Shattered glass and a bullet- riddled door served as reminders of the events of Feb. 14, 2026, that resulted in one person being arrested in Anton, Texas.
Carlos Buitrago, 52, is facing charges of aggravated assault of a public servant, evading arrest or detention with a vehicle and deadly conduct by a discharged firearm.
Despite this ongoing investigation, Buitrago’s neighbors are demanding answers to their previously reported concerns, fearing a repeated outcome of unmet safety precautions.
“( Buitrago) moved in February… he came over here to have peace and quiet, but ever since he’s moved in, there hasn’t been peace and quiet for the neighbors,” lifelong Anton resident Olga Perez said.
At approximately 6 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, the Hockley County Sheriff’s Office received the first call reporting shots fired into a residence.
Upon arriving in Anton, Hockley County Public Information Officer Emilio Miranda said deputies initially did not know the exact location where shots were fired. After speaking with neighboring residents, deputies heard continuous shots and narrowed the address down to the 600 block of Maurer Street.
Deputies encountered Buitrago at his residence, where he failed to comply with orders to exit his home. This prompted additional deputies from Hockley County, along with an investigator and Chief Deputy Chris Wischkaemper, to arrive on the scene.
“An investigator within our department was trying to negotiate with him,” Miranda said. “Buitrago had a firearm with him that he raised, and our investigator was met with lethal force. It was pretty much clear that there was no negotiating.”
From there, authorities contacted the Lubbock Police Department SWAT Team and their mobile command center at approximately 9:30 p.m. Despite multiple commands to exit his residence, Buitrago continued to barricade himself inside.
Moments later, Buitrago’s garage door opened, and he fled the scene in a vehicle.
The police chase led the authorities eastbound on Highway 84. Assistance from the Department of Public Safety ultimately led to Buitrago’s arrest after deploying a precision immobilization technique.
Miranda said Buitrago was detained shortly after 2 a.m. on Feb. 15, 2026.
“We were able to start and finish the incident with nobody injured,” Miranda said. “We’re always able to have assistance from bordering counties and agencies that are quick to help us, so that’s always good.”
Although Buitrago currently resides at the Hockley County Jail, residents said they fear retaliation, especially considering Buitrago’s history within the neighborhood.
“This isn’t the first time he’s shot his gun,” Olga Perez said.
In September of 2025, Olga Perez said she filed a police report after finding a bullet in the door of her grandson’s car. Nothing followed the report, except more complaints about Buitrago’s behavior around the neighborhood.
“It’s been strange… well, not safe,” another resident, Keith Oldham, said. “I don’t worry about me, but when I have my grandkids over here, I don’t want somebody coming outside and shooting guns.”
Both Oldham and Perez said Buitrago repeatedly shouted obscenities and flailed guns outside his residence ever since he moved into the neighborhood in Feb. of last year.
“We can be inside and still hear him out there cussing and hollering,” Olga Perez said.
A few months before the Valentine’s incident, Oldham said he contacted authorities after Buitrago fired shots into the trees and stood on his lawn yelling. Although he was arrested, Buitrago returned home a few days later.
“I told (authorities) after that first time, ‘If y’all let him out, something bad’s gonna happen’,” Oldham said. “See what happened. I guess they don’t wanna listen to the voice of the people that live here right across the street from the guy.”
Leading up to the events of Valentine’s Day, Olga Perez said she always feared accidentally provoking Buitrago, and continuously told her family members to avoid interactions with him at all costs.
However, on the night Buitrago shot through their front door, the Perez family was inside watching the Texas Tech basketball game.
As they watched the game, the family heard something hit the house. Olga’s husband, Jessie Perez, and their grandson went outside to look, where they heard Buitrago cursing them out from his backyard.
“I told (them) to come in … I shut the door, and not even 10 or 15 minutes later, that’s when we heard what sounded like a big firework explosion,” Olga Perez said.
Buitrago shot three times toward their house; one bullet shattered the glass front door, another went directly through the thick door, and the third bullet was lodged directly under a cross hung on the wall.
“I immediately called 911,” Olga Perez said, shaking her head as she recounted the events. “There was glass everywhere.”
The quiet neighborhood the Perez family once knew – just up the street from Anton Elementary and High School – was now surrounded by cop cars, the SWAT robot and several authorities suited up in protective gear with weapons drawn.
“It’s scary because you see it on TV and stuff, but never imagine it happening here in this little town,” Jessie Perez said.
Into the early hours of Feb. 15, Olga said she anxiously awaited news of Buitrago’s capture.
“I was panicking even more because I thought, ‘ He’s escaped… he’s gonna come back’,” Olga Perez said.
Between repeated complaints and confrontations, Oldham said he feels the community’s grievances have not been taken seriously.
Moreover, safety for children in the neighborhood and those who walk past the block to get to school is of great concern.
“There’s photos, there’s accounts, he’s been on record disturbing the neighborhood before,” Oldham said. “What more do you need to see? There’s bullets stuck in the walls.”
The residents said their desired outcome is for Buitrago to receive proper help and sentencing.
“We don’t want him back in this neighborhood,” Oldham firmly stated.
As of Feb. 23, 2026, Buitrago is booked at the Hockley County Jail, and his bond is not yet set.
“I’m scared that if and when – and I’m hoping he doesn’t – he comes out, I feel like he’s gonna retaliate,” Olga Perez said. “In his mind, he’s probably thinking it’s our fault and probably knows that we called … the damage is done. I hope and pray that he doesn’t, but we don’t know that.”