GALVESTON — A homeowner has been charged with shooting a man who had been staying at a Red Cross shelter across the street from his home.

Billy Nelson, 50, 1405 53rd St., was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was released on $250,000 bond.

Police spokesman Capt. Walter Braun said Michael Deweese, 45, who has been staying at the Red Cross shelter at Alamo Elementary School, 5200 Ave. N 1/2, was walking down 53rd Street just before 10 p.m. Saturday.

Deweese and Nelson got into an argument in front of Nelson’s home, and Nelson pulled out a gun, Braun said. A bullet grazed Deweese’s neck, and he was taken by helicopter ambulance to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. He was released early Sunday morning.

Some neighborhood residents say the shooting is indicative of a growing frustration between them and residents of the tent city.

Nelson, who was not home Monday, could not be reached for comment.

Angry Neighbors

Sheila and Eddie Savage own four homes on the block of Avenue N 1/2 facing the front of Alamo Elementary School. Sheila Savage said she had been walking the neighborhood, taking to neighbors and collecting information about fights, looting and disturbances outside the shelter.

She and her husband said they’ve seen shelter residents urinating, vomiting and sleeping in others’ yards. She’s collected beer and liquor bottles from her front yard. Police are called to disturbances there nearly every night, she said.

People in the neighborhood are concerned for their safety, Sheila Savage said.

“We’re locking up like Fort Knox,” she said.

Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas said she had not heard from any neighborhood residents complaining about problems with the shelter’s occupants. The Red Cross and city have a heavy security presence to help prevent crime and disturbances, she said.

However, Darin Radzieski, who lives on 53rd Street just doors down from the shelter’s front gate, said he confronted Thomas about the problems when she was visiting the shelter.

Radzieski said he’s frustrated that the city “dumped the problem” in his front yard without warning, even though he is dealing with problems of his own, including cleaning out his flooded home and trying to restore electricity to his house.

He said he’s annoyed by the football stadium style floodlights that invade his home at night, the constant noise and the nonstop traffic of “gawkers” who’ve come to take photos of the shelter.

Sheila Savage said the city should’ve warned residents the shelter was coming.

“Nobody told us anything,” she said.

Thomas said she didn’t know whether the city notified the neighborhood residents that the shelter was coming. That would have been the responsibility of the Red Cross, she said.

The Red Cross denies media access to the shelter unless reporters gain permission from officials and are accompanied by Red Cross officials during their visit.

Eddie Savage said he wished the city would have placed the rubble pile at Alamo Elementary School and moved the shelter to the Justice Center on Broadway, where there are few single-family homes nearby.

Several neighborhood residents declined to comment about the situation.

However, Verlin Collins, who lives a block from the fence around the Red Cross tents on Borden Avenue, said he’s glad the people who need help are getting it.

“I’m for anything that helps these people,” Collins said. “They have nowhere to go, nothing to eat.”

Shelter residents say they have had no problems with the homeowners.

April Hebert, who used to live on 38th Street before the hurricane blew out her windows, said she’s grateful for the shelter’s help but can understand why some residents, anxious to go home, are frustrated.

She said homeowners have not bothered her.

Tony Avilla, who used to live at 2002 Church St., said neighborhood residents are gracious.

“No one messes with us,” he said.