Meridian church van crashes
ARKADELPHIA, Ark./MERIDIAN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A van carrying 15 Texas church members traveling to Hot Springs for a volunteer project crashed Sunday on Interstate 30, but Arkansas State Police said passengers did not suffer serious injuries.
Cpl. Eric Henson said the van's tire blew out, forcing the vehicle from the First United Methodist Church in Meridian, Texas, and the trailer it was pulling, to flip over into the median and come to rest on its roof. Aboard were 12 children and three adults, police said.
"When the tire blew out with the weight of the trailer and the people on the van is what caused it to lose control so quickly," Henson said Sunday.
All 15 passengers were taken to Baptist Health Medical Center in Arkadelphia to be checked with the most serious injury looking to be a broken collarbone, Henson said. Six passengers were taken via ambulance, the others by private vehicle, troopers said. All were to be released from the hospital on Sunday, police said.
The passengers were headed to Hot Springs to meet two other Texas church groups for a volunteer project in the city. Henson said the trailer the van was pulling was filled with tools.
"They were going to be building wheelchair ramps all over the city," Henson said.
News from the Lone Star State
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TexasStooge
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Ex-council member elected Irving mayor
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Ousted from the Irving City Council a year ago, Herbert Gears completed his political comeback Saturday night by easily winning a runoff for mayor.
Mr. Gears defeated former Mayor Marvin Randle. Irving voters also elected former Police Chief Lowell Cannaday to the council's Place 5 seat.
Mr. Gears said voters elected him because they wanted a new leader who keeps an eye on the future.
"We have a tremendous core of people in our community that care deeply about Irving," he said Saturday night. "And today we're able to provide them hope."
It's a dramatic turnaround for Mr. Gears from just a year ago, when he lost his council seat in a re-election bid.
Last month, he barely earned enough votes to enter the runoff with Mr. Randle. They were the survivors of a seven-way race that brought the ouster of incumbent Joe Putnam.
Mr. Gears, 43, says he'll bring a hands-on approach to problems, including code enforcement – one of the hottest issues in the campaign. Residents have sounded off about the need for reform.
The new mayor's top code-enforcement priority is addressing concerns that multiple families are cramming into single-family homes.
"In three years, we won't be discussing that issue any longer," he said.
Other priorities for Mr. Gears include lowering crime rates.
In the District 5 runoff, Mr. Cannaday, 67, cited his involvement and experience in city government and community affairs as reasons he should be elected. His opponent, David Cole, 42, emphasized his business experience as an owner of a group of Irving Italian restaurants.
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Ousted from the Irving City Council a year ago, Herbert Gears completed his political comeback Saturday night by easily winning a runoff for mayor.
Mr. Gears defeated former Mayor Marvin Randle. Irving voters also elected former Police Chief Lowell Cannaday to the council's Place 5 seat.
Mr. Gears said voters elected him because they wanted a new leader who keeps an eye on the future.
"We have a tremendous core of people in our community that care deeply about Irving," he said Saturday night. "And today we're able to provide them hope."
It's a dramatic turnaround for Mr. Gears from just a year ago, when he lost his council seat in a re-election bid.
Last month, he barely earned enough votes to enter the runoff with Mr. Randle. They were the survivors of a seven-way race that brought the ouster of incumbent Joe Putnam.
Mr. Gears, 43, says he'll bring a hands-on approach to problems, including code enforcement – one of the hottest issues in the campaign. Residents have sounded off about the need for reform.
The new mayor's top code-enforcement priority is addressing concerns that multiple families are cramming into single-family homes.
"In three years, we won't be discussing that issue any longer," he said.
Other priorities for Mr. Gears include lowering crime rates.
In the District 5 runoff, Mr. Cannaday, 67, cited his involvement and experience in city government and community affairs as reasons he should be elected. His opponent, David Cole, 42, emphasized his business experience as an owner of a group of Irving Italian restaurants.
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Jaguars' LB honors Irv. MacArthur teammate with scholarship
By DEBORAH FLECK / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - NFL player Akin Ayodele remembers his struggles growing up in Irving. He also remembers his best friend from high school, Michael Tilmon, who was killed in a car wreck their senior year.
Those memories came together this year and became the basis for the first Akin Ayodele Scholarship. The $3,000 scholarship will be awarded annually to a college-bound graduate who exemplifies the character Mr. Tilmon possessed.
The scholarship is Mr. Ayodele's way of thanking Mr. Tilmon for helping him get back on track. The two played football for MacArthur High School and were inseparable. They were returning from a spring break trip in 1997 when Mr. Tilmon was killed at age 18.
The loss was devastating, Mr. Ayodele, 25, told MacArthur seniors on a visit to his alma mater last week.
"After the accident, I didn't care about life, about anything. I lost my scholarship to play college football, and I ended up hurting a lot of people and mostly myself," he said. "I made a choice not to care, and I turned my back on everyone."
But then he said he heard a voice.
"Someone kept talking to me, over and over again, and telling me to get back on track," he said.
He soon realized the voice belonged to Mr. Tilmon. Mr. Ayodele said he swallowed his pride, got a tutor and kept studying. After a year at a community college, he moved on to Purdue University.
As a Boilermaker, he earned All Big Ten honors and led the team in sacks each year from 1999 to 2001. He started all 36 games during his three seasons at Purdue and ranked second on the school's all-time list with 29 sacks.
"It wasn't easy," he said about playing football and studying. But with inspiration from Mr. Tilmon, he graduated with a double major.
Then the National Football League came calling. The Jacksonville Jaguars chose him in the third round of the 2002 draft. The linebacker has never missed a game in his three-year professional career. He was nominated for the 2003 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. In 2004, he recorded 92 tackles.
Mr. Ayodele has much to make him proud but remembers where it all started.
"It seems like just yesterday when I left this building," he said about his days at MacArthur. He still considers Texas his home and stays in touch with the Tilmon family.
He said he hopes the scholarship gives someone a second chance to move on in life and pursue his or her dreams.
"We read every single letter from students who applied," he said. "Some students had harder times than I did."
Michael's mother, Velma Tilmon, said she cried as she read the letters, partly glad she was able to help but also sad for the hardships many students faced.
"Akin and I talked about doing this for a long time," she said.
She helped him present the first scholarship last week to Tiffany Williams, who plans on playing volleyball at Hill College in Hillsboro.
"I was really surprised because I never win anything," Tiffany said.
In her application letter, she said she was touched Mr. Ayodele wanted to come back to MacArthur.
"He is an inspiration to us," Mrs. Tilmon said.
By DEBORAH FLECK / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - NFL player Akin Ayodele remembers his struggles growing up in Irving. He also remembers his best friend from high school, Michael Tilmon, who was killed in a car wreck their senior year.
Those memories came together this year and became the basis for the first Akin Ayodele Scholarship. The $3,000 scholarship will be awarded annually to a college-bound graduate who exemplifies the character Mr. Tilmon possessed.
The scholarship is Mr. Ayodele's way of thanking Mr. Tilmon for helping him get back on track. The two played football for MacArthur High School and were inseparable. They were returning from a spring break trip in 1997 when Mr. Tilmon was killed at age 18.
The loss was devastating, Mr. Ayodele, 25, told MacArthur seniors on a visit to his alma mater last week.
"After the accident, I didn't care about life, about anything. I lost my scholarship to play college football, and I ended up hurting a lot of people and mostly myself," he said. "I made a choice not to care, and I turned my back on everyone."
But then he said he heard a voice.
"Someone kept talking to me, over and over again, and telling me to get back on track," he said.
He soon realized the voice belonged to Mr. Tilmon. Mr. Ayodele said he swallowed his pride, got a tutor and kept studying. After a year at a community college, he moved on to Purdue University.
As a Boilermaker, he earned All Big Ten honors and led the team in sacks each year from 1999 to 2001. He started all 36 games during his three seasons at Purdue and ranked second on the school's all-time list with 29 sacks.
"It wasn't easy," he said about playing football and studying. But with inspiration from Mr. Tilmon, he graduated with a double major.
Then the National Football League came calling. The Jacksonville Jaguars chose him in the third round of the 2002 draft. The linebacker has never missed a game in his three-year professional career. He was nominated for the 2003 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. In 2004, he recorded 92 tackles.
Mr. Ayodele has much to make him proud but remembers where it all started.
"It seems like just yesterday when I left this building," he said about his days at MacArthur. He still considers Texas his home and stays in touch with the Tilmon family.
He said he hopes the scholarship gives someone a second chance to move on in life and pursue his or her dreams.
"We read every single letter from students who applied," he said. "Some students had harder times than I did."
Michael's mother, Velma Tilmon, said she cried as she read the letters, partly glad she was able to help but also sad for the hardships many students faced.
"Akin and I talked about doing this for a long time," she said.
She helped him present the first scholarship last week to Tiffany Williams, who plans on playing volleyball at Hill College in Hillsboro.
"I was really surprised because I never win anything," Tiffany said.
In her application letter, she said she was touched Mr. Ayodele wanted to come back to MacArthur.
"He is an inspiration to us," Mrs. Tilmon said.
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New Council will oversee big changes
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Hundreds gathered at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center Monday morning for the 37th inaugural ceremony of the Dallas City Council.
The 14-member Council has four new faces: Pauline Medrano, Ron Natinsky, Angela Hunt and Linda Koop.
James Washington, publisher of the Dallas Weekly newspaper, welcomed the members and reminded them they are shepherds of the future. "The 14 individuals are being entrusted with a most sacred trust—that's our trust," Washington said.
Their decisions will shape the lives of some of the city's youngest residents, and that point was underlined as youngsters performed a musical number called "Imagine the Impossible."
Mayor Laura Miller is demanding the impossible. She said members will oversee great change, from the groundbreaking of the Trinity River Project this fall to massive development in downtown Dallas and in the city's southern sector.
But Miller said curbing crime remains a top priority. "Even if we dropped our overall crime rate by 20 percent this year, we would still be locked in the number one spot," she said."
The ceremony ended with gracious goodbyes to the four veteran Council members— Sandy Greyson, John Loza, Veletta Forsythe Lill and Lois Finkelman—who are stepping down because of term limits. "Those who are leaving us today are special," Washington said.
After the swearing-in, Council members headed to City Hall for a 1 p.m. meeting, the first of their new terms.
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Hundreds gathered at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center Monday morning for the 37th inaugural ceremony of the Dallas City Council.
The 14-member Council has four new faces: Pauline Medrano, Ron Natinsky, Angela Hunt and Linda Koop.
James Washington, publisher of the Dallas Weekly newspaper, welcomed the members and reminded them they are shepherds of the future. "The 14 individuals are being entrusted with a most sacred trust—that's our trust," Washington said.
Their decisions will shape the lives of some of the city's youngest residents, and that point was underlined as youngsters performed a musical number called "Imagine the Impossible."
Mayor Laura Miller is demanding the impossible. She said members will oversee great change, from the groundbreaking of the Trinity River Project this fall to massive development in downtown Dallas and in the city's southern sector.
But Miller said curbing crime remains a top priority. "Even if we dropped our overall crime rate by 20 percent this year, we would still be locked in the number one spot," she said."
The ceremony ended with gracious goodbyes to the four veteran Council members— Sandy Greyson, John Loza, Veletta Forsythe Lill and Lois Finkelman—who are stepping down because of term limits. "Those who are leaving us today are special," Washington said.
After the swearing-in, Council members headed to City Hall for a 1 p.m. meeting, the first of their new terms.
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Body found in Lake Ray Hubbard
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
ROWLETT, Texas — Water search and rescue teams from Dallas and Garland who were looking for a young woman missing in Lake Ray Hubbard found a body Tuesday morning.
Police said the missing woman—believed to be in her late teens or early 20s—was with a group of friends who ignored warning signs and jumped about 20 feet from a train trestle into the reservoir at Rowlett Lakeside Park shortly after midnight.
Her friends called for help after she failed to surface.The name of the missing woman was not released.
Rescuers called off their nighttime search after three hours. Efforts were limited by heavy currents and limited visibility from overnight rains.
Divers, boats and a helicopter resumed the search at 7 a.m. They found a body about two hours later.
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
ROWLETT, Texas — Water search and rescue teams from Dallas and Garland who were looking for a young woman missing in Lake Ray Hubbard found a body Tuesday morning.
Police said the missing woman—believed to be in her late teens or early 20s—was with a group of friends who ignored warning signs and jumped about 20 feet from a train trestle into the reservoir at Rowlett Lakeside Park shortly after midnight.
Her friends called for help after she failed to surface.The name of the missing woman was not released.
Rescuers called off their nighttime search after three hours. Efforts were limited by heavy currents and limited visibility from overnight rains.
Divers, boats and a helicopter resumed the search at 7 a.m. They found a body about two hours later.
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Code enforcement officer killed by resident
COMMERCE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - An East Texas code enforcement officer was shot to death Monday as he conducted a routine check of a property that failed to meet code.
Michael "Pee Wee" Walker, 44, was killed as he followed up on a December complaint about trash in the residence's yard, Assistant City Manager Mike Dunn said. The deadline for cleaning up the property was Friday.
As Walker took pictures of the property, he was confronted by the property owner and his son, Adam Kelley Ward, 22, Commerce Police Chief Kerry Crews said. The son got a pistol from the house and shot Walker, police said in a release. Witnesses told police at least six shots were fired.
Ward was arrested and later arraigned on one count of murder. Bond was set at $2 million.
Walker was working alone when he was shot, Dunn said. He also said Commerce, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas, does not send uniformed police officers with inspectors.
Walker, a temporary, part-time city employee, always had a smile on his face, Dunn said.
"He was so excited when we gave him that job," Dunn told the (Greenville) Herald-Banner for a Tuesday story. "He was on top of the world. He loved it. He really, really loved it."
WFAA-TV's Gary Reaves and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
COMMERCE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - An East Texas code enforcement officer was shot to death Monday as he conducted a routine check of a property that failed to meet code.
Michael "Pee Wee" Walker, 44, was killed as he followed up on a December complaint about trash in the residence's yard, Assistant City Manager Mike Dunn said. The deadline for cleaning up the property was Friday.
As Walker took pictures of the property, he was confronted by the property owner and his son, Adam Kelley Ward, 22, Commerce Police Chief Kerry Crews said. The son got a pistol from the house and shot Walker, police said in a release. Witnesses told police at least six shots were fired.
Ward was arrested and later arraigned on one count of murder. Bond was set at $2 million.
Walker was working alone when he was shot, Dunn said. He also said Commerce, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas, does not send uniformed police officers with inspectors.
Walker, a temporary, part-time city employee, always had a smile on his face, Dunn said.
"He was so excited when we gave him that job," Dunn told the (Greenville) Herald-Banner for a Tuesday story. "He was on top of the world. He loved it. He really, really loved it."
WFAA-TV's Gary Reaves and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Now THIS is a sick man!!!
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Lawn service may have been used to lure youths
Dallas: Police checking for other cases after man's indecency arrest
By HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News
GARLAND, Texas - Police are looking for any juveniles who might have had contact with a Garland man whom they say might have lured minors through his lawn care business.
Willie James Atkins, 42, was arrested June 7 on suspicion of indecency with a child by exposure.
"He is a lawn service specialist and may have had reason to come in contact with other juveniles, perhaps to hire them," said Dallas police Lt. C.L. Williams, who heads the department's Crimes Against Children Unit.
On May 5, police said, Mr. Atkins enticed a 15-year-old boy from the 2700 block of North Buckner Boulevard in Far East Dallas and suggested that he work for his company. He then took the boy to his office in Garland and exposed himself.
Lt. Williams refused to identify the lawn care company that Mr. Atkins owns, saying there may be other owners who could suffer financially if he named the company. But he said the company provides services throughout Dallas and Garland. Garland police also are working on the investigation.
During a search of Mr. Atkins' home shortly after his arrest, police said they found numerous amateur videotapes. Mr. Atkins is in the majority of the tapes. Lt. Williams said as many as 80 other males are shown on the tapes. He said it was unclear how many of them might be juveniles.
"There were people in various stages of undress," Lt. Williams said.
Lt. Williams declined to say what was happening on the tapes, but he said that if any of the males are identified as juveniles, Mr. Atkins could face more criminal charges.
"The police want to talk with any juveniles who have had contact with him in the past year," Lt. Williams said.
Anyone with information about the case can call 214-671-4212.
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Lawn service may have been used to lure youths
Dallas: Police checking for other cases after man's indecency arrest
By HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News
GARLAND, Texas - Police are looking for any juveniles who might have had contact with a Garland man whom they say might have lured minors through his lawn care business.
Willie James Atkins, 42, was arrested June 7 on suspicion of indecency with a child by exposure.
"He is a lawn service specialist and may have had reason to come in contact with other juveniles, perhaps to hire them," said Dallas police Lt. C.L. Williams, who heads the department's Crimes Against Children Unit.
On May 5, police said, Mr. Atkins enticed a 15-year-old boy from the 2700 block of North Buckner Boulevard in Far East Dallas and suggested that he work for his company. He then took the boy to his office in Garland and exposed himself.
Lt. Williams refused to identify the lawn care company that Mr. Atkins owns, saying there may be other owners who could suffer financially if he named the company. But he said the company provides services throughout Dallas and Garland. Garland police also are working on the investigation.
During a search of Mr. Atkins' home shortly after his arrest, police said they found numerous amateur videotapes. Mr. Atkins is in the majority of the tapes. Lt. Williams said as many as 80 other males are shown on the tapes. He said it was unclear how many of them might be juveniles.
"There were people in various stages of undress," Lt. Williams said.
Lt. Williams declined to say what was happening on the tapes, but he said that if any of the males are identified as juveniles, Mr. Atkins could face more criminal charges.
"The police want to talk with any juveniles who have had contact with him in the past year," Lt. Williams said.
Anyone with information about the case can call 214-671-4212.
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SMU prof guilty of aggravated assault
Dallas: Jury agrees she hit cyclist deliberately; sentencing is today
By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A Southern Methodist University law professor was convicted of aggravated assault Monday after jurors in her trial agreed that she used her car as a deadly weapon and intentionally struck a bicyclist riding at White Rock Lake last May.
Jane Dolkart bowed her head and sobbed after the verdict was read, and bailiffs began taking her fingerprints. She was allowed to post a $2,500 bond until the jury decides her punishment today.
The tenured labor and employment law professor faces probation to 20 years in prison for the second-degree felony charge.
Witnesses said Ms. Dolkart was visibly upset and honking the horn of her Volkswagen Passat as she followed cyclist Tommy Thomas and a friend along West Lawther Drive near Mockingbird Lane in Lakewood.
Mr. Thomas testified that he feared for his life when Ms. Dolkart's car struck the rear of his bicycle and dragged him under the car several feet. He suffered bruises and abrasions to his left forearm and a sore shoulder.
A police officer who investigated the incident testified that Ms. Dolkart acknowledged "tapping" Mr. Thomas' bicycle because he was blocking her way as she drove to meet friends to ride her own bicycle at the lake about 10 a.m. on a Sunday. During the trial, Ms. Dolkart denied making that statement.
Testifying in her defense, Ms. Dolkart said that she did not intend to hit the bike but that Mr. Thomas slowed suddenly as he pedaled in front of her. In closing arguments, attorney Mike Gibson said the incident was nothing more than an accident and disputed the argument that Ms. Dolkart's car was a deadly weapon. He said the victim's account of the collision was "exaggerated and full of mistakes."
"If distracted driving was a crime, we'd have to build five courthouses because people do it every day," he said.
Prosecutor Danny Oliphant said witness accounts and physical evidence from the accident proved that Ms. Dolkart's driving was deliberate.
"It wasn't just an accident. It wasn't just a mistake. This was an intentional act," he said.
Dallas: Jury agrees she hit cyclist deliberately; sentencing is today
By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A Southern Methodist University law professor was convicted of aggravated assault Monday after jurors in her trial agreed that she used her car as a deadly weapon and intentionally struck a bicyclist riding at White Rock Lake last May.
Jane Dolkart bowed her head and sobbed after the verdict was read, and bailiffs began taking her fingerprints. She was allowed to post a $2,500 bond until the jury decides her punishment today.
The tenured labor and employment law professor faces probation to 20 years in prison for the second-degree felony charge.
Witnesses said Ms. Dolkart was visibly upset and honking the horn of her Volkswagen Passat as she followed cyclist Tommy Thomas and a friend along West Lawther Drive near Mockingbird Lane in Lakewood.
Mr. Thomas testified that he feared for his life when Ms. Dolkart's car struck the rear of his bicycle and dragged him under the car several feet. He suffered bruises and abrasions to his left forearm and a sore shoulder.
A police officer who investigated the incident testified that Ms. Dolkart acknowledged "tapping" Mr. Thomas' bicycle because he was blocking her way as she drove to meet friends to ride her own bicycle at the lake about 10 a.m. on a Sunday. During the trial, Ms. Dolkart denied making that statement.
Testifying in her defense, Ms. Dolkart said that she did not intend to hit the bike but that Mr. Thomas slowed suddenly as he pedaled in front of her. In closing arguments, attorney Mike Gibson said the incident was nothing more than an accident and disputed the argument that Ms. Dolkart's car was a deadly weapon. He said the victim's account of the collision was "exaggerated and full of mistakes."
"If distracted driving was a crime, we'd have to build five courthouses because people do it every day," he said.
Prosecutor Danny Oliphant said witness accounts and physical evidence from the accident proved that Ms. Dolkart's driving was deliberate.
"It wasn't just an accident. It wasn't just a mistake. This was an intentional act," he said.
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Summer electric bill crunch not necessary
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Summer is arriving in North Texas and energy bills are on the climb - already putting some people in a crunch they don't necessarily have to be in.
TXU officials said during summer months, North Texas residents spend ten cents of each dollar on lighting, a quarter running small household appliances, fifteen cents to heat water and a whopping fifty cents - or half of every dollar spent - for cooling.
James Funk spent the weekend sitting on the porch in Balch Springs. The retired painter uses oxygen to live with emphysema.
"I'm also on a nebulizer," Funk said.
It's cooler out on the porch than inside, since TXU cut off Funk's electricity on Friday afternoon for non-payment.
"I got in the hospital back in February and got behind a little bit," he said.
Funk paid his bill two months late on his cut-off date, but the wheels were already in motion.
Summer is TXU Energy's busiest season, but the company wants consumers to call in when they feel a crunch coming.
"it can be tough sometimes in Texas," said TXU spokesperson Kimberly Morgan. "Whether it be the loss of a job or a divorce, anything that may happen ... just call us and let us know."
Funk said TXU should have reacted quicker.
"When I saw them driving out, I hollered at them," he said. "They just kept going."
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Summer is arriving in North Texas and energy bills are on the climb - already putting some people in a crunch they don't necessarily have to be in.
TXU officials said during summer months, North Texas residents spend ten cents of each dollar on lighting, a quarter running small household appliances, fifteen cents to heat water and a whopping fifty cents - or half of every dollar spent - for cooling.
James Funk spent the weekend sitting on the porch in Balch Springs. The retired painter uses oxygen to live with emphysema.
"I'm also on a nebulizer," Funk said.
It's cooler out on the porch than inside, since TXU cut off Funk's electricity on Friday afternoon for non-payment.
"I got in the hospital back in February and got behind a little bit," he said.
Funk paid his bill two months late on his cut-off date, but the wheels were already in motion.
Summer is TXU Energy's busiest season, but the company wants consumers to call in when they feel a crunch coming.
"it can be tough sometimes in Texas," said TXU spokesperson Kimberly Morgan. "Whether it be the loss of a job or a divorce, anything that may happen ... just call us and let us know."
Funk said TXU should have reacted quicker.
"When I saw them driving out, I hollered at them," he said. "They just kept going."
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Police seek boyfriend of Denton murder victim
DENTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Denton police have issued a warrant for the boyfriend of a woman who was murdered sometime over the weekend.
35-year-old Rebecca Sosa was found dead in her home on Crawford Street; she died from an apparent gunshot wound.
Relatives discovered her body after going to check on the mother of two whom they hadn't heard from since Saturday.
Police are looking for Sosa's boyfriend Juan Esparza, and her missing 1996 black Mercury Cougar.
DENTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Denton police have issued a warrant for the boyfriend of a woman who was murdered sometime over the weekend.
35-year-old Rebecca Sosa was found dead in her home on Crawford Street; she died from an apparent gunshot wound.
Relatives discovered her body after going to check on the mother of two whom they hadn't heard from since Saturday.
Police are looking for Sosa's boyfriend Juan Esparza, and her missing 1996 black Mercury Cougar.
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Carrollton man held in fatal knifing
Before autopsy, police thought victim died in crash
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
CARROLLTON, Texas - A Carrollton man was in Lew Sterrett Justice Center in Dallas on Monday in connection with the weekend death of a man who crashed his car into a brick wall after being stabbed multiple times.
James Wesley Roden Jr., 18, is accused of fatally stabbing 20-year-old Manfredis Alexi Bernal of Farmers Branch early Saturday in the 1400 block of Overture Way in Carrollton. Mr. Roden was arrested and charged with murder later that day.
Police said Mr. Bernal had been at a party Friday night where he was involved in an argument. After Mr. Bernal left the party, he drove to Overture Way.
"We don't know if he was followed or if he followed somebody," said a Carrollton police spokesman, Sgt. David Sponhour.
After a fight broke out among a small group of people, Mr. Bernal was stabbed several times in the chest, Sgt. Sponhour said.
He said he did not know what incited the altercation. Police said witnesses to the stabbing identified Mr. Roden as the assailant.
Mr. Bernal then got in his car, possibly to seek help, Sgt. Sponhour said. Mr. Bernal was eastbound on Keller Springs Road near McCoy Road at 1:45 a.m. when his two-door Honda Accord hit a curb, crossed the median and slammed into a brick wall.
The Dallas County medical examiner's office listed Mr. Bernal's cause of death as multiple stab wounds. Authorities originally believed he died from the crash but began investigating his death as a homicide after the autopsy.
"We went and worked our way back from the accident and started trying to figure out where he was before the accident," Sgt. Sponhour said.
Mr. Bernal's family could not be reached for comment Monday. His aunt, Lucy Bernal, said Saturday that her nephew was hanging out with friends and cousins Friday night. She said he was attending community college while handling the accounting for his family's trucking company.
Earlier this year, Mr. Roden pleaded guilty in Dallas County courts to a felony and three misdemeanors. He was sentenced to 180 days in boot camp and five years' probation for possession of a prohibited weapon. He was also sentenced to jail terms ranging from 75 to 150 days after he pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm, criminal trespassing and criminal mischief.
He is being held in lieu of $750,000 bail.
Before autopsy, police thought victim died in crash
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
CARROLLTON, Texas - A Carrollton man was in Lew Sterrett Justice Center in Dallas on Monday in connection with the weekend death of a man who crashed his car into a brick wall after being stabbed multiple times.
James Wesley Roden Jr., 18, is accused of fatally stabbing 20-year-old Manfredis Alexi Bernal of Farmers Branch early Saturday in the 1400 block of Overture Way in Carrollton. Mr. Roden was arrested and charged with murder later that day.
Police said Mr. Bernal had been at a party Friday night where he was involved in an argument. After Mr. Bernal left the party, he drove to Overture Way.
"We don't know if he was followed or if he followed somebody," said a Carrollton police spokesman, Sgt. David Sponhour.
After a fight broke out among a small group of people, Mr. Bernal was stabbed several times in the chest, Sgt. Sponhour said.
He said he did not know what incited the altercation. Police said witnesses to the stabbing identified Mr. Roden as the assailant.
Mr. Bernal then got in his car, possibly to seek help, Sgt. Sponhour said. Mr. Bernal was eastbound on Keller Springs Road near McCoy Road at 1:45 a.m. when his two-door Honda Accord hit a curb, crossed the median and slammed into a brick wall.
The Dallas County medical examiner's office listed Mr. Bernal's cause of death as multiple stab wounds. Authorities originally believed he died from the crash but began investigating his death as a homicide after the autopsy.
"We went and worked our way back from the accident and started trying to figure out where he was before the accident," Sgt. Sponhour said.
Mr. Bernal's family could not be reached for comment Monday. His aunt, Lucy Bernal, said Saturday that her nephew was hanging out with friends and cousins Friday night. She said he was attending community college while handling the accounting for his family's trucking company.
Earlier this year, Mr. Roden pleaded guilty in Dallas County courts to a felony and three misdemeanors. He was sentenced to 180 days in boot camp and five years' probation for possession of a prohibited weapon. He was also sentenced to jail terms ranging from 75 to 150 days after he pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm, criminal trespassing and criminal mischief.
He is being held in lieu of $750,000 bail.
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TexasStooge
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Miller-El decision disappoints parents
By TIM WYATT / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Tony and Theresa Walker have waited more than 19 years for their son's killer to be executed. On Monday, they learned their family nightmare is far from over.
The elderly couple may have to endure a second trial of the man sentenced to die for executing their oldest son, Douglas, in an Irving hotel robbery in late 1985.
Thomas Joe Miller-El was convicted of murdering the 25-year-old hotel clerk during a robbery of a Holiday Inn near Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Mr. Walker was bound and gagged and then shot in the back.
Another hotel clerk, 29-year-old Donald Ray Hall, was shot and left paralyzed from the chest down. He later identified Mr. Miller-El as the shooter.
In its second review of the case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that Mr. Miller-El had not received a fair trial because prosecutors excluded all but one of the eligible black jurors from hearing his case, in violation of the law.
The Walkers expressed frustration and anger that the facts of their son's brutal murder seemed secondary in importance.
"I guess it doesn't seem to matter whether he's guilty or not," Mrs. Walker said in a telephone interview from her Otisville, Mich., home. "It just seems like this will never end. It's been too long for him to still be alive. He should have been executed a long time ago."
Dallas prosecutors would not say what would happen next in Mr. Miller-El's case. The options include holding a new trial, striking a plea bargain or dismissing the capital murder charge.
District Attorney Bill Hill declined to comment on the Supreme Court's ruling. A statement released by his office said that Mr. Miller-El's "guilt of that heinous crime is not in dispute."
"The family of his dead victim and his surviving victim are in our thoughts," the statement concluded.
Eric Smenner, now a Dallas criminal defense attorney, remembers the grisly killing that occurred just weeks before he finished rookie orientation as an Irving policeman.
"It's a shame that the focus of the case now has little to do with Miller-El's guilt or innocence, but how the jury was picked," Mr. Smenner said. "Now he gets a new trial after all this time? What are you going to do about 20-year-old memories?"
Mr. Smenner recalled how he and other rookies were pulled out of class in November 1985 and taken to a vacant field to search for the safe taken in the robbery. But the real worry of police, he said, was Mr. Miller-El's reputation for violence.
Police had been warned that Mr. Miller-El was carrying an automatic assault rifle under his coat, Mr. Smenner said.
"He wasn't anybody to mess with and, for the first and last time in my 12 years on the force, I saw the chief and the assistant chiefs carrying weapons," Mr. Smenner said.
Mr. Smenner said the robbery changed Irving from a "little Podunk place" to a big suburb with big-city crime.
Police arrested Mr. Miller-El in Houston days after the robbery-murder. After a shootout in which Mr. Miller-El was wounded, Houston police recovered several guns, including the automatic weapon believed to have killed Mr. Walker.
Mr. Miller-El's wife, Dorothy, received two life sentences for helping plan the robbery. An appeals court reduced her prison time to two concurrent 15-year sentences. She was paroled in 1992 and couldn't be located for comment.
Mr. Hall, who survived the attack, did not know about the Supreme Court's decision until a reporter for The Dallas Morning News left a message on his answering machine, a longtime personal friend said. The friend, who asked to remain anonymous, said Mr. Hall did not want to comment.
"He's not happy at all about it. He's in a wheelchair. He's scared to death," the friend said.
The Walkers said they have exchanged Christmas cards over the years with Mr. Hall but said that they don't stay in touch.
"I don't ask how he's doing, though," Mr. Walker said. "That's a hard question to ask of a man who's been paralyzed for the last 19 years."
By TIM WYATT / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Tony and Theresa Walker have waited more than 19 years for their son's killer to be executed. On Monday, they learned their family nightmare is far from over.
The elderly couple may have to endure a second trial of the man sentenced to die for executing their oldest son, Douglas, in an Irving hotel robbery in late 1985.
Thomas Joe Miller-El was convicted of murdering the 25-year-old hotel clerk during a robbery of a Holiday Inn near Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Mr. Walker was bound and gagged and then shot in the back.
Another hotel clerk, 29-year-old Donald Ray Hall, was shot and left paralyzed from the chest down. He later identified Mr. Miller-El as the shooter.
In its second review of the case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that Mr. Miller-El had not received a fair trial because prosecutors excluded all but one of the eligible black jurors from hearing his case, in violation of the law.
The Walkers expressed frustration and anger that the facts of their son's brutal murder seemed secondary in importance.
"I guess it doesn't seem to matter whether he's guilty or not," Mrs. Walker said in a telephone interview from her Otisville, Mich., home. "It just seems like this will never end. It's been too long for him to still be alive. He should have been executed a long time ago."
Dallas prosecutors would not say what would happen next in Mr. Miller-El's case. The options include holding a new trial, striking a plea bargain or dismissing the capital murder charge.
District Attorney Bill Hill declined to comment on the Supreme Court's ruling. A statement released by his office said that Mr. Miller-El's "guilt of that heinous crime is not in dispute."
"The family of his dead victim and his surviving victim are in our thoughts," the statement concluded.
Eric Smenner, now a Dallas criminal defense attorney, remembers the grisly killing that occurred just weeks before he finished rookie orientation as an Irving policeman.
"It's a shame that the focus of the case now has little to do with Miller-El's guilt or innocence, but how the jury was picked," Mr. Smenner said. "Now he gets a new trial after all this time? What are you going to do about 20-year-old memories?"
Mr. Smenner recalled how he and other rookies were pulled out of class in November 1985 and taken to a vacant field to search for the safe taken in the robbery. But the real worry of police, he said, was Mr. Miller-El's reputation for violence.
Police had been warned that Mr. Miller-El was carrying an automatic assault rifle under his coat, Mr. Smenner said.
"He wasn't anybody to mess with and, for the first and last time in my 12 years on the force, I saw the chief and the assistant chiefs carrying weapons," Mr. Smenner said.
Mr. Smenner said the robbery changed Irving from a "little Podunk place" to a big suburb with big-city crime.
Police arrested Mr. Miller-El in Houston days after the robbery-murder. After a shootout in which Mr. Miller-El was wounded, Houston police recovered several guns, including the automatic weapon believed to have killed Mr. Walker.
Mr. Miller-El's wife, Dorothy, received two life sentences for helping plan the robbery. An appeals court reduced her prison time to two concurrent 15-year sentences. She was paroled in 1992 and couldn't be located for comment.
Mr. Hall, who survived the attack, did not know about the Supreme Court's decision until a reporter for The Dallas Morning News left a message on his answering machine, a longtime personal friend said. The friend, who asked to remain anonymous, said Mr. Hall did not want to comment.
"He's not happy at all about it. He's in a wheelchair. He's scared to death," the friend said.
The Walkers said they have exchanged Christmas cards over the years with Mr. Hall but said that they don't stay in touch.
"I don't ask how he's doing, though," Mr. Walker said. "That's a hard question to ask of a man who's been paralyzed for the last 19 years."
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TexasStooge
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Miller promises to work for unity
Dallas: Mayor's State of City focuses on creating bustling downtown, southern sector
By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - No matter that voters and City Council members alike bludgeoned her bid to become Dallas' first "strong mayor."
Mayor Laura Miller on Monday vowed to unite with her council colleagues and lead Dallas into a two-year period of dramatic economic growth and swift crime reduction.
By 2007, she said, the city's core will be filled with new hotels, residential units and commercial towers, while the city's southern sector will experience unprecedented development – at its municipal airport, around blighted commercial sites, on desolate land that one day may become an inland cargo port.
"[The] incessant, wildfire growth of the suburban communities to our north and south has made it imperative for Dallas to push back strongly with new housing, retail, manufacturing, office and business park developments in the half of our city which is not only the most beautiful, but which is open and available to business," Ms. Miller said as part of her annual State of the City address.
The mayor's address came during a ceremony where municipal Judge Jay Robinson inaugurated four freshmen council members – Angela Hunt, Linda Koop, Pauline Medrano and Ron Natinsky – who replace term-limited Lois Finkelman, Sandy Greyson, Veletta Forsythe Lill and John Loza.
Monday afternoon, the new council unanimously voted to appoint Don Hill mayor pro tem, the body's second-ranking position behind mayor, and Elba Garcia deputy mayor pro tem, the third-ranking position. Mr. Hill served as deputy mayor pro tem during his last term.
The mayor challenged her colleagues, both new and familiar, to hire more police officers and purchase better police equipment that "will keep our officers safe and on the same par, in terms of vehicles and firepower, as our criminals."
A challenge it will be. City Manager Mary Suhm plans to present the new council Wednesday with a 2005-06 budget preview that includes a $21.7 million shortfall. Ms. Suhm will release her official, balanced budget proposal in August.
Ms. Miller said residents should prepare for another property tax increase to address crime.
"I lay awake at night worrying, thinking how to make the situation better. We're doing everything we can with what we have to reduce crime," Police Chief David Kunkle said after Ms. Miller's address, adding that he's confident that council members will back their intentions with dollars.
"We're going to have to take a real tough look at the budget right away. There's no waiting," Ms. Medrano said an hour into her first term.
Council unity around Dallas' economic and public safety goals is imperative, Ms. Miller said, noting that she, too, must allow her seven-month battle for increased power to fade into city history.
"Citizens did not want that version of change and voted to turn it down resoundingly," the mayor said, prompting a squall of applause from the hundreds of guests gathered at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in downtown Dallas.
Ms. Miller sheepishly smiled.
"You may applaud. I'll take any applause I can get," she said, straying from the 14-page script she says she wrote this weekend on her daughter's computer. "While I was disappointed with that outcome, I congratulate my colleagues for mounting a strong and unified campaign that brought together unlikely factions of our city and inspired people who are typically uninspired by City Hall to cast their vote and be heard on a very important issue."
The mayor told the audience that she believes the new council will keep a promise made in April by the former council to place a slate of City Charter amendments on a November ballot.
That won't change Dallas' form of government, Ms. Miller argued. But she added she remains confident that the council will "strike the right balance for change, which will hopefully be embraced by the voters."
For Mr. Hill, a key player in the strong-mayor proposition's defeat, Ms. Miller hasn't shed her brash individualism completely.
"But she understands that her vision will be accomplished if she works with the council. She recognizes that there's a great desire to put that divisive battle behind us," he said. "She provides the kind of tone today that will heal wounds from the strong-mayor campaign and help really establish her as the leader of this council."
Dallas: Mayor's State of City focuses on creating bustling downtown, southern sector
By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - No matter that voters and City Council members alike bludgeoned her bid to become Dallas' first "strong mayor."
Mayor Laura Miller on Monday vowed to unite with her council colleagues and lead Dallas into a two-year period of dramatic economic growth and swift crime reduction.
By 2007, she said, the city's core will be filled with new hotels, residential units and commercial towers, while the city's southern sector will experience unprecedented development – at its municipal airport, around blighted commercial sites, on desolate land that one day may become an inland cargo port.
"[The] incessant, wildfire growth of the suburban communities to our north and south has made it imperative for Dallas to push back strongly with new housing, retail, manufacturing, office and business park developments in the half of our city which is not only the most beautiful, but which is open and available to business," Ms. Miller said as part of her annual State of the City address.
The mayor's address came during a ceremony where municipal Judge Jay Robinson inaugurated four freshmen council members – Angela Hunt, Linda Koop, Pauline Medrano and Ron Natinsky – who replace term-limited Lois Finkelman, Sandy Greyson, Veletta Forsythe Lill and John Loza.
Monday afternoon, the new council unanimously voted to appoint Don Hill mayor pro tem, the body's second-ranking position behind mayor, and Elba Garcia deputy mayor pro tem, the third-ranking position. Mr. Hill served as deputy mayor pro tem during his last term.
The mayor challenged her colleagues, both new and familiar, to hire more police officers and purchase better police equipment that "will keep our officers safe and on the same par, in terms of vehicles and firepower, as our criminals."
A challenge it will be. City Manager Mary Suhm plans to present the new council Wednesday with a 2005-06 budget preview that includes a $21.7 million shortfall. Ms. Suhm will release her official, balanced budget proposal in August.
Ms. Miller said residents should prepare for another property tax increase to address crime.
"I lay awake at night worrying, thinking how to make the situation better. We're doing everything we can with what we have to reduce crime," Police Chief David Kunkle said after Ms. Miller's address, adding that he's confident that council members will back their intentions with dollars.
"We're going to have to take a real tough look at the budget right away. There's no waiting," Ms. Medrano said an hour into her first term.
Council unity around Dallas' economic and public safety goals is imperative, Ms. Miller said, noting that she, too, must allow her seven-month battle for increased power to fade into city history.
"Citizens did not want that version of change and voted to turn it down resoundingly," the mayor said, prompting a squall of applause from the hundreds of guests gathered at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in downtown Dallas.
Ms. Miller sheepishly smiled.
"You may applaud. I'll take any applause I can get," she said, straying from the 14-page script she says she wrote this weekend on her daughter's computer. "While I was disappointed with that outcome, I congratulate my colleagues for mounting a strong and unified campaign that brought together unlikely factions of our city and inspired people who are typically uninspired by City Hall to cast their vote and be heard on a very important issue."
The mayor told the audience that she believes the new council will keep a promise made in April by the former council to place a slate of City Charter amendments on a November ballot.
That won't change Dallas' form of government, Ms. Miller argued. But she added she remains confident that the council will "strike the right balance for change, which will hopefully be embraced by the voters."
For Mr. Hill, a key player in the strong-mayor proposition's defeat, Ms. Miller hasn't shed her brash individualism completely.
"But she understands that her vision will be accomplished if she works with the council. She recognizes that there's a great desire to put that divisive battle behind us," he said. "She provides the kind of tone today that will heal wounds from the strong-mayor campaign and help really establish her as the leader of this council."
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TexasStooge
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No jail time for SMU professor
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Southern Methodist University law professor who was found guilty of aggravated assault will not have to go to jail.
A Dallas jury today recommended five years of probation in lieu of prison time.
On Monday, that same jury determined that Dolkart intentionally struck bicyclist Tommy Thomas with her car at White Rock Lake last May.
Dolkart could have faced a prison term up to 20 years and a $10,000 fine for the second-degree felony.
Thomas was dragged under Dolkart's car for several feet. He suffered cuts and bruises.
Dolkart testified that she did not intend to hit Thomas' bike.
She was also sentenced to offer two years of community service.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Southern Methodist University law professor who was found guilty of aggravated assault will not have to go to jail.
A Dallas jury today recommended five years of probation in lieu of prison time.
On Monday, that same jury determined that Dolkart intentionally struck bicyclist Tommy Thomas with her car at White Rock Lake last May.
Dolkart could have faced a prison term up to 20 years and a $10,000 fine for the second-degree felony.
Thomas was dragged under Dolkart's car for several feet. He suffered cuts and bruises.
Dolkart testified that she did not intend to hit Thomas' bike.
She was also sentenced to offer two years of community service.
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TexasStooge
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String of sex assaults hits Denton
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
DENTON, Texas - A string of sex assaults in and around the University of North Texas campus has residents and police on alert.
Police said there have been at least 19 incidents over the past six months, most recently on Monday night at an apartment complex pool.
As many as three men are suspected of exposing themselves to women - and police are taking the cases very seriously.
Warning notices were posted on residents' doors in the complex, but reaction was mixed.
"It doesn't scare me ," said resident Jessica Upchurch. "But it keeps you alert."
One of the victims recalled an incident in May.
"I glanced back and he was exposing himself to me," said Larissa Lyon.
Police said they are now trying to identify the suspects, who have acted alone in each case. They said they now have information on one of them.
"We have a good idea of who it may be, but we haven't been able to prove it," said Denton police spokesperson Jim Bryan.
Authorities are concerned the acts of indecent exposure could escalate to violence. The suspects often brazenly approach victims during the day in public places, so residents like Upchurch plan to heed warnings.
"We plan to keep everything locked, and be aware of what's going on," she said.
"Very little surprises me anymore," said resident Jeff Hillary.
Some of the victims are UNT students; while none of the incidents happened on campus, school officials have issued an advisory with safety tips to help protect other students from also becoming victims.
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
DENTON, Texas - A string of sex assaults in and around the University of North Texas campus has residents and police on alert.
Police said there have been at least 19 incidents over the past six months, most recently on Monday night at an apartment complex pool.
As many as three men are suspected of exposing themselves to women - and police are taking the cases very seriously.
Warning notices were posted on residents' doors in the complex, but reaction was mixed.
"It doesn't scare me ," said resident Jessica Upchurch. "But it keeps you alert."
One of the victims recalled an incident in May.
"I glanced back and he was exposing himself to me," said Larissa Lyon.
Police said they are now trying to identify the suspects, who have acted alone in each case. They said they now have information on one of them.
"We have a good idea of who it may be, but we haven't been able to prove it," said Denton police spokesperson Jim Bryan.
Authorities are concerned the acts of indecent exposure could escalate to violence. The suspects often brazenly approach victims during the day in public places, so residents like Upchurch plan to heed warnings.
"We plan to keep everything locked, and be aware of what's going on," she said.
"Very little surprises me anymore," said resident Jeff Hillary.
Some of the victims are UNT students; while none of the incidents happened on campus, school officials have issued an advisory with safety tips to help protect other students from also becoming victims.
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TexasStooge
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Slaying suspect confessed to abusing girl, detective testifies
Dallas: Man told different story days after infant died
By HOLLY YAN and ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas police detective on Tuesday testified that Marcus Jerome Hall, the man accused of killing a 2-month-old baby and injuring a toddler last week, confessed to abusing the girl.
Mr. Hall was baby-sitting Isabelle Alvarez – initially identified by police as Esmerelda Alvarado – and her 14-month-old brother, Gerardo Luis Alvarez Jr., on June 6 while the children's mother was in Oklahoma visiting her sick mother. After neighbors called police, officers found Isabelle dead and Gerardo severely bruised in Mr. Hall's apartment near Live Oak Street and Fitzhugh Avenue.
"He stated that he had struck [Isabelle]," child abuse Detective Glen Slade testified during an examination hearing. "The baby threw up, and the baby choked and stopped breathing."
Detective Slade said Mr. Hall described using his hands to shake the baby. "He stated the baby was crying ... both babies were crying ... he was angry, and he lost control for a minute."
Detective Slade did not testify as to whether Mr. Hall admitted to hitting Gerardo.
Two days after his arrest, Mr. Hall offered a different explanation of what happened.
In a jailhouse interview, Mr. Hall said that Isabelle had trouble breathing and that he tried to administer CPR about 6:30 a.m. He said Gerardo's bruises resulted from rolling off a bed and hitting a stool and fan about the same time Isabelle stopped breathing.
Mr. Hall said he did not immediately call 911 because he feared another child-related arrest. In 1995, Mr. Hall was arrested on suspicion of injury to a child, but he was later acquitted.
"I was afraid because I was thinking about 10 years ago," he said. "Ten years ago, I called 911 and went to the hospital with the baby."
About two hours after Isabelle choked, Mr. Hall said, he phoned 911. But he said he intentionally gave them the wrong apartment number.
"They got to blame somebody, and I was the last adult with her," he said.
About 1:30 p.m., Mr. Hall summoned neighbors to his apartment. One woman noticed the baby was dead and asked neighbors to call 911.
Mr. Hall's attorney, Kevin Brooks, said he hasn't seen his client's statement to police and didn't know whether or why Mr. Hall had changed his story. He declined to comment further.
The Dallas County medical examiner's office said Isabelle died from homicidal violence, including blunt force head trauma and possible asphyxia.
Judge Phil Barker ruled that there was sufficient evidence to forward the case to a grand jury. He set bail at $1 million.
Gerardo was taken into CPS custody and is in foster care.
Dallas: Man told different story days after infant died
By HOLLY YAN and ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas police detective on Tuesday testified that Marcus Jerome Hall, the man accused of killing a 2-month-old baby and injuring a toddler last week, confessed to abusing the girl.
Mr. Hall was baby-sitting Isabelle Alvarez – initially identified by police as Esmerelda Alvarado – and her 14-month-old brother, Gerardo Luis Alvarez Jr., on June 6 while the children's mother was in Oklahoma visiting her sick mother. After neighbors called police, officers found Isabelle dead and Gerardo severely bruised in Mr. Hall's apartment near Live Oak Street and Fitzhugh Avenue.
"He stated that he had struck [Isabelle]," child abuse Detective Glen Slade testified during an examination hearing. "The baby threw up, and the baby choked and stopped breathing."
Detective Slade said Mr. Hall described using his hands to shake the baby. "He stated the baby was crying ... both babies were crying ... he was angry, and he lost control for a minute."
Detective Slade did not testify as to whether Mr. Hall admitted to hitting Gerardo.
Two days after his arrest, Mr. Hall offered a different explanation of what happened.
In a jailhouse interview, Mr. Hall said that Isabelle had trouble breathing and that he tried to administer CPR about 6:30 a.m. He said Gerardo's bruises resulted from rolling off a bed and hitting a stool and fan about the same time Isabelle stopped breathing.
Mr. Hall said he did not immediately call 911 because he feared another child-related arrest. In 1995, Mr. Hall was arrested on suspicion of injury to a child, but he was later acquitted.
"I was afraid because I was thinking about 10 years ago," he said. "Ten years ago, I called 911 and went to the hospital with the baby."
About two hours after Isabelle choked, Mr. Hall said, he phoned 911. But he said he intentionally gave them the wrong apartment number.
"They got to blame somebody, and I was the last adult with her," he said.
About 1:30 p.m., Mr. Hall summoned neighbors to his apartment. One woman noticed the baby was dead and asked neighbors to call 911.
Mr. Hall's attorney, Kevin Brooks, said he hasn't seen his client's statement to police and didn't know whether or why Mr. Hall had changed his story. He declined to comment further.
The Dallas County medical examiner's office said Isabelle died from homicidal violence, including blunt force head trauma and possible asphyxia.
Judge Phil Barker ruled that there was sufficient evidence to forward the case to a grand jury. He set bail at $1 million.
Gerardo was taken into CPS custody and is in foster care.
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TexasStooge
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Collin County reopens 1987 murder case
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8
COPEVILLE, Texas - The Collin County district attorney has relaunched the investigation of an 18-year-old murder.
35-year-old Betty Ingram of Copeville was strangled to death in her home on the morning of June 17, 1987 as she was preparing to go to work. No arrest was made in the case after the initial investigation.
The district attorney's office is distributing fliers in Copeville, Farmersville, Nevada and Royse City seeking information about the case. Ingram's parents are also offering a $5,000 reward.
This latest announcement marks the tenth cold case that prosecutors have reopened.
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8
COPEVILLE, Texas - The Collin County district attorney has relaunched the investigation of an 18-year-old murder.
35-year-old Betty Ingram of Copeville was strangled to death in her home on the morning of June 17, 1987 as she was preparing to go to work. No arrest was made in the case after the initial investigation.
The district attorney's office is distributing fliers in Copeville, Farmersville, Nevada and Royse City seeking information about the case. Ingram's parents are also offering a $5,000 reward.
This latest announcement marks the tenth cold case that prosecutors have reopened.
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TexasStooge
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DISD may eliminate property tax exemption
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas school board will debate Wednesday whether to do away with its property tax exemption.
The exemption means that the value of a home in the DISD is reduced by ten percent before it is taxed. The average value of a home in the district is $130,535, and removing the exemption means that homeowner would pay $218 more.
For homeowners including David Lynch who are protesting higher appraisals, loss of the exemption means they would pay even more in property taxes.
The Dallas County Appraisal District just increased the tentative value of Lynch's North Dallas house to $412,000. Just the loss of the exemption means he would pay almost $700 more next year.
"I think it's ludicrous," Lynch said. "I don't think that should happen at all, because I think that ten percent protects the homeowners."
But the school district said it still must pay for critical needs, like expanding the pre-kindergarten program and raises for employees.
The Legislature failed to pass school finance reform and property tax relief laws, so DISD officials said they have no choice but to rely on local taxpayers.
"The only flexibility that the board has currently in terms of increasing revenue is to look at the ten percent optional homestead exemption that the district has granted for many years," said DISD deputy superintendent Larry Groppel.
Lynch is among those who want the exemption kept, and hopes to tell the school board himself.
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas school board will debate Wednesday whether to do away with its property tax exemption.
The exemption means that the value of a home in the DISD is reduced by ten percent before it is taxed. The average value of a home in the district is $130,535, and removing the exemption means that homeowner would pay $218 more.
For homeowners including David Lynch who are protesting higher appraisals, loss of the exemption means they would pay even more in property taxes.
The Dallas County Appraisal District just increased the tentative value of Lynch's North Dallas house to $412,000. Just the loss of the exemption means he would pay almost $700 more next year.
"I think it's ludicrous," Lynch said. "I don't think that should happen at all, because I think that ten percent protects the homeowners."
But the school district said it still must pay for critical needs, like expanding the pre-kindergarten program and raises for employees.
The Legislature failed to pass school finance reform and property tax relief laws, so DISD officials said they have no choice but to rely on local taxpayers.
"The only flexibility that the board has currently in terms of increasing revenue is to look at the ten percent optional homestead exemption that the district has granted for many years," said DISD deputy superintendent Larry Groppel.
Lynch is among those who want the exemption kept, and hopes to tell the school board himself.
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TexasStooge
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The owner killed 1/2 a dozen pets and gets away with it? 
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Charges dismissed in kitten drownings
Collin County panel doesn't indict man who put animals in creek
By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
McKINNEY, Texas - Earl Rutledge doesn't deny dropping a box of kittens into a northeast Collin County creek last month, his wife said.
But he thought they were dead, Betty Rutledge said.
After hearing Mr. Rutledge's tale, a Collin County grand jury dismissed animal cruelty charges against the 62-year-old Fannin County man in the kittens' drowning, according to the grand jury report released Tuesday.
"We are so relieved," Mrs. Rutledge said from the couple's 15-acre farm in Trenton. "It's been such a difficult thing for us, because we are great animal lovers. We appreciated the opportunity to be heard by the grand jury."
The grand jury's decision not to indict could result from myriad reasons, such as lack of probable cause or a decision that the case wasn't worth pursuing, Collin County spokeswoman Leigh Hornsby said.
SPCA of Texas spokeswoman Anita Kelso Edson said the animals suffered and described this as a "tragic case."
"It's hard to second-guess their [grand jury] decision, because we aren't privy to the evidence," Ms. Edson said. "But we hope it doesn't set a precedent for people that this is OK, because it's not."
Mr. Rutledge was arrested May 17, one week after a woman reported seeing him drop the box of four kittens off the Pilot Grove Creek bridge on State Highway 121, about a mile north of Westminster.
The 50-year-old woman peered over the bridge, saw a floating box, and said she heard the kittens mewing. She took down Mr. Rutledge's license information and called authorities.
The kittens' drowning, which is a felony, would have carried a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a $10,000 fine for a conviction.
Mrs. Rutledge said the kittens' "wild mother cat" had abandoned them and they seemed to be starving to death.
"The mother had been gone several days. Initially we tried not to intervene. With her being a wild cat, we were afraid she wouldn't come around because of our human scent," she said.
"They were crying for a day or two. And when we couldn't stand it any longer, we tried to feed them with an animal baby bottle."
When that didn't work, Mrs. Rutledge said, they called their grandson, who works at an animal hospital. He told her to bring them in, but there was little hope for baby animals that wouldn't eat, she said.
Mrs. Rutledge said she and her husband have rescued cats and dogs. She said her husband didn't believe the kittens were alive and did not hear them mewing, as the witness described.
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Charges dismissed in kitten drownings
Collin County panel doesn't indict man who put animals in creek
By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
McKINNEY, Texas - Earl Rutledge doesn't deny dropping a box of kittens into a northeast Collin County creek last month, his wife said.
But he thought they were dead, Betty Rutledge said.
After hearing Mr. Rutledge's tale, a Collin County grand jury dismissed animal cruelty charges against the 62-year-old Fannin County man in the kittens' drowning, according to the grand jury report released Tuesday.
"We are so relieved," Mrs. Rutledge said from the couple's 15-acre farm in Trenton. "It's been such a difficult thing for us, because we are great animal lovers. We appreciated the opportunity to be heard by the grand jury."
The grand jury's decision not to indict could result from myriad reasons, such as lack of probable cause or a decision that the case wasn't worth pursuing, Collin County spokeswoman Leigh Hornsby said.
SPCA of Texas spokeswoman Anita Kelso Edson said the animals suffered and described this as a "tragic case."
"It's hard to second-guess their [grand jury] decision, because we aren't privy to the evidence," Ms. Edson said. "But we hope it doesn't set a precedent for people that this is OK, because it's not."
Mr. Rutledge was arrested May 17, one week after a woman reported seeing him drop the box of four kittens off the Pilot Grove Creek bridge on State Highway 121, about a mile north of Westminster.
The 50-year-old woman peered over the bridge, saw a floating box, and said she heard the kittens mewing. She took down Mr. Rutledge's license information and called authorities.
The kittens' drowning, which is a felony, would have carried a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a $10,000 fine for a conviction.
Mrs. Rutledge said the kittens' "wild mother cat" had abandoned them and they seemed to be starving to death.
"The mother had been gone several days. Initially we tried not to intervene. With her being a wild cat, we were afraid she wouldn't come around because of our human scent," she said.
"They were crying for a day or two. And when we couldn't stand it any longer, we tried to feed them with an animal baby bottle."
When that didn't work, Mrs. Rutledge said, they called their grandson, who works at an animal hospital. He told her to bring them in, but there was little hope for baby animals that wouldn't eat, she said.
Mrs. Rutledge said she and her husband have rescued cats and dogs. She said her husband didn't believe the kittens were alive and did not hear them mewing, as the witness described.
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TexasStooge
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Denton CPS concerned about security, crowding
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
DENTON, Texas - There are security concerns at the Denton office of the state's Child Protective Services division.
Along with ever-increasing numbers of caseloads is a growing uneasiness about the crowded work environment at the CPS facility. Officials are asking county officials for security guards, metal detectors and a more secure building.
"It's a fire hazard, number one, and it's a security risk," said CPS board vice president Bonnie Kaplan. "There is no security in this building."
There are no security guards or metal detectors to protect workers and children from some parents who lose control. Kaplan said police have been called nearly a dozen times to the facility in recent years because of outbursts.
"They're banging on tables when ... the charges are brought against them," Kaplan said. "These are people who have used violence, in some cases, against their children."
According to CPS officials, the Denton office is one of 43 that could use security guards. Last year, a child's temporary caretaker fled from the Lewisville CPS office with a baby boy and led police in a car chase through three North Texas cities.
Kaplan fears violence could erupt at the Denton facility, since some parents have allegedly shown up for meetings under the influence of drugs. She said as a whole, the agency is responding to more drug related cases.
"It looks like we're gonna have more CPS workers and that's good news," said Denton County Judge Mary Horn. "The bad news is, I don't have any place to put them right now - but we are looking at that for sure."
CPS leases space from the county and has asked for help in finding a larger, more secure facility.
"I believe it's necessary for the safety of our workers, and the children that we protect here," Kaplan said.
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
DENTON, Texas - There are security concerns at the Denton office of the state's Child Protective Services division.
Along with ever-increasing numbers of caseloads is a growing uneasiness about the crowded work environment at the CPS facility. Officials are asking county officials for security guards, metal detectors and a more secure building.
"It's a fire hazard, number one, and it's a security risk," said CPS board vice president Bonnie Kaplan. "There is no security in this building."
There are no security guards or metal detectors to protect workers and children from some parents who lose control. Kaplan said police have been called nearly a dozen times to the facility in recent years because of outbursts.
"They're banging on tables when ... the charges are brought against them," Kaplan said. "These are people who have used violence, in some cases, against their children."
According to CPS officials, the Denton office is one of 43 that could use security guards. Last year, a child's temporary caretaker fled from the Lewisville CPS office with a baby boy and led police in a car chase through three North Texas cities.
Kaplan fears violence could erupt at the Denton facility, since some parents have allegedly shown up for meetings under the influence of drugs. She said as a whole, the agency is responding to more drug related cases.
"It looks like we're gonna have more CPS workers and that's good news," said Denton County Judge Mary Horn. "The bad news is, I don't have any place to put them right now - but we are looking at that for sure."
CPS leases space from the county and has asked for help in finding a larger, more secure facility.
"I believe it's necessary for the safety of our workers, and the children that we protect here," Kaplan said.
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