A West Texas homeowner was arrested on a murder charge after police say he shot and killed an armed man who forced his way into a Big Spring residence late Jan. 9. Officers found the suspected intruder dead inside the house and took Joel Adrian Florez, 43, into custody; he was later booked into the Howard County Detention Center.
Investigators say the case turns on what happened inside the home before gunfire. The Big Spring Police Department has identified the man who died as Phillip Samuel Lozano Jr., 36. Authorities say they are reviewing statements and evidence to determine whether the shooting meets the elements of murder under Texas law. Police have not said whether the men knew each other. Florez remains jailed on a $1 million bond while detectives continue to gather interviews and any forensic or video evidence. The department says the investigation is active, and additional details are expected as reports are completed and forwarded to prosecutors.
Officers were dispatched around 10:30 p.m. Jan. 9 to the 2600 block of Langley Drive after reports of shots fired, police said. They arrived to find Florez and a 40-year-old woman outside the home. Inside, officers located Lozano with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a local justice of the peace. Detectives obtained a murder warrant based on probable cause and arrested Florez the next day, according to police. “The preliminary investigation indicates the decedent was armed and forced entry into the residence,” police said in a statement. No other injuries were reported. Authorities have not described the firearm involved, how many rounds were fired, or the precise sequence of events leading up to the shooting.
Police say early investigative steps included securing the house, photographing rooms and doorways, and collecting physical evidence such as shell casings. Detectives also conducted recorded interviews with the homeowner and the woman who was with him when officers arrived. A separate team canvassed neighbors for security camera footage that might capture approaching footsteps, vehicles, or sounds consistent with shots fired shortly before officers were called. The department has not released 911 audio. The county medical examiner’s office is expected to conduct an autopsy to determine the official cause and manner of Lozano’s death. Authorities have not said whether toxicology tests will be part of that review. Questions about a prior relationship between the two men remain unanswered.
Florez’s arrest drew attention beyond Howard County because it intersects with long-running debates over self-defense and home protection in Texas. While police emphasized the case is in the early stages, they said the decision to pursue a murder charge came after documenting the scene and comparing statements with physical evidence. Under Texas law, prosecutors typically consider whether a person reasonably believed deadly force was immediately necessary to prevent a violent felony in the home and whether the circumstances matched that belief. Those determinations often rest on details like lighting, distance, movement, prior threats, and whether the person who was shot was retreating or advancing when rounds were fired. Officials in this case have not provided that level of detail publicly.
After his arrest, Florez was booked into the Howard County Detention Center on a $1 million bond, jail records show. Police identified the man who died as Lozano, a 36-year-old. Authorities have not released his hometown. A woman who was at the residence when officers arrived was questioned and released; police did not identify her or describe her relationship to Florez. Detectives say they are building a timeline using patrol logs and any surveillance video from nearby homes. As of Saturday, no additional arrests had been announced, and investigators said there was no ongoing threat to the neighborhood.
Big Spring, a city along Interstate 20 about 40 miles northeast of Midland, has seen several high-profile investigations shift quickly from initial calls to complex legal reviews. In homicide cases, the Big Spring Police Department typically compiles offense reports, scene diagrams, and lab requests before turning a case over to the Howard County District Attorney’s Office. That office then assesses potential charges and, in felony cases, may present evidence to a grand jury for review. The process can take weeks as detectives wait for autopsy findings, ballistics comparisons, and lab results. Police in this case have not said when they expect to complete their report.
Next steps include formal filing decisions by prosecutors and, if charges are accepted, an initial court appearance where bond conditions and counsel are addressed. A grand jury in Howard County could be asked to consider the case as early as this month, depending on the pace of lab and autopsy reports. If an indictment is returned, a judge would set future court dates, including pretrial conferences and deadlines for evidence exchange. Defense attorneys in similar cases often seek access to raw scene photos, gunshot-residue findings, and any audio or video that could reflect the moments before the shooting. Prosecutors typically interview first responders and medical personnel who pronounced the victim and handled the scene.
Neighbors on Langley Drive described a quiet street that grows still after dark. One resident who said he arrived home shortly after 11 p.m. recalled seeing patrol vehicles and yellow tape stretched around a single-story house. Another resident said officers knocked on doors asking whether anyone had exterior cameras that might show people walking or the sound of several pops. None of the neighbors reported seeing an extended standoff; most described a brief, concentrated police presence before the house was sealed for the night. Police did not report any property damage beyond the forced entry described in their statement.
As of Saturday afternoon, officials had not publicly released a full narrative or any body-camera footage, and police said they were not taking additional questions until the initial case report is complete. The department also did not say whether the firearm used was recovered at the scene or whether any other weapons were found. The woman interviewed by detectives was not hospitalized and no children were reported present. Authorities said they will provide updates when significant developments occur, such as a charging decision or the release of autopsy results. Family members for both men could not immediately be reached by reporters seeking comment.
By late week, the case remained in the evidence-gathering phase, with Florez detained and the investigation labeled “active.” The next milestone is a prosecutor’s charging decision and, if filed, a court setting expected in the coming days. Officials said further information will be released when available.
Author note: Last updated January 17, 2026.