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A Houston man who shot a teenager for allegedly breaking into his car could face criminal charges or a civil lawsuit.

The 17-year-old suspect survived the Friday night shooting and remains in stable condition.

Three nights later, all was quiet in Timbergrove Manor. B a recent rash of car burglaries has nerves on edge.

"It's not so much cars being stolen, but they're being broken into and stuff is being taken out of it, you know like stolen stereos," said Marcia Moore, a Timbergrove resident.

That's led to e-mail alerts and homeowners confronting suspicious visitors.

"Because of that we've chased off potential robberies," said Moore.

Police say on Friday night, neighbors alerted Larry Andres that an apparent thief was in his truck. That's when we're told he grabbed a shotgun and chased the suspect down the street, around the corner and to a bus stop.

The 17-year-old suspect was on foot. Andres said he was holding him for police, when the teenager charged him and he fired, hitting the suspect.

"Someone steals something, you can't chase 'em down and shoot 'em," said 11 News Legal Analyst Gerald Treece. "You can't do that in Texas."

Treece said you can use deadly force if the crook is in your home at night or...

"You have to be in fear of your own safety or the safety of people close to you," said Treece.

Turns out the teen had some CDs in his backpack, which Andres says were stolen from his truck.

While Andres may have been the intended victim...

"The person who did the shooting could get sued civilly for the tort of assault and battery," said Treece.

For now, no charges have been filed in the case. It will likely be referred to a grand jury.