BACLIFF — A 22-year-old man is in custody after allegedly firing a handgun at a neighbor while fleeing a burglary Friday afternoon in Bacliff, according to a press release from the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were dispatched around 12:09 p.m. on August 15 to a home in the 4000 block of Bayshore Drive following a burglary alarm. As law enforcement responded, the suspect fled the residence. A neighbor tried to intervene, but the suspect drew a firearm and shot in the neighbor’s direction, deputies said.

Within minutes, multiple Sheriff’s Office units, joined by Galveston County Precinct 1 Constable deputies, set up a perimeter. A Texas City Police Department K9 officer tracked the suspect to a nearby house, where he again tried to evade capture. He was taken into custody without further incident.

The suspect, identified as Diondre Ruffins, 22, was found carrying a handgun that investigators said matched the caliber used in the assault. He was also in possession of property belonging to the burglary victim. The weapon was confirmed stolen from a recent vehicle burglary in Bacliff.

Detectives with the Major Crimes Unit interviewed Ruffins, who admitted to breaking into the residence, firing at the neighbor with intent to kill or injure, and stealing the firearm, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

After a discussion with the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office, Ruffins was charged with burglary of habitation, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and theft of a firearm. His bond was set at $140,000.

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