Police use robot to resolve standoff
AMARILLO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Panhandle police negotiators used a novel approach to defuse a five-hour standoff with an armed woman, sending a new bomb robot into a house to communicate with her.
Police on Wednesday sent the Andros F6A robot into the house to communicate with an armed 42-year-old woman who was threatening to harm herself or anyone who came near her. The robot has a video camera and a microphone, allowing the police to see into the scene and talk.
"The robot allowed us to get that face-to-face communication with her without putting an officer's life in danger," Amarillo police Cpl. Jerry Neufeld said.
Police eventually took the woman into custody and took her to a mental-health facility for evaluation, officials said.
The money for the robot, which the police department got in January, came out of $3.4 million the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission received in 2002 and 2003 for federal homeland security.
The city of Amarillo owns the robot, but it can be used by other Panhandle law enforcement agencies through a mutual-aid agreement.
News from the Lone Star State
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Feds: S. Texas sheriff helped drug traffickers
HARLINGEN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — An embattled former Cameron County sheriff has been charged with leading a criminal enterprise while in office that was involved in extortion, drug trafficking and witness tampering, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.
Former Sheriff Conrado Cantu and four others were named in a 10-count indictment that was unsealed Thursday after the last of the five men were arrested, U.S. Attorney Michael Shelby said. Cantu was arrested Wednesday morning, two days after he was indicted.
Four of the five defendants were scheduled to appear in federal court Thursday morning. The defendant arrested Thursday will appear later.
Two of the defendants worked with Cantu at the Cameron County Sheriff's Department. Rumaldo Rodriguez, 50, was a captain in the sheriff's department and currently is a Cameron County constable's deputy. Geronimo Garcia, 33, is a former operator of the Cameron County Jail Commissary.
The other two defendants are associates of Rodriguez and Garcia, Shelby said.
The indictment accuses Cantu of receiving payments from known drug traffickers in exchange for releasing sensitive law enforcement information between January 2001 and December 2004, his term in office. He also is accused of using his official powers to protect and assist the drug traffickers.
Cantu is charged with eight counts, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, extortion, money laundering, obstruction and being a member of a criminal enterprise engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity. Rodriguez, Garcia and the two other men face similar charges.
"It is a blow to honest law enforcement when one of its own is accused of corrupting his office and abusing the public's trust," FBI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Patrick A. Patterson said in a statement.
Cantu's term was marked by allegations of corruption, along with a series of jail escapes and missing inmate funds.
He was indicted last year on charges he misused authority by rallying support for his re-election bid during a mandatory jailhouse meeting. A judge dismissed the charge in March.
Cantu, a Democrat, lost the March 2004 primary election. He had been hoping to rejoin law enforcement as a deputy constable, but county commissioners postponed a vote on the appointment last week.
The extortion, money laundering and racketeering charges carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in federal prison and fines. The obstruction charge carries a maximum sentence of five years, and the drug charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
HARLINGEN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — An embattled former Cameron County sheriff has been charged with leading a criminal enterprise while in office that was involved in extortion, drug trafficking and witness tampering, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.
Former Sheriff Conrado Cantu and four others were named in a 10-count indictment that was unsealed Thursday after the last of the five men were arrested, U.S. Attorney Michael Shelby said. Cantu was arrested Wednesday morning, two days after he was indicted.
Four of the five defendants were scheduled to appear in federal court Thursday morning. The defendant arrested Thursday will appear later.
Two of the defendants worked with Cantu at the Cameron County Sheriff's Department. Rumaldo Rodriguez, 50, was a captain in the sheriff's department and currently is a Cameron County constable's deputy. Geronimo Garcia, 33, is a former operator of the Cameron County Jail Commissary.
The other two defendants are associates of Rodriguez and Garcia, Shelby said.
The indictment accuses Cantu of receiving payments from known drug traffickers in exchange for releasing sensitive law enforcement information between January 2001 and December 2004, his term in office. He also is accused of using his official powers to protect and assist the drug traffickers.
Cantu is charged with eight counts, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, extortion, money laundering, obstruction and being a member of a criminal enterprise engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity. Rodriguez, Garcia and the two other men face similar charges.
"It is a blow to honest law enforcement when one of its own is accused of corrupting his office and abusing the public's trust," FBI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Patrick A. Patterson said in a statement.
Cantu's term was marked by allegations of corruption, along with a series of jail escapes and missing inmate funds.
He was indicted last year on charges he misused authority by rallying support for his re-election bid during a mandatory jailhouse meeting. A judge dismissed the charge in March.
Cantu, a Democrat, lost the March 2004 primary election. He had been hoping to rejoin law enforcement as a deputy constable, but county commissioners postponed a vote on the appointment last week.
The extortion, money laundering and racketeering charges carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in federal prison and fines. The obstruction charge carries a maximum sentence of five years, and the drug charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
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Police seek home invasion suspect
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A woman was shot during a home invasion robbery in far Northeast Dallas early Friday. Police said the suspect may be linked to other robberies.
Witnesses said a man burst in to a first-floor unit at the Wimberly Apartments in the 4100 block of Horizon North Parkway, terrorizing six tenants.
The man was armed with a single-barrel shotgun, and he was prepared to use it.
"When the mother of two of the girls wouldn't be quiet, they forced her into the back bedroom and they started beating her up, causing a lot of damage to her ribs," said Angela Rodriguez, a friend of the victims. "When one of the other girls tried to escape out the back door, he shot her with a shotgun."
The shooting victim was wounded in the chest and taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital for what police said were non-life threatening injuries.
Police were looking for the suspect Friday morning. They said he may be the same person who held up people at an ATM machine in the same vicinity.
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A woman was shot during a home invasion robbery in far Northeast Dallas early Friday. Police said the suspect may be linked to other robberies.
Witnesses said a man burst in to a first-floor unit at the Wimberly Apartments in the 4100 block of Horizon North Parkway, terrorizing six tenants.
The man was armed with a single-barrel shotgun, and he was prepared to use it.
"When the mother of two of the girls wouldn't be quiet, they forced her into the back bedroom and they started beating her up, causing a lot of damage to her ribs," said Angela Rodriguez, a friend of the victims. "When one of the other girls tried to escape out the back door, he shot her with a shotgun."
The shooting victim was wounded in the chest and taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital for what police said were non-life threatening injuries.
Police were looking for the suspect Friday morning. They said he may be the same person who held up people at an ATM machine in the same vicinity.
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BREAKING: Explosive situation on San Antonio freeway
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Interstate 35 was shut down in borth directions in northeast San Antonio Friday morning after an accident involving an 18-wheeler believed to be loaded with explosives.
The truck and trailer was northbound on I-35 when it rolled over near the Interstate 410 interchange.
No injuries were reported, but homes and businesses were evacuated within a half-mile radius.
Fire officials said the truck's manifest showed it was carrying 1.5 tons of a material used to ignite explosives, and may also contain highly explosive ammonium nitrate.
KENS CBS 5 in San Antonio contributed to this report.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Interstate 35 was shut down in borth directions in northeast San Antonio Friday morning after an accident involving an 18-wheeler believed to be loaded with explosives.
The truck and trailer was northbound on I-35 when it rolled over near the Interstate 410 interchange.
No injuries were reported, but homes and businesses were evacuated within a half-mile radius.
Fire officials said the truck's manifest showed it was carrying 1.5 tons of a material used to ignite explosives, and may also contain highly explosive ammonium nitrate.
KENS CBS 5 in San Antonio contributed to this report.
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Denton explosive devices 'extremely dangerous'
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
DENTON, Texas - Authorities in Denton are trying to identify who is responsible for blowing up a resident's mailbox with a homemade explosive device.
The explosion was so powerful investigators are concerned another incident could injure or kill someone.
Elizabeth Blanton and her children often go out together to get the mail - which frightens her even more after what happened early Wednesday morning.
"The rivets of our mailbox were just blown out," Blanton said.
Someone used a homemade chemical device to blow up her mailbox, sending debris across the street and as far as 50 feet away.
Authorities suspect Blanton's mailbox was picked at random.
"It's a prank that could kill somebody, or it could have blinded one of us or burned our face," Blanton said.
Denton fire marshal Rick Jones called such mischief "extremely dangerous".
The incident was similar to the explosions of a mailbox and road sign in Collin County, discovered on a videotape seized by authorities there.
According to Jones, most homemade explosive devices have no time fuse, so thrill seekers, vandals and pranksters don't know when they'll go off.
"Somebody comes and checks their mail about the time it discharges, and we're gonna have a death," Jones said. "That's going to be capital murder, and we're going to pursue that."
Anyone in the path of the explosion - including a passing motorist or jogger - is in danger.
The fire marshal has investigated about a dozen incidents in the last year, so far with only minor injuries. He's now sharing information with other counties in search of any case similarities.
"I was very relieved that we were all asleep and no one got hurt," Blanton said.
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
DENTON, Texas - Authorities in Denton are trying to identify who is responsible for blowing up a resident's mailbox with a homemade explosive device.
The explosion was so powerful investigators are concerned another incident could injure or kill someone.
Elizabeth Blanton and her children often go out together to get the mail - which frightens her even more after what happened early Wednesday morning.
"The rivets of our mailbox were just blown out," Blanton said.
Someone used a homemade chemical device to blow up her mailbox, sending debris across the street and as far as 50 feet away.
Authorities suspect Blanton's mailbox was picked at random.
"It's a prank that could kill somebody, or it could have blinded one of us or burned our face," Blanton said.
Denton fire marshal Rick Jones called such mischief "extremely dangerous".
The incident was similar to the explosions of a mailbox and road sign in Collin County, discovered on a videotape seized by authorities there.
According to Jones, most homemade explosive devices have no time fuse, so thrill seekers, vandals and pranksters don't know when they'll go off.
"Somebody comes and checks their mail about the time it discharges, and we're gonna have a death," Jones said. "That's going to be capital murder, and we're going to pursue that."
Anyone in the path of the explosion - including a passing motorist or jogger - is in danger.
The fire marshal has investigated about a dozen incidents in the last year, so far with only minor injuries. He's now sharing information with other counties in search of any case similarities.
"I was very relieved that we were all asleep and no one got hurt," Blanton said.
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Missing Dallas man returns home
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Dallas hotel catering manager reported missing in Mexico returned home on Thursday.
Eric Hinnant was last seen Memorial Day at the Mexico City airport, but never boarded his flight home.
Hinnant's friends sought help, filing a missing-persons report with the Mexican consul and checking hospitals and jails.
So far, no one is saying what happened to Hinnant, only that he is safe.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Dallas hotel catering manager reported missing in Mexico returned home on Thursday.
Eric Hinnant was last seen Memorial Day at the Mexico City airport, but never boarded his flight home.
Hinnant's friends sought help, filing a missing-persons report with the Mexican consul and checking hospitals and jails.
So far, no one is saying what happened to Hinnant, only that he is safe.
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Damaged Irving intersection to reopen
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
IRVING, Texas - Motorists in Irving will soon be able to travel under Highway 183 on MacArthur Boulevard once again.
Both roads were badly damaged last month when a gasoline tanker truck exploded after being cut off by a suspected drunken driver.
On Friday, officials will reopen the southbound lanes of MacArthur, followed by the northbound turning lane.
Since Memorial Day weekend, drivers have limped through the intersection and bridge. Inderjit Tnjal Khnna is one of thousands of motorists who have been making a detour around the intersection for weeks, and the lanes' reopening opens up more driving options for her.
"I live on MacArthur right near the Four Seasons Hotel, so for me ... it's going to be more convenient," Khnna said.
Crews spent the day Thursday getting the intersection cleaned up and ready for traffic, and keeping gasoline and other chemical residue from getting into sewer and water systems.
"It's just spray washing right now, but since it's a hazardous material it looks like they're just sucking it all up and putting it in a vacuum truck," said Irving transportation director James Cline.
Officials said it will probably take three to four more weeks to finish all the repairs.
"We want to make sure that we can get motorists back to their usual routine of being able to have access to 183," said TxDOT's Angela Loston. "We want to remedy the problem as soon as possible."
Engineers have inspected the bridge several times and determined it can be repaired rather than replaced, despite the damage.
"They overbuild these structures, and we build in a factor of safety," Loston said. "That protects the public, certainly when an incident like this happens."
Officials promise the lanes will be open by sometime Friday afternoon.
Nearby businesses are also very pleased, because some of them said customer traffic has dropped off substantially since the accident.
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
IRVING, Texas - Motorists in Irving will soon be able to travel under Highway 183 on MacArthur Boulevard once again.
Both roads were badly damaged last month when a gasoline tanker truck exploded after being cut off by a suspected drunken driver.
On Friday, officials will reopen the southbound lanes of MacArthur, followed by the northbound turning lane.
Since Memorial Day weekend, drivers have limped through the intersection and bridge. Inderjit Tnjal Khnna is one of thousands of motorists who have been making a detour around the intersection for weeks, and the lanes' reopening opens up more driving options for her.
"I live on MacArthur right near the Four Seasons Hotel, so for me ... it's going to be more convenient," Khnna said.
Crews spent the day Thursday getting the intersection cleaned up and ready for traffic, and keeping gasoline and other chemical residue from getting into sewer and water systems.
"It's just spray washing right now, but since it's a hazardous material it looks like they're just sucking it all up and putting it in a vacuum truck," said Irving transportation director James Cline.
Officials said it will probably take three to four more weeks to finish all the repairs.
"We want to make sure that we can get motorists back to their usual routine of being able to have access to 183," said TxDOT's Angela Loston. "We want to remedy the problem as soon as possible."
Engineers have inspected the bridge several times and determined it can be repaired rather than replaced, despite the damage.
"They overbuild these structures, and we build in a factor of safety," Loston said. "That protects the public, certainly when an incident like this happens."
Officials promise the lanes will be open by sometime Friday afternoon.
Nearby businesses are also very pleased, because some of them said customer traffic has dropped off substantially since the accident.
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Suspect says baby's death a 'reckless accident'
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - An East Dallas man is facing a capital murder charge after a three-month-old baby died in his care.
Police believe Marcus Jerome Hall killed Isabel Alverez; Hall said the baby choked on milk.
"I shook her a little bit, then I stopped because I knew this wasn't going to work," Hall said.
Soon, he said, the baby just stopped breathing. But the medical examiner blames the death on homicidal violence - blunt force with head injuries, and possible asphyxia.
"I did not do nothing to hurt the baby," Hall said.
He said he did try CPR, but when that failed he waited hours before calling an ambulance. Why? Because 10 years before, he'd been arrested - and eventually cleared - in the death of another baby.
"I got nervous and panicked, and said, 'Oh no here we go again, 10 years later,'" he said.
Hall waited three hours before dialing 911, pretending to be calling for a friend.
The operator asked, "Is she breathing now?
"No, this happened 30-40 minutes ago," Hall said. "He's afraid to call; he don't want the police to come and accuse him because he's the only adult in the house."
"I was afraid," Hall said later.
Now, he's facing the death penalty - but he's not accepting responsibility.
"It was not my fault, this was a reckless accident," he said. "Reckless is not calling when I was supposed to call."
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - An East Dallas man is facing a capital murder charge after a three-month-old baby died in his care.
Police believe Marcus Jerome Hall killed Isabel Alverez; Hall said the baby choked on milk.
"I shook her a little bit, then I stopped because I knew this wasn't going to work," Hall said.
Soon, he said, the baby just stopped breathing. But the medical examiner blames the death on homicidal violence - blunt force with head injuries, and possible asphyxia.
"I did not do nothing to hurt the baby," Hall said.
He said he did try CPR, but when that failed he waited hours before calling an ambulance. Why? Because 10 years before, he'd been arrested - and eventually cleared - in the death of another baby.
"I got nervous and panicked, and said, 'Oh no here we go again, 10 years later,'" he said.
Hall waited three hours before dialing 911, pretending to be calling for a friend.
The operator asked, "Is she breathing now?
"No, this happened 30-40 minutes ago," Hall said. "He's afraid to call; he don't want the police to come and accuse him because he's the only adult in the house."
"I was afraid," Hall said later.
Now, he's facing the death penalty - but he's not accepting responsibility.
"It was not my fault, this was a reckless accident," he said. "Reckless is not calling when I was supposed to call."
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Trailer park murder suspect appears in court
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas man accused of killing an 11-year-old girl in a mobile home park appeared in court Thursday.
Steven Long appeared in court to hear the evidence against him in the murder of Kaitlyn Briana Smith. The judge presiding over the case found sufficient evidence to keep Long in jail as the Dallas County district attorney's office seeks a capital murder indictment.
A homicide detective testified the suspect blamed his actions on an alter ego long referred to as "Pretty Boy."
"The defendant stated Pretty Boy had done something," said Dallas Police Det. John Davison.
Police found Kaitlyn's body underneath a vacant trailer nearby. An arrest warrant reveals Long told investigators Pretty Boy hid the child's body after strangling the girl at a trailer across the street.
The defendant's attorney questioned why detectives failed to get Long legal representation during the interrogation.
"Suspects frequently try to blame crimes on alter egos or other mental defects," said assistant district attorney Toby Shook.
Some who live in the mobile home park have suspicions too. Jennifer Meadows became acquainted with Long after the two tried to breed their pit bulls.
"When we met the dog, that was the name of the dog - 'Pretty Boy,'" Meadows said.
But detectives also testified they have physical evidence.
"A bloody fingerprint was lifted from inside the metal awning that went around the bottom of the vacant trailer," Davison said.
The district attorney's office continues to build its case against Long, and will attempt to seek the death penalty. In the meantime, the judge kept the bond for Long at $750,000.
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas man accused of killing an 11-year-old girl in a mobile home park appeared in court Thursday.
Steven Long appeared in court to hear the evidence against him in the murder of Kaitlyn Briana Smith. The judge presiding over the case found sufficient evidence to keep Long in jail as the Dallas County district attorney's office seeks a capital murder indictment.
A homicide detective testified the suspect blamed his actions on an alter ego long referred to as "Pretty Boy."
"The defendant stated Pretty Boy had done something," said Dallas Police Det. John Davison.
Police found Kaitlyn's body underneath a vacant trailer nearby. An arrest warrant reveals Long told investigators Pretty Boy hid the child's body after strangling the girl at a trailer across the street.
The defendant's attorney questioned why detectives failed to get Long legal representation during the interrogation.
"Suspects frequently try to blame crimes on alter egos or other mental defects," said assistant district attorney Toby Shook.
Some who live in the mobile home park have suspicions too. Jennifer Meadows became acquainted with Long after the two tried to breed their pit bulls.
"When we met the dog, that was the name of the dog - 'Pretty Boy,'" Meadows said.
But detectives also testified they have physical evidence.
"A bloody fingerprint was lifted from inside the metal awning that went around the bottom of the vacant trailer," Davison said.
The district attorney's office continues to build its case against Long, and will attempt to seek the death penalty. In the meantime, the judge kept the bond for Long at $750,000.
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Woman claims wandering toddler
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Four hours after a two-year-old was found wandering the streets of far northeast Dallas early Thursday morning, a panic-stricken woman claiming to be the child's mother asked how she could be reunited with the girl.
The bizarre story began around 3:30 a.m. when Kesha Garrett was leaving her apartment to get something to eat and was shocked to discover the toddler-wearing only a T-shirt-standing on a sidewalk near the busy intersection of Lawler Road and Audelia Road.
"She was a very beautiful little girl," Garrett said. "She wasn't scared at all. She was real content; she wasn't crying. The officers came and they put her in the car, they gave her a teddy bear."
Police said the girl identified herself only as "Emma" and said she appeared to be unharmed.
The girl was placed in the custody of Child Protective Services workers as police knocked on doors at nearby Regal Springs Apartments looking for her parents.
By 9 a.m., Dallas police were able to confirm the identity of the child's mother and she was on her way to be reunited with the girl.
Sr. Cpl. Max Geron said police would investigate how the girl got away from her guardian’s care before deciding whether charges should be filed.
"I was just thankful that I found her and that she's all right now," Garrett said. "And her parents? I hope this is a lesson learned for them. They need to watch their kids."
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Four hours after a two-year-old was found wandering the streets of far northeast Dallas early Thursday morning, a panic-stricken woman claiming to be the child's mother asked how she could be reunited with the girl.
The bizarre story began around 3:30 a.m. when Kesha Garrett was leaving her apartment to get something to eat and was shocked to discover the toddler-wearing only a T-shirt-standing on a sidewalk near the busy intersection of Lawler Road and Audelia Road.
"She was a very beautiful little girl," Garrett said. "She wasn't scared at all. She was real content; she wasn't crying. The officers came and they put her in the car, they gave her a teddy bear."
Police said the girl identified herself only as "Emma" and said she appeared to be unharmed.
The girl was placed in the custody of Child Protective Services workers as police knocked on doors at nearby Regal Springs Apartments looking for her parents.
By 9 a.m., Dallas police were able to confirm the identity of the child's mother and she was on her way to be reunited with the girl.
Sr. Cpl. Max Geron said police would investigate how the girl got away from her guardian’s care before deciding whether charges should be filed.
"I was just thankful that I found her and that she's all right now," Garrett said. "And her parents? I hope this is a lesson learned for them. They need to watch their kids."
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Explosive situation on San Antonio freeway (Updated)
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — A tandem-trailer rig hauling more than a ton of explosive charges rolled over early Friday, forcing the shutdown of two busy freeways and the evacuation of nearby neighborhoods.
Police and fire officials said the danger of explosion was low, but that Interstate 35 and Interstate 410 in the city's northeast corner could be closed all day to clean up the scene.
"It's a serious situation, but a stable situation," Randy Jenkins, San Antonio Fire Department spokesman, told KSAT-TV.
The rollover occurred near a nursing home, prompting the evacuation of nearly 200 elderly residents to an elementary school.
Sandy Perez, a police spokeswoman, said about 2,000 residents and workers had to be moved out of an area in a half-mile radius of the crash.
Perez said a passenger in the tandem trailer was taken to a local hospital, and that police were interviewing the truck's driver.
Police say they believe the rig was traveling too fast when it tipped over on a ramp connecting I-35 and westbound lanes of I-410.
Part of its cargo was an estimated 3,200 pounds of detonating charges, which are set off to ignite larger explosions in mines and other industrial uses.
Initial reports indicated ammonium nitrate may have been in one of the tandem trailers, but Jenkins said there was none of the highly explosive material on board.
KENS CBS 5 in San Antonio contributed to this report.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — A tandem-trailer rig hauling more than a ton of explosive charges rolled over early Friday, forcing the shutdown of two busy freeways and the evacuation of nearby neighborhoods.
Police and fire officials said the danger of explosion was low, but that Interstate 35 and Interstate 410 in the city's northeast corner could be closed all day to clean up the scene.
"It's a serious situation, but a stable situation," Randy Jenkins, San Antonio Fire Department spokesman, told KSAT-TV.
The rollover occurred near a nursing home, prompting the evacuation of nearly 200 elderly residents to an elementary school.
Sandy Perez, a police spokeswoman, said about 2,000 residents and workers had to be moved out of an area in a half-mile radius of the crash.
Perez said a passenger in the tandem trailer was taken to a local hospital, and that police were interviewing the truck's driver.
Police say they believe the rig was traveling too fast when it tipped over on a ramp connecting I-35 and westbound lanes of I-410.
Part of its cargo was an estimated 3,200 pounds of detonating charges, which are set off to ignite larger explosions in mines and other industrial uses.
Initial reports indicated ammonium nitrate may have been in one of the tandem trailers, but Jenkins said there was none of the highly explosive material on board.
KENS CBS 5 in San Antonio contributed to this report.
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Parents ask judge to stop daughter's chemo
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — A judge was expected to rule Friday whether two parents can continue withholding cancer treatment for their 12-year-old daughter in a case that has drawn national attention to the issue of parental rights in children's medical care.
Texas Child Protective Services removed Katie Wernecke and her siblings from the home of Michele and Edward Wernecke last week after doctors said discontinued treatment could be life-threatening.
While her three brothers have been returned home, Katie has remained in foster care.
Judge Carl Lewis was to hear doctors' opinions and decide whether treatment was necessary in the days leading up to the June 15 custody hearing.
"They're trying to have a doctor force medical care on us which is not of our choosing," Edward Wernecke said. "If my wife hadn't taken my child and ran away they already would have completed the radiation treatment without our consent and without a hearing."
Katie was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease in January, when her parents brought her to the hospital for pneumonia treatment.
The parents insist the four rounds of chemotherapy Katie received killed the cancer and that the recommended radiation therapy would only harm a healthy girl.
"She's a 12-year-old child, she still hasn't developed into a young woman yet," Edward Wernecke said, listing breast cancer, heart damage, lung damage, stunted growth, and learning problems as side effects "you can read about anywhere in the literature. The little girl loves softball. She may want to be the next world champion softball player. She gets radiation treatment, she doesn't get the chance."
CPS officials intervened after receiving a tip that Katie's care was being compromised.
After they couldn't locate Katie, Nueces County sheriff's officials issued an Amber Alert.
They found Katie with her mother at a family ranch and arrested the mother on charges of interfering with child custody.
Michele Wernecke was free on $50,000 bond but prohibited from joining the rest of the family at Katie's 13th birthday party at CPS offices Friday evening.
The siblings, three boys, were reunited with the parents Friday morning following a CPS inspection of the home.
CPS spokesman Darrell Azar said there had been "conditions at the house that concerned us."
Katie remained in foster care.
In a videotaped statement recorded by her parents and shown over national television, Katie says, "I don't need radiation treatment. And nobody asked me what I wanted. It's my body."
But Azar said doctor after doctor agreed the treatment was necessary.
"Right now it's up to the judge to balance the concern in terms of parental rights against the medical needs of the child," Azar said. "We understand that any time government is forced to get involved with the working needs of the family it's going to be a sensitive situation and we understand the family being upset, but it is our charge to help the life and welfare of children."
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — A judge was expected to rule Friday whether two parents can continue withholding cancer treatment for their 12-year-old daughter in a case that has drawn national attention to the issue of parental rights in children's medical care.
Texas Child Protective Services removed Katie Wernecke and her siblings from the home of Michele and Edward Wernecke last week after doctors said discontinued treatment could be life-threatening.
While her three brothers have been returned home, Katie has remained in foster care.
Judge Carl Lewis was to hear doctors' opinions and decide whether treatment was necessary in the days leading up to the June 15 custody hearing.
"They're trying to have a doctor force medical care on us which is not of our choosing," Edward Wernecke said. "If my wife hadn't taken my child and ran away they already would have completed the radiation treatment without our consent and without a hearing."
Katie was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease in January, when her parents brought her to the hospital for pneumonia treatment.
The parents insist the four rounds of chemotherapy Katie received killed the cancer and that the recommended radiation therapy would only harm a healthy girl.
"She's a 12-year-old child, she still hasn't developed into a young woman yet," Edward Wernecke said, listing breast cancer, heart damage, lung damage, stunted growth, and learning problems as side effects "you can read about anywhere in the literature. The little girl loves softball. She may want to be the next world champion softball player. She gets radiation treatment, she doesn't get the chance."
CPS officials intervened after receiving a tip that Katie's care was being compromised.
After they couldn't locate Katie, Nueces County sheriff's officials issued an Amber Alert.
They found Katie with her mother at a family ranch and arrested the mother on charges of interfering with child custody.
Michele Wernecke was free on $50,000 bond but prohibited from joining the rest of the family at Katie's 13th birthday party at CPS offices Friday evening.
The siblings, three boys, were reunited with the parents Friday morning following a CPS inspection of the home.
CPS spokesman Darrell Azar said there had been "conditions at the house that concerned us."
Katie remained in foster care.
In a videotaped statement recorded by her parents and shown over national television, Katie says, "I don't need radiation treatment. And nobody asked me what I wanted. It's my body."
But Azar said doctor after doctor agreed the treatment was necessary.
"Right now it's up to the judge to balance the concern in terms of parental rights against the medical needs of the child," Azar said. "We understand that any time government is forced to get involved with the working needs of the family it's going to be a sensitive situation and we understand the family being upset, but it is our charge to help the life and welfare of children."
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TexasStooge
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For students, try, try, trying again on classes to cost 'em
DCCCD: Fees raised to offset loss of state aid for repeating courses
By HOLLY K. HACKER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - For students in Dallas County Community Colleges, the third time's the harm – to their bank accounts.
Starting this fall, students who register a third time for the same class will have to pay more: $83 per credit hour instead of the normal $33. College leaders say they're not trying to punish students who fail or drop the same class more than once. They're just trying to recoup money they no longer get from the state.
Two years ago, the Legislature decided to stop subsidizing colleges for students who take the same class three or more times. Since then, the Dallas college district has lost about $2 million in state money, said Bob Brown, vice chancellor of business affairs. That figure represents 12,000 classes taken by 7,200 students.
This session, the Legislature allowed community colleges to charge more for those third attempts.
The rules apply to most classes that students took for the first time in fall 2002 or later. The neighboring community colleges in Tarrant and Collin counties took a different route: They stopped letting students take the same class more than twice.
In Dallas County, "that just didn't seem like a fair option to us," said Richard McCrary, assistant vice chancellor of educational affairs.
Many students juggle school with work or family and can't always complete a class successfully, he said.
Student Jaquite Robinson, for one, said she doesn't think the new policy is good for students.
"I don't think they should have to pay extra. Maybe they're having a hard time with the subject," Ms. Robinson said, noting that she struggled with algebra.
She suggested that colleges make sure students know they can get tutoring, so they can pass classes on the first or second try.
Dallas officials say they're publicizing the new policy in time for fall registration, which begins Tuesday. Information is online at http://www.dcccd.edu. Click on "current students," then "paying for college" and then "third course attempt."
Trustees OK'd the policy Tuesday. They also decided to buy 36 acres in Coppell for $8.7 million. The property, at State Highway 121 and Sandy Lake Road, will be home to one of five new education centers in the district.
The district has also bought land in Garland and is eyeing properties in Pleasant Grove, south Irving and west Dallas.
DCCCD: Fees raised to offset loss of state aid for repeating courses
By HOLLY K. HACKER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - For students in Dallas County Community Colleges, the third time's the harm – to their bank accounts.
Starting this fall, students who register a third time for the same class will have to pay more: $83 per credit hour instead of the normal $33. College leaders say they're not trying to punish students who fail or drop the same class more than once. They're just trying to recoup money they no longer get from the state.
Two years ago, the Legislature decided to stop subsidizing colleges for students who take the same class three or more times. Since then, the Dallas college district has lost about $2 million in state money, said Bob Brown, vice chancellor of business affairs. That figure represents 12,000 classes taken by 7,200 students.
This session, the Legislature allowed community colleges to charge more for those third attempts.
The rules apply to most classes that students took for the first time in fall 2002 or later. The neighboring community colleges in Tarrant and Collin counties took a different route: They stopped letting students take the same class more than twice.
In Dallas County, "that just didn't seem like a fair option to us," said Richard McCrary, assistant vice chancellor of educational affairs.
Many students juggle school with work or family and can't always complete a class successfully, he said.
Student Jaquite Robinson, for one, said she doesn't think the new policy is good for students.
"I don't think they should have to pay extra. Maybe they're having a hard time with the subject," Ms. Robinson said, noting that she struggled with algebra.
She suggested that colleges make sure students know they can get tutoring, so they can pass classes on the first or second try.
Dallas officials say they're publicizing the new policy in time for fall registration, which begins Tuesday. Information is online at http://www.dcccd.edu. Click on "current students," then "paying for college" and then "third course attempt."
Trustees OK'd the policy Tuesday. They also decided to buy 36 acres in Coppell for $8.7 million. The property, at State Highway 121 and Sandy Lake Road, will be home to one of five new education centers in the district.
The district has also bought land in Garland and is eyeing properties in Pleasant Grove, south Irving and west Dallas.
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TexasStooge
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Tragedy on turnpike still unsolved
A year later, couple's families won't talk about murder-suicide
By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
RICHARDSON, Texas - Emotions ruled him. Love. Anger. Fear.
Paul Lamar Stephens wrote about his feelings for girlfriend Lorena Osorio Godoy in a journal where he blamed himself for their problems.
"It's my fault because I act too possessive," he wrote. "I act as if I think I own her."
One year ago Friday, the anger overcame Mr. Stephens as he dragged Ms. Godoy out of his Mercedes-Benz sports convertible, lifted her 95-pound frame over the railing and tossed her off a Bush Turnpike overpass.
Theories abound. Still no one knows what sparked the argument that killed Ms. Godoy, followed by Mr. Stephens who jumped 85 feet to his death as witnesses approached the awful scene.
The only answers can be found in Mr. Stephens journal, which reveals a man conflicted and remorseful about his rage.
"My insecurity may be the problem. I think I try to put her in situations where she's miserable just to see if she'll stay with me even though she is miserable."
The families of both Ms. Godoy and Mr. Stephens, ages 21 and 30 respectively, say the pain is still too fresh to talk about their loved ones.
"When someone mentions Lorena's name, [her sisters] break down into tears," said Scott Pyle, Ms. Godoy's brother-in-law. "This is really traumatic for them. This was murder."
And it was unexpected, he said. Although the couple were divided by nine years and different backgrounds – she was a Honduran immigrant and he was a privileged college graduate – they loved each other.
The couple regularly spent months at a time in Florida with Mr. Stephens' family when he was between computer contract jobs. And they had talked about getting married and moving back to Florida just a month before their deaths, Mr. Pyle said.
Family members say they never saw any signs of physical violence. Ms. Stephens and Ms. Godoy argued occasionally. After a couple of squabbles Ms. Godoy moved out. But she always returned.
From Mr. Stephens' undated journal, which was given to police by his roommate, he writes at length about mishandling his love for Ms. Godoy after an apparent breakup during their six-year relationship.
"I deserve this. It hurts a lot but I deserve it. Sometimes it feels like the only thing that keeps me going is the hope that things will be better sometime later on."
"That is how I feel when she leaves. This is the worst feeling. If this is life, I don't want it. This is worse than not living," he wrote.
The argument on June 10, 2004, started at the Dallas AMLI Knox-Henderson apartments in Dallas, Richardson police say.
Ms. Godoy tried to drive away in the Mercedes about 4:35 p.m. But Mr. Stephens broke the driver's side window. He pushed her into the passenger seat and drove toward Central Expressway, witnesses said.
Minutes later a Highland Park police dispatcher received a call from Ms. Godoy's cellphone and heard a woman screaming incoherently. The phone disconnected, and return calls to the phone went unanswered, officials said.
Thirty minutes after leaving the apartment, both were dead.
While going through his son's paperwork, Wayne Stephens discovered a receipt for an abortion that Ms. Godoy received a couple of weeks before her death, police documents show. He suggested to police that his son didn't know about the abortion and that the child might not be his son's. Both could be reasons for the argument, the elder Mr. Stephens told police.
But Richardson police investigators pointed out that the abortion was paid for with Mr. Stephens' credit card. And paperwork at the clinic showed that Ms. Godoy's boyfriend was there that day.
Mr. Pyle said that regardless of the reason, the blame for Ms. Godoy's death lies solely with the younger Mr. Stephens.
"I don't see how there can be any doubt," said Mr. Pyle, the husband of Ms. Godoy's older sister, Karla. "The culpability of Paul is crystal clear. He had a history of such behaviors."
While dating Ms. Stephens at Southern Methodist University, Meredith Tichenor said, she was privy to his emotional outbursts.
During one incident in 1995 she went to his apartment thinking they were going to break up. He asked her about a guy she dated a couple of weeks when they weren't together and went into a rage.
"He hit me in the mouth. My teeth went into my lip ... and I was bleeding," said Ms. Tichenor, now 29. "Then he just went into a rage. He would go through anger to fits of cursing to crying."
He was worried that he might have broken his hand on her face, she said, and the SMU tennis star had a match the next day.
Ms. Tichenor said it became her habit to make excuses for his outbursts.
"If I did this right, then he wouldn't get angry at me. There were times he was a perfect boyfriend. He had many good qualities. Paul was very spontaneous and had a lot of energy. But he was also possessive and had this rage," she said.
Friend Scott Jackson of Dallas has said that Mr. Stephens has mistakenly been labeled a bad guy. Mr. Stephens loved Ms. Godoy and took good care of her, Mr. Jackson said. He had dinner with the couple not long before their deaths.
He said there were reasonable explanations for the past accusations. Every story has multiple sides, he said, and the truth rests somewhere in the middle.
With Ms. Godoy, control issues continued, according to Mr. Stephens' journal.
"She doesn't want to be unhappy. She really loves me and she knows I love her but she's not willing to be miserable to be with me.
"Maybe I'm willing to be miserable to be with her, but she's not willing to be miserable to be with me. Maybe it means I love her more than she loves me."
Melanie Prescott, the director of nonresidential services at a Garland family violence shelter, New Beginning Center, said people who abuse their partners tend to justify it by blaming the victim.
"As long as there are few or no societal or legal consequence, there is no motive to change his behavior because it continues to work for him. My understanding is Paul had a few slaps on the wrists, but he got away with it all," she said.
Mr. Stephens was arrested in connection with an assault against Ms. Godoy in 2000 but was not convicted. A previous girlfriend had a restraining order against him in 1998.
In 2003, there were 153 women killed by intimate partners in Texas, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence.
A year later, couple's families won't talk about murder-suicide
By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
RICHARDSON, Texas - Emotions ruled him. Love. Anger. Fear.
Paul Lamar Stephens wrote about his feelings for girlfriend Lorena Osorio Godoy in a journal where he blamed himself for their problems.
"It's my fault because I act too possessive," he wrote. "I act as if I think I own her."
One year ago Friday, the anger overcame Mr. Stephens as he dragged Ms. Godoy out of his Mercedes-Benz sports convertible, lifted her 95-pound frame over the railing and tossed her off a Bush Turnpike overpass.
Theories abound. Still no one knows what sparked the argument that killed Ms. Godoy, followed by Mr. Stephens who jumped 85 feet to his death as witnesses approached the awful scene.
The only answers can be found in Mr. Stephens journal, which reveals a man conflicted and remorseful about his rage.
"My insecurity may be the problem. I think I try to put her in situations where she's miserable just to see if she'll stay with me even though she is miserable."
The families of both Ms. Godoy and Mr. Stephens, ages 21 and 30 respectively, say the pain is still too fresh to talk about their loved ones.
"When someone mentions Lorena's name, [her sisters] break down into tears," said Scott Pyle, Ms. Godoy's brother-in-law. "This is really traumatic for them. This was murder."
And it was unexpected, he said. Although the couple were divided by nine years and different backgrounds – she was a Honduran immigrant and he was a privileged college graduate – they loved each other.
The couple regularly spent months at a time in Florida with Mr. Stephens' family when he was between computer contract jobs. And they had talked about getting married and moving back to Florida just a month before their deaths, Mr. Pyle said.
Family members say they never saw any signs of physical violence. Ms. Stephens and Ms. Godoy argued occasionally. After a couple of squabbles Ms. Godoy moved out. But she always returned.
From Mr. Stephens' undated journal, which was given to police by his roommate, he writes at length about mishandling his love for Ms. Godoy after an apparent breakup during their six-year relationship.
"I deserve this. It hurts a lot but I deserve it. Sometimes it feels like the only thing that keeps me going is the hope that things will be better sometime later on."
"That is how I feel when she leaves. This is the worst feeling. If this is life, I don't want it. This is worse than not living," he wrote.
The argument on June 10, 2004, started at the Dallas AMLI Knox-Henderson apartments in Dallas, Richardson police say.
Ms. Godoy tried to drive away in the Mercedes about 4:35 p.m. But Mr. Stephens broke the driver's side window. He pushed her into the passenger seat and drove toward Central Expressway, witnesses said.
Minutes later a Highland Park police dispatcher received a call from Ms. Godoy's cellphone and heard a woman screaming incoherently. The phone disconnected, and return calls to the phone went unanswered, officials said.
Thirty minutes after leaving the apartment, both were dead.
While going through his son's paperwork, Wayne Stephens discovered a receipt for an abortion that Ms. Godoy received a couple of weeks before her death, police documents show. He suggested to police that his son didn't know about the abortion and that the child might not be his son's. Both could be reasons for the argument, the elder Mr. Stephens told police.
But Richardson police investigators pointed out that the abortion was paid for with Mr. Stephens' credit card. And paperwork at the clinic showed that Ms. Godoy's boyfriend was there that day.
Mr. Pyle said that regardless of the reason, the blame for Ms. Godoy's death lies solely with the younger Mr. Stephens.
"I don't see how there can be any doubt," said Mr. Pyle, the husband of Ms. Godoy's older sister, Karla. "The culpability of Paul is crystal clear. He had a history of such behaviors."
While dating Ms. Stephens at Southern Methodist University, Meredith Tichenor said, she was privy to his emotional outbursts.
During one incident in 1995 she went to his apartment thinking they were going to break up. He asked her about a guy she dated a couple of weeks when they weren't together and went into a rage.
"He hit me in the mouth. My teeth went into my lip ... and I was bleeding," said Ms. Tichenor, now 29. "Then he just went into a rage. He would go through anger to fits of cursing to crying."
He was worried that he might have broken his hand on her face, she said, and the SMU tennis star had a match the next day.
Ms. Tichenor said it became her habit to make excuses for his outbursts.
"If I did this right, then he wouldn't get angry at me. There were times he was a perfect boyfriend. He had many good qualities. Paul was very spontaneous and had a lot of energy. But he was also possessive and had this rage," she said.
Friend Scott Jackson of Dallas has said that Mr. Stephens has mistakenly been labeled a bad guy. Mr. Stephens loved Ms. Godoy and took good care of her, Mr. Jackson said. He had dinner with the couple not long before their deaths.
He said there were reasonable explanations for the past accusations. Every story has multiple sides, he said, and the truth rests somewhere in the middle.
With Ms. Godoy, control issues continued, according to Mr. Stephens' journal.
"She doesn't want to be unhappy. She really loves me and she knows I love her but she's not willing to be miserable to be with me.
"Maybe I'm willing to be miserable to be with her, but she's not willing to be miserable to be with me. Maybe it means I love her more than she loves me."
Melanie Prescott, the director of nonresidential services at a Garland family violence shelter, New Beginning Center, said people who abuse their partners tend to justify it by blaming the victim.
"As long as there are few or no societal or legal consequence, there is no motive to change his behavior because it continues to work for him. My understanding is Paul had a few slaps on the wrists, but he got away with it all," she said.
Mr. Stephens was arrested in connection with an assault against Ms. Godoy in 2000 but was not convicted. A previous girlfriend had a restraining order against him in 1998.
In 2003, there were 153 women killed by intimate partners in Texas, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence.
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TexasStooge
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Continuing from previous story posted...
TIMELINE:
June 10, 2004:
4:35 p.m. - Lorena Osorio Godoy and Paul Lamar Stephens are seen arguing outside their Dallas apartment. Witnesses said they saw Mr. Stephens carrying a struggling Ms. Godoy. She managed to get away from him and lock herself in his 2000 Mercedes-Benz SLK230. He used a rock to break the driver's side window, forced Ms. Godoy into the passenger seat and drove toward Central Expressway.
4:44 p.m. - A Highland Park dispatcher received a 911 call from Ms. Godoy's cellphone and heard a woman screaming incoherently. The phone went dead, and attempts to call back were not answered. The cell tower that transmitted that call is at Central Expressway and Mockingbird Lane.
5:09 p.m. - Richardson police receive the first call that a couple were coming to blows on the Bush Turnpike on the bridge over Central Expressway. From witness accounts police determined that Mr. Stephens pulled Ms. Godoy from the car and threw her over the railing 85 feet onto the southbound lanes of Central Expressway. As witnesses approached him, Mr. Stephens jumped off the bridge.
5:16 p.m. - Ms. Godoy was pronounced dead at the scene.
5:45 p.m. - Mr. Stephens was taken to Richardson Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCERPTS FROM STEPHENS' JOURNAL
"I deserve to feel this way. It's my fault because I act too possessive. Why do I insist on certain things? I say I don't feel this way, but I act as if I think I own her."
"I think I try to put her in situations where she's miserable just to see if she'll stay with me."
"Am I really an unhappy person? In general? YES. What happened from the time I was born until now to make me that way?"
"Impulses will come and go. But there's always something behind the impulses. Self control and letting go of insecurity will make anyone make better decisions because it's all the subconscious mind that's in control."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOMESTIC ABUSE HOTLINES:
National Domestic Violence hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233); TTY 1-800-787-3224
New Beginning Center in Garland: 972-276-0057
Genesis Women's Shelter in Dallas: 214-942-2998
TIMELINE:
June 10, 2004:
4:35 p.m. - Lorena Osorio Godoy and Paul Lamar Stephens are seen arguing outside their Dallas apartment. Witnesses said they saw Mr. Stephens carrying a struggling Ms. Godoy. She managed to get away from him and lock herself in his 2000 Mercedes-Benz SLK230. He used a rock to break the driver's side window, forced Ms. Godoy into the passenger seat and drove toward Central Expressway.
4:44 p.m. - A Highland Park dispatcher received a 911 call from Ms. Godoy's cellphone and heard a woman screaming incoherently. The phone went dead, and attempts to call back were not answered. The cell tower that transmitted that call is at Central Expressway and Mockingbird Lane.
5:09 p.m. - Richardson police receive the first call that a couple were coming to blows on the Bush Turnpike on the bridge over Central Expressway. From witness accounts police determined that Mr. Stephens pulled Ms. Godoy from the car and threw her over the railing 85 feet onto the southbound lanes of Central Expressway. As witnesses approached him, Mr. Stephens jumped off the bridge.
5:16 p.m. - Ms. Godoy was pronounced dead at the scene.
5:45 p.m. - Mr. Stephens was taken to Richardson Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXCERPTS FROM STEPHENS' JOURNAL
"I deserve to feel this way. It's my fault because I act too possessive. Why do I insist on certain things? I say I don't feel this way, but I act as if I think I own her."
"I think I try to put her in situations where she's miserable just to see if she'll stay with me."
"Am I really an unhappy person? In general? YES. What happened from the time I was born until now to make me that way?"
"Impulses will come and go. But there's always something behind the impulses. Self control and letting go of insecurity will make anyone make better decisions because it's all the subconscious mind that's in control."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOMESTIC ABUSE HOTLINES:
National Domestic Violence hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233); TTY 1-800-787-3224
New Beginning Center in Garland: 972-276-0057
Genesis Women's Shelter in Dallas: 214-942-2998
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TexasStooge
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Arrest warrant issued for Texas sect's leader
By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8
AUSTIN, Texas/COLORADO CITY, Ariz. - Friday evening, Arizona officals issued an arrest warrant for a polygamist leader building a huge compound in West Texas.
The Eldorado Success newspaper reports that the so-called prophet Warren Jeffs has been charged with sexual conduct with a minor.
News 8's Byron Harris has been investigating the sect's history and activities, and has this report on what he found.
The red sandstone clliffs of Canaan Mountain give Colorado City, Arizona a peaceful beauty - but what's happened to its women and girls make it a cauldron of potential violence.
"It is a lot like Waco," one nearby resident said.
Those who live in Colorado City defend the way residents live.
"There are many, many families who are living this lifestyle," one said. "It is a freely-chosen lifestyle."
That chosen lifestyle is polygamy. In Colorado City, population 9,000 - along with Hilldale, Utah, right across the border - it's been normal for decades for men to have several wives, often as young as 13 years of age.
Colorado City is a stronghold of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or FLDS, an outcast offshoot of the Mormon church.
The town's land is held by a trust controlled by the church's prophet Warren Jeffs, who by church authority can excommunicate members, take wives away from men - and as in one case, teach racism as religious doctrine.
"You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, or rude and filthy," Jeffs can be heard in an audiotape addressing his followers.
Randy Mankin runs the only newspaper in Eldorado, a small town 45 miles from San Angelo He's been watching the FLDS build a small city near Eldorado for the last several months.
"The pace of construction is just phenomenal," Mankin said. "We're hearing from some of our sources that they're working 20 hour days."
In 2003, church members bought 1500 acres just outside Eldorado. They called it the YFZ Ranch, and told the Texans it was going to be a hunting preserve. Only later did the locals find out YFZ stood for "Yearning For Zion."
Eldorado resident J.D. Doyle monitors the property for the city at least once a week from the air.
"They've got eleven 21,000-square-foot buildings," Doyle said. "They've got the meeting hall, which is probably double that."
And they have a huge temple, which has nearly popped out of the ground.
A photo taken January 1 shows the area for the foundation. In months, there was a stone building, and now a stunning structure graces the site - all behind locked gates.
The residents of Eldorado said they have no contact at all with the people who live at the YFZ Ranch. The ranch appears to get groceries and construction materials elsewhere. The only phone is a mobile phone, and only Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran has the number.
Doran said the YFZ Ranch inhabitants don't grant interviews. He's been acting as a go-between for concerned citizens of Eldorado and the members of the FLDS.
"I've made three trips to the twin cities of Colorado City, Arizona and Hilldale, Utah," Doran said.
The attorney generals of both Arizona and Utah have taken strong action against the church in the last three weeks. The state of Arizona seized records at the Colorado City School District. Agents for the Arizona Attorney General named Warren Jeffs in a search warrant affidavit, and questioned whether school funds were used by the church, why the district bought a plane, and where $170,000 in school funds went.
"I can't go into details about our investigation, but this is an important step," said Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard.
Utah Attoney General Mark Shurtleff announced a hearing to remove prophet Warren Jeffs and other church members from the trust that controls property in Hilldale and Colorado City.
Just three weeks ago, Shurtleff testified before the Texas Legislature about polygamy and the prophet. As a result, Texas laws have been strengthened to make polygamy a felony. Additionally, it's a crime to marry a woman under the age of 16.
In Arizona, it's a first-degree felony to have sex with a girl as young as 13 - the age at which some young women are forced by the church to marry much older men.
Sherriff Doran will be the one to enforce Texas' new law in Eldorado.
"In our community, if there's a law broken - whether it's incest, rape, what have you - we're going to enforce that aggressively," Doran said. "It's no different for this group."
But as the white temple continues to rise on the outskirts of town, no one knows exactly how many people live there, what's going on in its community or how big it will get.
It will be months before a true picture emerges through the West Texas dust.
The warrant issued Friday in Arizona calls for the arrest of Warren Jeffs, though his whereabouts are unknown.
By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8
AUSTIN, Texas/COLORADO CITY, Ariz. - Friday evening, Arizona officals issued an arrest warrant for a polygamist leader building a huge compound in West Texas.
The Eldorado Success newspaper reports that the so-called prophet Warren Jeffs has been charged with sexual conduct with a minor.
News 8's Byron Harris has been investigating the sect's history and activities, and has this report on what he found.
The red sandstone clliffs of Canaan Mountain give Colorado City, Arizona a peaceful beauty - but what's happened to its women and girls make it a cauldron of potential violence.
"It is a lot like Waco," one nearby resident said.
Those who live in Colorado City defend the way residents live.
"There are many, many families who are living this lifestyle," one said. "It is a freely-chosen lifestyle."
That chosen lifestyle is polygamy. In Colorado City, population 9,000 - along with Hilldale, Utah, right across the border - it's been normal for decades for men to have several wives, often as young as 13 years of age.
Colorado City is a stronghold of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or FLDS, an outcast offshoot of the Mormon church.
The town's land is held by a trust controlled by the church's prophet Warren Jeffs, who by church authority can excommunicate members, take wives away from men - and as in one case, teach racism as religious doctrine.
"You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, or rude and filthy," Jeffs can be heard in an audiotape addressing his followers.
Randy Mankin runs the only newspaper in Eldorado, a small town 45 miles from San Angelo He's been watching the FLDS build a small city near Eldorado for the last several months.
"The pace of construction is just phenomenal," Mankin said. "We're hearing from some of our sources that they're working 20 hour days."
In 2003, church members bought 1500 acres just outside Eldorado. They called it the YFZ Ranch, and told the Texans it was going to be a hunting preserve. Only later did the locals find out YFZ stood for "Yearning For Zion."
Eldorado resident J.D. Doyle monitors the property for the city at least once a week from the air.
"They've got eleven 21,000-square-foot buildings," Doyle said. "They've got the meeting hall, which is probably double that."
And they have a huge temple, which has nearly popped out of the ground.
A photo taken January 1 shows the area for the foundation. In months, there was a stone building, and now a stunning structure graces the site - all behind locked gates.
The residents of Eldorado said they have no contact at all with the people who live at the YFZ Ranch. The ranch appears to get groceries and construction materials elsewhere. The only phone is a mobile phone, and only Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran has the number.
Doran said the YFZ Ranch inhabitants don't grant interviews. He's been acting as a go-between for concerned citizens of Eldorado and the members of the FLDS.
"I've made three trips to the twin cities of Colorado City, Arizona and Hilldale, Utah," Doran said.
The attorney generals of both Arizona and Utah have taken strong action against the church in the last three weeks. The state of Arizona seized records at the Colorado City School District. Agents for the Arizona Attorney General named Warren Jeffs in a search warrant affidavit, and questioned whether school funds were used by the church, why the district bought a plane, and where $170,000 in school funds went.
"I can't go into details about our investigation, but this is an important step," said Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard.
Utah Attoney General Mark Shurtleff announced a hearing to remove prophet Warren Jeffs and other church members from the trust that controls property in Hilldale and Colorado City.
Just three weeks ago, Shurtleff testified before the Texas Legislature about polygamy and the prophet. As a result, Texas laws have been strengthened to make polygamy a felony. Additionally, it's a crime to marry a woman under the age of 16.
In Arizona, it's a first-degree felony to have sex with a girl as young as 13 - the age at which some young women are forced by the church to marry much older men.
Sherriff Doran will be the one to enforce Texas' new law in Eldorado.
"In our community, if there's a law broken - whether it's incest, rape, what have you - we're going to enforce that aggressively," Doran said. "It's no different for this group."
But as the white temple continues to rise on the outskirts of town, no one knows exactly how many people live there, what's going on in its community or how big it will get.
It will be months before a true picture emerges through the West Texas dust.
The warrant issued Friday in Arizona calls for the arrest of Warren Jeffs, though his whereabouts are unknown.
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Dragnet out for home invasion suspects
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
CARROLLTON, Texas — North Texas police forces are banding together to stop a series of brazen home invasion attacks.
The latest incident took place early Friday when the robbers struck just ten minutes apart—first in Dallas, where one woman was shot and another was beaten; then in Carrollton, where the armed men confronted two women in their garage.
Carrollton resident Frank Ivy now makes sure all his doors and windows are locked and secure after hearing about the rash of home invasions. "It's really disturbing things are going as fast as they are in regards to crime," he said.
Marked and undercover units from area police departments are patrolling apartment complexes and alleyways.
Frisco, Plano, Carrollton and Dallas police are among the departments sharing information and issuing alerts to apartment managers and neighborhood associations to be on the lookout for suspicious activity.
"They can be deadly," said Frisco police spokeswoman Gina McFarlin. "Some of the crimes being committed in other cities are getting seriously injured."
Detectives are trying to determine if any of the crimes were committed by the same suspects.
According to police, nearly a dozen home invasion robberies have happened since May 20 in five North Texas cities.
Amy Mueller lives down the street from the victim involved in the Carrollton home invasion robbery. She's worried about her own family. "I don't want anything to happen to them, and the fact that it happened to her in the evening is definitely very scary," she said.
Mueller is among area residents planning to be extra vigilant.
"I think I'll get me a good dog," Ivy said with a laugh.
Police urged residents to keep an eye out for suspicious activity.
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
CARROLLTON, Texas — North Texas police forces are banding together to stop a series of brazen home invasion attacks.
The latest incident took place early Friday when the robbers struck just ten minutes apart—first in Dallas, where one woman was shot and another was beaten; then in Carrollton, where the armed men confronted two women in their garage.
Carrollton resident Frank Ivy now makes sure all his doors and windows are locked and secure after hearing about the rash of home invasions. "It's really disturbing things are going as fast as they are in regards to crime," he said.
Marked and undercover units from area police departments are patrolling apartment complexes and alleyways.
Frisco, Plano, Carrollton and Dallas police are among the departments sharing information and issuing alerts to apartment managers and neighborhood associations to be on the lookout for suspicious activity.
"They can be deadly," said Frisco police spokeswoman Gina McFarlin. "Some of the crimes being committed in other cities are getting seriously injured."
Detectives are trying to determine if any of the crimes were committed by the same suspects.
According to police, nearly a dozen home invasion robberies have happened since May 20 in five North Texas cities.
Amy Mueller lives down the street from the victim involved in the Carrollton home invasion robbery. She's worried about her own family. "I don't want anything to happen to them, and the fact that it happened to her in the evening is definitely very scary," she said.
Mueller is among area residents planning to be extra vigilant.
"I think I'll get me a good dog," Ivy said with a laugh.
Police urged residents to keep an eye out for suspicious activity.
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TexasStooge
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- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Teens arrested in gun store robbery
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas - Three 15-year-olds are under arrest for Wednesday's robbery of an Arlington gun store.
40 guns, including high-powered rifles and semiautomatic handguns, were stolen from Pistol Mike's Gun Store on South Cooper Street after a clerk said the teens overpowered her.
The suspects, whose names were not released, told police their intent was to sell the weapons, but their consciences got the best of them.
"The media attention opened their eyes to the gravity of what they had done, and caused them to decide to come forward," said Arlington Police Lt. Blake Miller.
Police said the one of the boys, accompanied by his father, turned himself into police early Friday morning. By 9 a.m., all three 15-year-olds were in police custody.
Unidentified neighbors of one of the suspects said they are stunned by his arrest.
"Man, I'm disappointed in him," one said.
"I never thought that he'd be into guns or whatever," said another.
The arrests spelled relief for workers at nearby businesses.
"I didn't figure they'd find those guys, but it's cool that they did," said worker Josh Hubble. "It's quick work for sure."
"You know somebody wouldn't have taken all of those guns for nothing, you know," said worker Willie Payne. "They could have really caused some trouble with that."
Police and ATF agents recovered several of the stolen weapons, but said there are more still out there.
"We will continue all weekend to look for all the missing weapons, because we won't be satified until all the weapons are recovered," said ATF agent Tom Crowley.
The three teens told detectives the incident was not gang-related, and they did not intend to use the weapons. They are currently being held in the Tarrant County Juvenile Detention Center on robbery charges.
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas - Three 15-year-olds are under arrest for Wednesday's robbery of an Arlington gun store.
40 guns, including high-powered rifles and semiautomatic handguns, were stolen from Pistol Mike's Gun Store on South Cooper Street after a clerk said the teens overpowered her.
The suspects, whose names were not released, told police their intent was to sell the weapons, but their consciences got the best of them.
"The media attention opened their eyes to the gravity of what they had done, and caused them to decide to come forward," said Arlington Police Lt. Blake Miller.
Police said the one of the boys, accompanied by his father, turned himself into police early Friday morning. By 9 a.m., all three 15-year-olds were in police custody.
Unidentified neighbors of one of the suspects said they are stunned by his arrest.
"Man, I'm disappointed in him," one said.
"I never thought that he'd be into guns or whatever," said another.
The arrests spelled relief for workers at nearby businesses.
"I didn't figure they'd find those guys, but it's cool that they did," said worker Josh Hubble. "It's quick work for sure."
"You know somebody wouldn't have taken all of those guns for nothing, you know," said worker Willie Payne. "They could have really caused some trouble with that."
Police and ATF agents recovered several of the stolen weapons, but said there are more still out there.
"We will continue all weekend to look for all the missing weapons, because we won't be satified until all the weapons are recovered," said ATF agent Tom Crowley.
The three teens told detectives the incident was not gang-related, and they did not intend to use the weapons. They are currently being held in the Tarrant County Juvenile Detention Center on robbery charges.
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TexasStooge
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- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Fort Worth Diocese names abusive priests
FORT WORTH, Texas - The Fort Worth Diocese broke its silence Friday and released the names of eight priests accused of sexually abusing children.
Some of the accusations date back to 1969, but officials said they hope this gesture would bring closure for everyone involved.
"No doubt this information will cause pain—not only to those who have been victimized, but to the families of the accused and all others for whom the news may be distressing," Bishop Joseph Delaney said in a statement. "I believe, however, that the disclosure of these names will ultimately be for the greater good."
The names are:
• William Hoover
• Thomas Teczar
• Philip Magaldi
• Rudolph Renteria
• James Reilly
• James Hanlon
• John Howlett
• Joseph Tu
Delaney said Hoover died in 1996; Teczar and Magaldi have been out of the ministry for many years; Renteria was removed from active ministry; Reilly died in 1999; Hanlon died in 1990; Howlett has been removed from active ministry; Tu remains in ministry outside the Fort Worth Diocese awaiting a ruling by the Dominican Order.
The Fort Worth Diocese is asking anyone who's been hurt by someone who serves the church to come forward.
"I want to be certain that we acknowledge the faithful, Christ-like service of more than 98 percent of our priests who have not been accused of wrongdoing," Delaney said. "Though innocent themselves, they have suffered greatly because of the reprehensible actions of a small number of other priests."
FORT WORTH, Texas - The Fort Worth Diocese broke its silence Friday and released the names of eight priests accused of sexually abusing children.
Some of the accusations date back to 1969, but officials said they hope this gesture would bring closure for everyone involved.
"No doubt this information will cause pain—not only to those who have been victimized, but to the families of the accused and all others for whom the news may be distressing," Bishop Joseph Delaney said in a statement. "I believe, however, that the disclosure of these names will ultimately be for the greater good."
The names are:
• William Hoover
• Thomas Teczar
• Philip Magaldi
• Rudolph Renteria
• James Reilly
• James Hanlon
• John Howlett
• Joseph Tu
Delaney said Hoover died in 1996; Teczar and Magaldi have been out of the ministry for many years; Renteria was removed from active ministry; Reilly died in 1999; Hanlon died in 1990; Howlett has been removed from active ministry; Tu remains in ministry outside the Fort Worth Diocese awaiting a ruling by the Dominican Order.
The Fort Worth Diocese is asking anyone who's been hurt by someone who serves the church to come forward.
"I want to be certain that we acknowledge the faithful, Christ-like service of more than 98 percent of our priests who have not been accused of wrongdoing," Delaney said. "Though innocent themselves, they have suffered greatly because of the reprehensible actions of a small number of other priests."
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TexasStooge
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- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Price tags soar for key tollway plans
Board now has to weigh increasing fees, building in stages
By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO, Texas – Costs have risen dramatically for two of the North Texas Tollway Authority's most prominent projects, forcing the agency to begin considering a toll increase or shifting construction plans.
Consultants told a committee of the authority's board of directors Friday that building the Southwest Parkway in Fort Worth would cost $825 million, almost triple the $300 million estimate given just six months ago.
On the other side of the region, the picture is much the same. The tollway authority board learned last month that building the eastern extension of the Bush Turnpike to Interstate 30 is expected to cost $782 million, nearly double the $442 million estimate given in January.
"We've got this tremendous need, and we're very limited in finances," said tollway authority board chairman David Blair, who represents Dallas County.
Both estimates do not account for contributions from the Texas Department of Transportation or area cities. But the tollway authority will pay for the bulk of those projects' costs.
And while the agency must deal not only with the Fort Worth and Rowlett-area projects, it also has plans to build a toll bridge over Lake Lewisville and extend the Dallas North Tollway into northern Collin County.
In recent years, "most projects came up one at a time," Mr. Blair said. "This is a whole different ballgame. It doesn't mean we're going to stop projects. We're going to do the best we can to keep projects moving. But there are problems with the eastern extension and the Southwest Parkway."
Tollway authority officials stress that no formal discussions have been held on their options and emphasized that any final decisions on resolving the financial demands are still months away.
Those options include: increasing tolls, either all day or during peak hours; higher tolls on different projects; or building projects in stages, such as first building only half of the total lanes needed on the Bush Turnpike extension or the Southwest Parkway, Mr. Blair said. The agency also will look at its toll financing methods for ways to increase revenue, executive director Allan Rutter said.
The agency recorded an average 864,000 weekday transactions in 2004, giving it the ability to raise millions in revenue with even a small increase.
Motorists last faced a rate hike on the Dallas North Tollway and Bush Turnpike in July 1999, when tolls at main plazas went from 50 cents to 60 cents for TollTag users and to 75 cents for cash customers. It was the first rate increase since 1982. Industrywide, feasibility studies for new toll roads often assume rate increases every 5 to 10 years.
If a toll increase is chosen as an option, it may not begin for up to several more years, when additional revenue is needed as construction begins on the projects, the chairman said.
"We're going to go back and look at everything," Mr. Rutter said. "We will try to figure out how this will pan out."
For years, the tollway authority has built projects that aren't paid for solely with tolls the new roads raise. The agency has been able to absorb additional project costs by using "system financing," or using tolls collected in one area to issue bonds to help pay for projects in another. It's unclear how much money tolls on the new projects will raise, but with $900 million in additional costs and only $400 million to $500 million available in system financing, the authority's financial capabilities will be stretched.
The dramatic increases in the cost estimates drew pointed comments and questions from board members, who now must figure out how to pay or cut back on almost $1 billion in additional expenses for eagerly anticipated projects on opposite geographical ends of the area.
"The credibility of the numbers we've been given here have to be called into question," said board member Bill Meadows, who represents Tarrant County. Some of the increased costs outlined Friday on the Southwest Parkway are attributed to plans for a six-lane road instead of a four-lane road, the need for nearby operations and maintenance buildings, building a full interchange at Interstate 20 and more expensive bridges over a major rail line and the Trinity River. The extra cost also includes $120 million for unanticipated expenses and $100 million for inflation before the 2007 construction-start date.
On the Bush Turnpike extension, lengthy bridges over Rowlett Creek and Lake Ray Hubbard helped boost the cost, as did a more extensive interchange construction at Interstate 30. Construction on that project is scheduled to begin in 2008.
The financial questions already have led to changes at the tollway authority. The agency plans to start doing its own cost estimates during the 5- to 7-year environmental process. In the past, consultants created new estimates once a project received federal approval.
In addition, the board has chosen to wait for those detailed estimates before committing to build a project, rather than rely on general construction estimates that do not include extensive modifications.
"The old way of approaching projects just doesn't work any more," said Paul Wageman, a board member representing Collin County. "There are a lot of key projects in four counties that need to be addressed, and we've got to figure out a way to do it."
Board now has to weigh increasing fees, building in stages
By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO, Texas – Costs have risen dramatically for two of the North Texas Tollway Authority's most prominent projects, forcing the agency to begin considering a toll increase or shifting construction plans.
Consultants told a committee of the authority's board of directors Friday that building the Southwest Parkway in Fort Worth would cost $825 million, almost triple the $300 million estimate given just six months ago.
On the other side of the region, the picture is much the same. The tollway authority board learned last month that building the eastern extension of the Bush Turnpike to Interstate 30 is expected to cost $782 million, nearly double the $442 million estimate given in January.
"We've got this tremendous need, and we're very limited in finances," said tollway authority board chairman David Blair, who represents Dallas County.
Both estimates do not account for contributions from the Texas Department of Transportation or area cities. But the tollway authority will pay for the bulk of those projects' costs.
And while the agency must deal not only with the Fort Worth and Rowlett-area projects, it also has plans to build a toll bridge over Lake Lewisville and extend the Dallas North Tollway into northern Collin County.
In recent years, "most projects came up one at a time," Mr. Blair said. "This is a whole different ballgame. It doesn't mean we're going to stop projects. We're going to do the best we can to keep projects moving. But there are problems with the eastern extension and the Southwest Parkway."
Tollway authority officials stress that no formal discussions have been held on their options and emphasized that any final decisions on resolving the financial demands are still months away.
Those options include: increasing tolls, either all day or during peak hours; higher tolls on different projects; or building projects in stages, such as first building only half of the total lanes needed on the Bush Turnpike extension or the Southwest Parkway, Mr. Blair said. The agency also will look at its toll financing methods for ways to increase revenue, executive director Allan Rutter said.
The agency recorded an average 864,000 weekday transactions in 2004, giving it the ability to raise millions in revenue with even a small increase.
Motorists last faced a rate hike on the Dallas North Tollway and Bush Turnpike in July 1999, when tolls at main plazas went from 50 cents to 60 cents for TollTag users and to 75 cents for cash customers. It was the first rate increase since 1982. Industrywide, feasibility studies for new toll roads often assume rate increases every 5 to 10 years.
If a toll increase is chosen as an option, it may not begin for up to several more years, when additional revenue is needed as construction begins on the projects, the chairman said.
"We're going to go back and look at everything," Mr. Rutter said. "We will try to figure out how this will pan out."
For years, the tollway authority has built projects that aren't paid for solely with tolls the new roads raise. The agency has been able to absorb additional project costs by using "system financing," or using tolls collected in one area to issue bonds to help pay for projects in another. It's unclear how much money tolls on the new projects will raise, but with $900 million in additional costs and only $400 million to $500 million available in system financing, the authority's financial capabilities will be stretched.
The dramatic increases in the cost estimates drew pointed comments and questions from board members, who now must figure out how to pay or cut back on almost $1 billion in additional expenses for eagerly anticipated projects on opposite geographical ends of the area.
"The credibility of the numbers we've been given here have to be called into question," said board member Bill Meadows, who represents Tarrant County. Some of the increased costs outlined Friday on the Southwest Parkway are attributed to plans for a six-lane road instead of a four-lane road, the need for nearby operations and maintenance buildings, building a full interchange at Interstate 20 and more expensive bridges over a major rail line and the Trinity River. The extra cost also includes $120 million for unanticipated expenses and $100 million for inflation before the 2007 construction-start date.
On the Bush Turnpike extension, lengthy bridges over Rowlett Creek and Lake Ray Hubbard helped boost the cost, as did a more extensive interchange construction at Interstate 30. Construction on that project is scheduled to begin in 2008.
The financial questions already have led to changes at the tollway authority. The agency plans to start doing its own cost estimates during the 5- to 7-year environmental process. In the past, consultants created new estimates once a project received federal approval.
In addition, the board has chosen to wait for those detailed estimates before committing to build a project, rather than rely on general construction estimates that do not include extensive modifications.
"The old way of approaching projects just doesn't work any more," said Paul Wageman, a board member representing Collin County. "There are a lot of key projects in four counties that need to be addressed, and we've got to figure out a way to do it."
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