Property Owner Shoots Suspected Thieves

Denton County investigators are looking into a possible case of vigilante justice.

Authorities said two men were stealing an air conditioning unit, when the owner of the property shot them. It happened at a race car driving school at Texas Motor Speedway near Justin where the owner lives.

Mike Starr was sleeping inside his home, which is a warehouse-looking building on the property of his business, Team Texas High Performance Driving School, when he was rudely awakened.

A few hours before most people started showing up for work, a concrete truck driver drove past Starr's home.

"He just said the man came out, had the gun in his hand, in his boxers, and asked him to call police because somebody had been shot," said Kathy Saenz, office manager of Gateway Concrete down the street.

Investigators said Starr heard noises outside, went out, confronted two men in their '50s, and then shot them with a 12-gauge shotgun.

"It's Texas, so everyone has a gun," said Kelly Worthington, owner of nearby Worth Printing.

The pair had stolen Starr's A/C condenser and put it in the back of their pickup truck, according to the Denton County Sheriff's Office.

"It's pretty serious to steal a man's air conditioning in the summertime in Texas," said Tom Reedy, public information officer.

The suspects -- Joseph Vergal Prescott, of Grand Prairie, and Michael Allen O'Shea, of Irving, who has past convictions for drugs and violent crimes -- were taken to the hospital by Careflite.

"Judging from what happened this morning, it'd probably not be a wise thing to mess with people down this street," said Saenz. "You never know what people might do."

Vandalism and break-ins are not new to businesses on Industrial Road.

"We've had people cut through fences, stealing equipment," said Saenz.

But this time, the suspected thieves did not get away.

"I just hope people learn a lesson that people mean business and protect their property out here," said Worthington.

As for the two suspects, Prescott is in critical condition, and O'shea is in serious condition. Both face possible charges of felony theft.

Texas Rangers have been interviewing Starr trying to figure out what exactly happened during the confrontation, so whether he faces charges has yet to be determined.

Starr spoke to NBCDFW.com this afternoon at his home, but he said he couldn't tell us anything since the case is still under investigation.