A heroic middle school teacher ran outside his home apparently naked to save a teenage girl from assault.
David Garza was in his residence in Houston, Texas when he heard a 15-year-old girl screaming for help on July 28.
Despite not wearing a shirt, he quickly sprung into action, grabbed his firearm, and scared off the suspect.
Security footage of the harrowing incident, which took place at midnight, was shared online and showed Garza yelling “Hey hey, hey come here,” at the offender before he started running in their direction.
Watch the video below:
The attacker followed the young girl from a bus into a gated apartment complex in Houston’s east side around midnight, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, per The New York Post.
Speaking to KHOU 11 about the shocking ordeal, Garza said: “I looked out the window and I saw a man beating up a woman on the ground, and he was trying to take her clothes off.”
The teacher said he did not think twice about helping the victim, who was being grabbed by the hair by the assailant.
“I ran upstairs, I grabbed my pistol and then I came outside and I asked ‘what’s going on’ and the girl screamed ‘I’m 15 help me’, so I pointed my gun at him and told him to get off her,” he continued. “He took his hands off her right away, and he went chasing after her, so I went chasing after him and she got away, she went to someone she knew’s apartment.”
“I was scared too I’m not going to lie but she needed help more than I was afraid so I had to do it,” he added.
A neighbor, claiming to have witnessed the scary scene unfold from her house, praised the teacher, telling the publication that he saved the teen from what would have been a horrific fate.
“At first, I was scared because I literally thought she was about to get raped. I think if he didn’t come out, she probably would have gotten r*ped,” she said.
Garza has since been lauded as a hero for preventing the attack from going any further.
Andy Kahan, a victim advocate for the Houston Crime Stoppers, said he was thankful that the teacher “did the right thing,” telling the outlet: “I take my hat off to you.”
Authorities are now searching for the suspect and have released a picture of a man sporting a black hoodie with a white Reebok logo, blue jeans, and white sneakers.
No additional information has been shared at this time.
