Woman called 911 to report burglary, then ambushed arriving officers, police say

Melissa Rowley charged with attempted capital murder of police officer

BOERNE, Texas – A woman is facing two charges of attempted capital murder of a police officer after police say she called 911 twice early Friday morning, then shot at the officers who showed up.

Boerne police said Melissa Rowley, 45, called police just before 4 a.m. and said someone was trying to break in to her home at the Vista Apartments. Police got to the apartment complex, located at 125 Crosspoint, and found no evidence of someone attempting to break in. 

Recommended Videos



Police left, but said Rowley called 911 three minutes later to say that someone was spraying something under her front door. Police said they went back to her apartment but did not observe anything that appeared to have been sprayed under her door.

The woman then told dispatchers that someone was at her window, but officers found no one there.

Dispatchers told Rowley that Officers Pablo Morales and Nicholas McWright were outside her apartment. Police said she told dispatchers that she couldn't hear their knocks and to knock harder. 

When the officers complied, they said Rowley began firing her pistol. According to police, Rowley fired in the direction of one of the officers.

Morales and McWright retreated to their patrol cars and were able to get Rowley to surrender without incident using verbal commands.

Morales has been employed with Boerne police for six years and McWright has been with the department for one year.