TODAY   |  June 17, 2012

A father’s fury ends in death

A Texas man beat an acquaintance to death after he allegedly caught the man molesting his young daughter, and so far no charges have been filed. NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez reports.

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>>> authorities in rural texas say a father killed a man who he allegedly caught molesting his daughter. now a grand jury must decide whether he will face charges. the story from nbc's gabe gutierrez.

>> reporter: at this ranch near shiner, texas, a father's fury ended in death.

>> i would do the same thing.

>> reporter: investigators say about a week ago, 47-year-old jesus flores tried to molest a 5-year-old girl. when her father found out, he punched her attacker several times in the head, killing him. the girl's grandfather says flores was a friend of a friend who came to the ranch to help the family care for horses. he says that afternoon the girl and her brother were out feeding chickens, but the brother soon came back and said a man had taken his sister. her father then went looking for her. after hearing his daughter scream, he found her half naked with flores. detectives say his pants and underwear were down when the father started hitting him.

>> all indications we have is that he was in defense of a third person, which would be his daughter.

>> reporter: the sheriff says the father's remorseful and has not been charged. many neighbors don't think he should be.

>> people are just shocked by this, you know? but they feel that it is justified.

>> reporter: a grand jury is expected to hear the case this week. for "today," gabe gutierrez, nbc news, atlanta.