families,” Sheriff Michael Lindsey said. “I will continue to support the law abiding citizens of our community when they are forced to take actions to protect their lives, liberty and property.”