Family members of Sebastian Avila, 34, said he underwent surgery and is in critical condition after suspected thieves followed him from a bank and shot him outside his home on Friday in Duncanville.
Avila, who is a husband and father to a 3-week-old baby, was riding with his brother from their construction job and stopped at a bank to cash their paychecks.
When they arrived at Avila's home on Linkwood Dr. and pulled into the driveway, family members said they noticed a red Dodge Challenger behind them.
"People are targeting hard-working people and it's changing people's lives," said Jenny Avila, the victim's cousin.
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She said surveillance cameras from around the home captured what happened next.
The suspects parked the red or dark-colored Dodge Challenger several houses down. Two men wearing face coverings are seen running through the yard.
"My cousin got out and they came here through the front of the house and they tried to rob him," said Jenny.
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One of the suspected robbers with a gun is heard saying on the video, "Don't move homeboy, don't move, don't move homeboy. Where the money at? Don't move."
Jenny said that convicted their family that her cousin was targeted.
“I believe they were followed because you can clearly hear the suspect telling them, 'Where is the money at? How else would they have known that they had cashed their paychecks," explained Jenny.
A second later the suspect fired a handgun multiple times.
"They shot about four to five times., He got shot twice, once in the back," said Jenny about her cousin.
Another angle from the same time the suspect confronted the victim showed Avila walking across the driveway toward his front door and it appeared, as his family said, he reached his back pocket for his firearm, but before he could look he was hit twice in the back.
His brother, who was still in the truck, is seen driving off after the suspects who are caught on camera running back to the red car and speeding off. Family members said the men got away.
Meanwhile, the family from inside the house went outside to call 911. Jenny said a good Samaritan who lives nearby was seen with a medical kit treating Avila until first responders arrived. The family said they were very grateful to that neighbor.
Avila has a long road to recovery ahead of him.
“He got shot in the back. One went through his lung and they had to remove part of his lung, and the other hit his liver. He does have liver damage," explained Jenny. "He’s doing better, but it’s still something that has changed our lives forever.”
The family said they've set up a GoFundMe account to help with the medical bills since Avila won't be able to work his construction job.
Duncanville Police said detectives are reviewing available surveillance footage to help identify possible suspects. If you have any information, please contact Detective Kyle Welling at 972-707-3831.
