Man Says He Killed Robber on 4th Visit

HOUSTON — A 73-year-old man, tired of being robbed of his Social Security money every month, apparently by the same man, sat up and waited for his nemesis and killed him Saturday with 10 shots from his new handgun, police said.

After the shooting, Butler Gibson quietly went to a neighbor’s house, telephoned police and reported that he had killed Ricky Allen Arthur, 25, of Houston.

“The old man just got sick and tired of it,” homicide Sgt. Carl Kent said. “He was a very pleasant man, very quiet. He told me, ‘Officer, I’ll be honest. I meant to kill him.’ ”

Gibson told police that Arthur knew he received his Social Security check on the third of every month, and had broken into his home during the night at least three previous times to rob him of his sole means of support.

Kent said that Gibson told officers the robber was abusive and would make him lie stretched out on the floor, then step on his toes.

Last week, Gibson told police, he bought the gun and sat up each night after he had received his check. When the robber came back and kicked in the front door early Saturday, Gibson was sitting on his couch in the dark, waiting.

Gibson told police he shot the man five times, then reloaded and shot the robber five more times until he stopped moving.

The case has been referred to a grand jury without charges.