Taco Cabana Employee Charged After Accidentally Shooting Himself in Groin While at Work

HOUSTON, Tx. (KPEL-FM) - A 19-year-old Taco Cabana employee in Houston is recovering after accidentally shooting himself while at work last week and is now facing multiple criminal charges.

Charges Filed Against the Employee

The Taco Cabana employee has been charged with unlawfully carrying a firearm and tampering with evidence after he allegedly shot himself on accident.

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What Happened at the Taco Cabana

The incident happened on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at the Taco Cabana at 700 North Loop West. Houston police received a call for a shooting in progress. When they arrived, they found the teen employee bloody with an apparent gunshot wound to his private area. The teen was transported to a local hospital.

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According to court records, the teen told investigators he was sitting inside the kitchen of the Taco Cabana on his break with the firearm in his pants when it suddenly went off. He said he didn't know where the firearm was located and wouldn't tell investigators where he put it.

Witness Accounts from Inside the Restaurant

A co-worker told police she heard a loud noise that sounded like a firework. She then noticed the teen suspect "stand up quickly and jump up and down frantically," according to court records. Other employees called for an ambulance while he continued jumping around and ran to the men's bathroom, then out the back door of the restaurant, and later returned.

Teen’s Prior Weapons Charges

Records show that the teen suspect was on 13 months of probation, ordered in August 2025, for a different unlawful carrying of a weapon charge. He was also charged with unlawful carry in February of 2024, but records show the case was dismissed after he completed a pretrial diversion program.