Raymond stepping down at Exxon Mobil
IRVING, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Lee Raymond announced today that he will retire as chairman and chief executive of Irving-based Exxon Mobil at the end of the year.
According to an Exxon Mobil statement, the company board is expected to promote president Rex Tillerson as Raymond's successor. The statement did not specify a date for the board vote.
Raymond had been chairman and CEO of Exxon Corporation since 1993 and retained the post when Exxon and Mobil merged in 1999.
Tillerson, a Wichita Falls native, has been president of Exxon Mobil since March of last year. He's been with the company since joining Exxon Company USA as a production engineer in 1975.
News from the Lone Star State
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TexasStooge
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For online daters, love not always true
By JANELLE STECKLEIN / DallasNews.com
For the past 15 years, Richard Rhodes has found dates online. And in searching for a companion, he has learned that many women aren’t completely honest.
Case in point: The woman with whom Rhodes communicated by e-mail. He described her as “the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life.”
“I showed up and she was older than I was,” said Rhodes, 73, who allowed that he comes from a very small Northeast Texas town. “She had a picture on there that was at least 35 years old.”
Rhodes, who acknowledged that he actually lost 15 pounds before meeting her to make a good impression, did not pursue a second date. Instead, he wrote the president of Match.com stating his dismay at the ease in which people can post misleading photos.
“You ought to have some way to check up on that,” Rhodes said he wrote.
Freelance writer Terri Rimmer’s experience was worse. She found that men, too, post deceptive photos. But she once ended up meeting a man who was married with two children.
“People have a tendency to lie,” said the 39-year-old Fort Worth resident, who now dates a man she met offline.
As dating moves from clicking in bars to clicking a mouse, questions are arising about what online dating services are doing to protect subscribers from deception. Of course, trickery can run the gamut, from the minor issue of hair color to the major problem of an extensive criminal background.
Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature joined several states that were considering legislation to require background checks for Internet dating sites. The proposed Texas legislation died at the end of the session.
Markham Erickson, general counsel for the Washington, D.C., lobbying group NetCoalition.com, said he has spoken to state legislatures about the problems of imposing background checks on online dating companies.
“Our concern is that you are creating a system that is woefully ineffective and creates more harms than good,” Erickson said.
Erickson said the databases that background check companies use are generally out of date by up to a year. Some third-party companies hired to run background checks are unable to secure users’ information and have experienced data theft, he said.
And, he said, people with something to hide often use false information, defeating the purpose of the checks.
Erickson also pointed out the difficulty in defining an Internet dating site. He said several bills refer to the Web sites as “social referral sites.” By that definition, Erickson said, online chat rooms, the craigslist classified advertising site and eBay all would be required to undertake background checks.
However, proponents like Herb Vest, CEO of Irving-based True.com, contend that checks will help weed out unsuitable mates.
True.com’s screenings result in the rejection of about 5 percent of potential daters because of felony criminal records, and another 4 percent who already are married. Members who discover dishonesty in someone’s profile are encouraged to notify the company, Vest said, but most subscribers already try to adhere to the spirit of the site.
“It’s not foolproof, but I think it’s very effective,” Vest said. “We’re very serious about enforcing these rules.”
Match.com and Yahoo! Personals do not check backgrounds. Representatives of the sites said they rely on subscribers to alert them to dishonest members.
Match.com is concerned with protecting its members’ privacy, so it has argued against potential legislation requiring background checks. “In order to protect privacy, we put a lot of power into the hands of the user,” said Kristin Kelly, a Match.com spokeswoman.
She also noted that third-party security problems and incomplete criminal background databases render the checks “not ready for prime-time.”
“You’ve created a false sense of security,” Kelly said.
Match.com is testing a program in Dallas called Certified Photos, which matches interested users with local photographers who will take their picture, provided they show identification. Match.com then will certify the photos as recent and true. Users pay a one-time fee for a package of their choice. The fee ultimately depends on the length of the photo shoot, how many photographs the user wants to place in the profile and other factors.
But Kelly holds to the belief that dishonest daters surface everywhere, not just online.
“Nothing happens online that doesn’t happen offline,” she said. “Regulating or legislating human behavior is a very difficult thing to do.”
Spokeswoman Rochelle Adams said Yahoo! Personal does not run background checks, but any claims of behavior that violate Yahoo’s online dating user policy are investigated.
“We just have to try to provide the right kind of tools to allow singles to have the right kind of environment,” she said.
Andrea Baker, sociologist and author of Double Click: Romance and Commitment Among Online Couples, said the most common forms of deception are marital status and height for men and weight for women.
“It’s easier to deceive people online,” she said. “If people are serious about a relationship, it seems to me that it is in their best interest to be as honest as possible.”
In studying couples who met through dating sites, in chat rooms or via other Internet forums, she observed that their goal seemed to be finding people with compatible interests. And many older people tend to steer away from bars, she said.
“Many more people have either stopped drinking or really don’t enjoy it,” she said. “They really don’t feel the bar scene is going to add something to their life. (The Internet) has been a nice alternative.”
She acknowledged, however, that people at bars still could invent an occupation, remove a wedding ring or offer a fake phone number.
The good news is that online dating can work. Just ask Dallas attorney Holly Lister, 26, who met a number of men on the Internet. She contends she could pick out the liars from their profiles just by the way they seemed to puff up their resumes.
“I always thought it was pretty easy to tell if someone was being honest or not,” she said.
In January, she found her future husband, Rob Draper, 29, who teaches high school choir. She said she knew he was honest and would be a good match from his lengthy profile.
“I think we just sort of complement each other,” Lister said. “We can have other interests that we share together.”
By JANELLE STECKLEIN / DallasNews.com
For the past 15 years, Richard Rhodes has found dates online. And in searching for a companion, he has learned that many women aren’t completely honest.
Case in point: The woman with whom Rhodes communicated by e-mail. He described her as “the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life.”
“I showed up and she was older than I was,” said Rhodes, 73, who allowed that he comes from a very small Northeast Texas town. “She had a picture on there that was at least 35 years old.”
Rhodes, who acknowledged that he actually lost 15 pounds before meeting her to make a good impression, did not pursue a second date. Instead, he wrote the president of Match.com stating his dismay at the ease in which people can post misleading photos.
“You ought to have some way to check up on that,” Rhodes said he wrote.
Freelance writer Terri Rimmer’s experience was worse. She found that men, too, post deceptive photos. But she once ended up meeting a man who was married with two children.
“People have a tendency to lie,” said the 39-year-old Fort Worth resident, who now dates a man she met offline.
As dating moves from clicking in bars to clicking a mouse, questions are arising about what online dating services are doing to protect subscribers from deception. Of course, trickery can run the gamut, from the minor issue of hair color to the major problem of an extensive criminal background.
Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature joined several states that were considering legislation to require background checks for Internet dating sites. The proposed Texas legislation died at the end of the session.
Markham Erickson, general counsel for the Washington, D.C., lobbying group NetCoalition.com, said he has spoken to state legislatures about the problems of imposing background checks on online dating companies.
“Our concern is that you are creating a system that is woefully ineffective and creates more harms than good,” Erickson said.
Erickson said the databases that background check companies use are generally out of date by up to a year. Some third-party companies hired to run background checks are unable to secure users’ information and have experienced data theft, he said.
And, he said, people with something to hide often use false information, defeating the purpose of the checks.
Erickson also pointed out the difficulty in defining an Internet dating site. He said several bills refer to the Web sites as “social referral sites.” By that definition, Erickson said, online chat rooms, the craigslist classified advertising site and eBay all would be required to undertake background checks.
However, proponents like Herb Vest, CEO of Irving-based True.com, contend that checks will help weed out unsuitable mates.
True.com’s screenings result in the rejection of about 5 percent of potential daters because of felony criminal records, and another 4 percent who already are married. Members who discover dishonesty in someone’s profile are encouraged to notify the company, Vest said, but most subscribers already try to adhere to the spirit of the site.
“It’s not foolproof, but I think it’s very effective,” Vest said. “We’re very serious about enforcing these rules.”
Match.com and Yahoo! Personals do not check backgrounds. Representatives of the sites said they rely on subscribers to alert them to dishonest members.
Match.com is concerned with protecting its members’ privacy, so it has argued against potential legislation requiring background checks. “In order to protect privacy, we put a lot of power into the hands of the user,” said Kristin Kelly, a Match.com spokeswoman.
She also noted that third-party security problems and incomplete criminal background databases render the checks “not ready for prime-time.”
“You’ve created a false sense of security,” Kelly said.
Match.com is testing a program in Dallas called Certified Photos, which matches interested users with local photographers who will take their picture, provided they show identification. Match.com then will certify the photos as recent and true. Users pay a one-time fee for a package of their choice. The fee ultimately depends on the length of the photo shoot, how many photographs the user wants to place in the profile and other factors.
But Kelly holds to the belief that dishonest daters surface everywhere, not just online.
“Nothing happens online that doesn’t happen offline,” she said. “Regulating or legislating human behavior is a very difficult thing to do.”
Spokeswoman Rochelle Adams said Yahoo! Personal does not run background checks, but any claims of behavior that violate Yahoo’s online dating user policy are investigated.
“We just have to try to provide the right kind of tools to allow singles to have the right kind of environment,” she said.
Andrea Baker, sociologist and author of Double Click: Romance and Commitment Among Online Couples, said the most common forms of deception are marital status and height for men and weight for women.
“It’s easier to deceive people online,” she said. “If people are serious about a relationship, it seems to me that it is in their best interest to be as honest as possible.”
In studying couples who met through dating sites, in chat rooms or via other Internet forums, she observed that their goal seemed to be finding people with compatible interests. And many older people tend to steer away from bars, she said.
“Many more people have either stopped drinking or really don’t enjoy it,” she said. “They really don’t feel the bar scene is going to add something to their life. (The Internet) has been a nice alternative.”
She acknowledged, however, that people at bars still could invent an occupation, remove a wedding ring or offer a fake phone number.
The good news is that online dating can work. Just ask Dallas attorney Holly Lister, 26, who met a number of men on the Internet. She contends she could pick out the liars from their profiles just by the way they seemed to puff up their resumes.
“I always thought it was pretty easy to tell if someone was being honest or not,” she said.
In January, she found her future husband, Rob Draper, 29, who teaches high school choir. She said she knew he was honest and would be a good match from his lengthy profile.
“I think we just sort of complement each other,” Lister said. “We can have other interests that we share together.”
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18-wheeler left hanging from bridge
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com)The cab of an 18-wheeler truck veered off Interstate 35E Thursday afternoon, ending up dangling off an overpass.
The accident occurred around 1:15 p.m. in the northbound lanes of I-35E at Regal Row. Skid marks showed the cab's path as it careened towards the edge of the bridge then swung around, leaving the rear wheels hanging from the bridge.
The truck damaged the guardrail in the wreck, leaving debris on the main lanes of Regal Row below.
Regal Row was closed at the intersection, and all lanes of northbound I-35E were also closed, resulting in a lengthy backup. Traffic is currently being diverted onto the service road.
WFAA ABC 8
The cab's rear wheels dangled from the Regal Row overpass.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com)The cab of an 18-wheeler truck veered off Interstate 35E Thursday afternoon, ending up dangling off an overpass.
The accident occurred around 1:15 p.m. in the northbound lanes of I-35E at Regal Row. Skid marks showed the cab's path as it careened towards the edge of the bridge then swung around, leaving the rear wheels hanging from the bridge.
The truck damaged the guardrail in the wreck, leaving debris on the main lanes of Regal Row below.
Regal Row was closed at the intersection, and all lanes of northbound I-35E were also closed, resulting in a lengthy backup. Traffic is currently being diverted onto the service road.
WFAA ABC 8
The cab's rear wheels dangled from the Regal Row overpass.
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Police square off against panhandlers
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police are cracking down against what they say is an upsurge in aggressive panhandling.
Officers are fanning out along Interstate 35E from Northwest Highway to Woodall Rodgers, arresting people who they say are violating the city's anti-panhandling ordinance.
From the panhandlers' point of view, asking citizens for money at street corners is their right. But police think the activity can be considered a nuisance - so officers spent Thursday making arrests.
It took only a few minutes for Dallas police officer Kevin Ellis and two others to find a panhandler, working a street corner along Stemmons near several hotels.
"You don't want people visiting our town and having to deal with something like that," Ellis said.
Officers searched under the highway underpass where the man said he lives, finding others thought to be panhandlers. But since officers didn't see them holding a sign, they were not arrested.
The Dallas City Council passed the ordinance more than a year ago, with a goal of protecting residents and visitors from being hassled.
Panhandlers disagree.
"It's what I do, it's a job," said panhandling suspect Edward Sprague. "I come out here in 100 degree weather, I work ... it's not easy."
For officers, it is sometimes a frustrating assignment.
"These people have all sorts of medical problems, mental problems, and you don't know what you're getting into when they approach your vehicle," said Dallas officer Stephanie Barney. "
Often hours after making an arrest, officers see the panhandlers back on the street, since it is only a misdemeanor.
'Citizens call us every day on the same thing," said Dallas Sgt. Charles Ledbetter. "They know it's against the law, and they're tired of the individuals walking up and hitting on their windows."
Dallas Police chief David Kunkle said it's simply a quality-of-life issue.
Authorities said they'll conduct these sweeps several times a month, especially near hotels, the Convention Center and restaurants where police say the panhandlers tend to work.
WFAA ABC 8
Officers arrested a group of people seen panhandling along Stemmons Freeway.
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police are cracking down against what they say is an upsurge in aggressive panhandling.
Officers are fanning out along Interstate 35E from Northwest Highway to Woodall Rodgers, arresting people who they say are violating the city's anti-panhandling ordinance.
From the panhandlers' point of view, asking citizens for money at street corners is their right. But police think the activity can be considered a nuisance - so officers spent Thursday making arrests.
It took only a few minutes for Dallas police officer Kevin Ellis and two others to find a panhandler, working a street corner along Stemmons near several hotels.
"You don't want people visiting our town and having to deal with something like that," Ellis said.
Officers searched under the highway underpass where the man said he lives, finding others thought to be panhandlers. But since officers didn't see them holding a sign, they were not arrested.
The Dallas City Council passed the ordinance more than a year ago, with a goal of protecting residents and visitors from being hassled.
Panhandlers disagree.
"It's what I do, it's a job," said panhandling suspect Edward Sprague. "I come out here in 100 degree weather, I work ... it's not easy."
For officers, it is sometimes a frustrating assignment.
"These people have all sorts of medical problems, mental problems, and you don't know what you're getting into when they approach your vehicle," said Dallas officer Stephanie Barney. "
Often hours after making an arrest, officers see the panhandlers back on the street, since it is only a misdemeanor.
'Citizens call us every day on the same thing," said Dallas Sgt. Charles Ledbetter. "They know it's against the law, and they're tired of the individuals walking up and hitting on their windows."
Dallas Police chief David Kunkle said it's simply a quality-of-life issue.
Authorities said they'll conduct these sweeps several times a month, especially near hotels, the Convention Center and restaurants where police say the panhandlers tend to work.
WFAA ABC 8
Officers arrested a group of people seen panhandling along Stemmons Freeway.
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Credit union's customers possible victims of ID theft
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - There is another case of identity theft in North Texas. However, this time it happened in Garland and the victims have reached well beyond that city's boundaries.
Dallas Police, city employees and many others are monitoring their checking and credit card accounts after being notified they could fall victim to identity theft if they banked at City Credit Union.
At least one Dallas police officer has been identified as a victim in the case. And Chief David Kunkle has sent out a letter to warn the rest of the Dallas Police Department they might also be victims.
The alert came after the arrests of Robert Hardin and Teresa Smith.
"Record wise, there are hundreds of records that we have confiscated," said Joe Harn, with the Garland Police Department.
Investigators searched the couple's Mesquite home after officers found bank documents with personal information when they pulled over Hardin's van during a routine traffic stop.
"They found more records, not only from City Credit Union, but also from other financial institutions that may be tied into some mail thefts."
Police have discovered Smith once worked at City Credit Union as a janitor. Bank administrators are still trying to figure out how she could get her hands on so much sensitive information.
"At this point we are working with Garland Police to determine how that happened," said Maureen Johns, a spokeswoman for City Credit Union.
Police believe Smith stole bank records and documents that were in the process of being destroyed.
"We have a destruction process where documents are taken care of in the right manner," Johns said. "Absolutely no member's information is thrown away in a trash can."
That's little comfort to some customers who go to great lengths to protect their identity.
"At home I always burn or shred papers that have any information on them," said Myrna Alba, a City Credit Union customer.
Garland Police charged the couple with identity theft, but they say it could be weeks or months before they know the total number of victims whose identities may have been stolen.
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - There is another case of identity theft in North Texas. However, this time it happened in Garland and the victims have reached well beyond that city's boundaries.
Dallas Police, city employees and many others are monitoring their checking and credit card accounts after being notified they could fall victim to identity theft if they banked at City Credit Union.
At least one Dallas police officer has been identified as a victim in the case. And Chief David Kunkle has sent out a letter to warn the rest of the Dallas Police Department they might also be victims.
The alert came after the arrests of Robert Hardin and Teresa Smith.
"Record wise, there are hundreds of records that we have confiscated," said Joe Harn, with the Garland Police Department.
Investigators searched the couple's Mesquite home after officers found bank documents with personal information when they pulled over Hardin's van during a routine traffic stop.
"They found more records, not only from City Credit Union, but also from other financial institutions that may be tied into some mail thefts."
Police have discovered Smith once worked at City Credit Union as a janitor. Bank administrators are still trying to figure out how she could get her hands on so much sensitive information.
"At this point we are working with Garland Police to determine how that happened," said Maureen Johns, a spokeswoman for City Credit Union.
Police believe Smith stole bank records and documents that were in the process of being destroyed.
"We have a destruction process where documents are taken care of in the right manner," Johns said. "Absolutely no member's information is thrown away in a trash can."
That's little comfort to some customers who go to great lengths to protect their identity.
"At home I always burn or shred papers that have any information on them," said Myrna Alba, a City Credit Union customer.
Garland Police charged the couple with identity theft, but they say it could be weeks or months before they know the total number of victims whose identities may have been stolen.
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Executive guilty in illegal worker case
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - An executive of a company that hired illegal immigrants to do janitorial work at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has been found guilty of conspiracy to unlawfully employ migrants and shield them from detection, authorities said.
Edward Pitre, 49, of Midwest Airport Services had faced 11 other counts. He was found not guilty of five counts of making false representation of U.S. citizenship and six counts of misuse of a Social Security number.
A federal jury convicted Pitre, the company's operation manager, Tuesday. His sentencing was scheduled for Nov. 14.
The company and seven employees were indicted in 2004 after federal agents found that illegal immigrants had had access to secure areas for several years. The nationwide sweep, called Operation Tarmac, resulted in 62 warrants for airport workers employed by different companies.
Last week, company president Karen Rowell and officer manager Silvia Castillo, 39, pleaded guilty to charges related to the sweep.
Rowell pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a person in making false representation of U.S. citizenship. She had faced 63 counts. Castillo pleaded guilty to one count of making a false and fraudulent statement. She had faced 33 counts.
They were scheduled to be sentenced in November.
Abner Anglada, Midwest's assistant office manager, was set to go on trial next month.
Project and operations manager Melissa Dropp and assistant project manager Guadalupe Marquez have pleaded guilty. Both are to be sentenced in December.
Prosecutors dropped charges against clerk Aquita Boyd in May, according to court documents.
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - An executive of a company that hired illegal immigrants to do janitorial work at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has been found guilty of conspiracy to unlawfully employ migrants and shield them from detection, authorities said.
Edward Pitre, 49, of Midwest Airport Services had faced 11 other counts. He was found not guilty of five counts of making false representation of U.S. citizenship and six counts of misuse of a Social Security number.
A federal jury convicted Pitre, the company's operation manager, Tuesday. His sentencing was scheduled for Nov. 14.
The company and seven employees were indicted in 2004 after federal agents found that illegal immigrants had had access to secure areas for several years. The nationwide sweep, called Operation Tarmac, resulted in 62 warrants for airport workers employed by different companies.
Last week, company president Karen Rowell and officer manager Silvia Castillo, 39, pleaded guilty to charges related to the sweep.
Rowell pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a person in making false representation of U.S. citizenship. She had faced 63 counts. Castillo pleaded guilty to one count of making a false and fraudulent statement. She had faced 33 counts.
They were scheduled to be sentenced in November.
Abner Anglada, Midwest's assistant office manager, was set to go on trial next month.
Project and operations manager Melissa Dropp and assistant project manager Guadalupe Marquez have pleaded guilty. Both are to be sentenced in December.
Prosecutors dropped charges against clerk Aquita Boyd in May, according to court documents.
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TexasStooge
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Warehouse fire burns for six hours
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - It took Dallas firefighters six hours to put down a six-alarm blaze at a warehouse in Northwest Dallas.
The blaze broke out about 9 p.m. Thursday at the facility in the 2800 block of Century Street near Dallas Love Field Airport.
The fire quickly escalated into a blazing six-alarm inferno. More than 100 firefighters aimed large booster hoses and used aerial ladders to get above the flames.
"I can tell you it is burning very hot," said Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Lt. Jesse Garcia. "We believe there are some chemicals there burning inside. It is very intense.
"This company manufatures padding—cushion paddings—so it uses a variety of chemicals, it stores them in this warehouse," Garcia added. He said it appeared that the most dangerous chemicals did not leak.
The fire was finally tapped out shortly after 2 a.m. Friday. The warehouse building was declared a total loss, but the fire was kept away from an office area.
Two firefighters were treated for heat-related ailments.
Investigators were prepared to look for the cause of the fire Friday morning.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - It took Dallas firefighters six hours to put down a six-alarm blaze at a warehouse in Northwest Dallas.
The blaze broke out about 9 p.m. Thursday at the facility in the 2800 block of Century Street near Dallas Love Field Airport.
The fire quickly escalated into a blazing six-alarm inferno. More than 100 firefighters aimed large booster hoses and used aerial ladders to get above the flames.
"I can tell you it is burning very hot," said Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Lt. Jesse Garcia. "We believe there are some chemicals there burning inside. It is very intense.
"This company manufatures padding—cushion paddings—so it uses a variety of chemicals, it stores them in this warehouse," Garcia added. He said it appeared that the most dangerous chemicals did not leak.
The fire was finally tapped out shortly after 2 a.m. Friday. The warehouse building was declared a total loss, but the fire was kept away from an office area.
Two firefighters were treated for heat-related ailments.
Investigators were prepared to look for the cause of the fire Friday morning.
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Baby inspires mother to quit meth
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
DENTON, Texas - Methamphetamines don't discriminate and at this moment the powerful drug is tearing apart millions of lives - and at times - trapping innocent children in the middle. Studies show 15,000 children nationwide have been exposed to meth in the last five years. And some children's burn centers report a majority of their patients are injured as a result of meth lab explosions.
All these statistics are exactly why one woman's infant child gave her the courage to beat her addiction. With her 4-month-old son by her side and a bible in her hands, Cara Villanueva finally found something worth conquering her addiction.
"[I] opened it up and where I read it, it said 'the things you've been doing, you're gonna lose everything you have. You will eat, but you will still starve,'" Villanueva said.
Villanueva was in school studying to be a teacher when she first experimented with meth then got hooked. Life began to quickly spin out of control. The 25-year-old lost her home, husband, freedom and her two children as the grip of methamphetamine took control of her life. But as she sat alone with her son in a motel room, an Amber Alert on television announced police were looking for her in the abduction of her infant son who was living with her parents. That was the precise moment Villanueva took responsibility for her life.
"Gone! Blaming someone else too," she said. "Never did I think that any of it was my fault."
Before she reached this moment, her baby had been taken away from her and placed with her parents after police found her high on meth with a convicted sex offender at her home.
"The people you associate with, you think are normal and then one day you find out someone's a sex offender and you're like what?" she said.
However, that still wasn't the straw that broke Villanueva's addiction. It was her own flesh and blood that opened her eyes.
"After I got him in my arms I knew I wasn't ever going to do meth again," she said. "In my heart I knew."
The mask of meth came off and also revealed that her infant son had the drug in his system from exposure to people who use it.
"I know there are moms using out there that don't know what they're doing to their children because I had no clue," she said. "I just cry for the babies you know cause. Oh man, if you read about what meth does to you. It messes your brain up. It messes everything within you..."
After leaving the motel, Villanueva called her family and then the authorities who placed her baby in foster care.
"He's not with family and it's just, you just hurt your baby so much," she said.
Determined to get her son back and live life free of meth, the young mother decided to end her three year addiction and all contact with drug users and dealers.
"I don't know," she said. "It's up to cops. But if I work my orders and I do everything I'm supposed to do, then I will get my son back. I know I will. I will."
Denton police said they sent a case to the district attorney to review charging Villanueva with endangering a child. In the meantime, the mother of two said she has forged ahead with counseling, outpatient drug treatment and AA meetings to prepare for a new future without meth.
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
DENTON, Texas - Methamphetamines don't discriminate and at this moment the powerful drug is tearing apart millions of lives - and at times - trapping innocent children in the middle. Studies show 15,000 children nationwide have been exposed to meth in the last five years. And some children's burn centers report a majority of their patients are injured as a result of meth lab explosions.
All these statistics are exactly why one woman's infant child gave her the courage to beat her addiction. With her 4-month-old son by her side and a bible in her hands, Cara Villanueva finally found something worth conquering her addiction.
"[I] opened it up and where I read it, it said 'the things you've been doing, you're gonna lose everything you have. You will eat, but you will still starve,'" Villanueva said.
Villanueva was in school studying to be a teacher when she first experimented with meth then got hooked. Life began to quickly spin out of control. The 25-year-old lost her home, husband, freedom and her two children as the grip of methamphetamine took control of her life. But as she sat alone with her son in a motel room, an Amber Alert on television announced police were looking for her in the abduction of her infant son who was living with her parents. That was the precise moment Villanueva took responsibility for her life.
"Gone! Blaming someone else too," she said. "Never did I think that any of it was my fault."
Before she reached this moment, her baby had been taken away from her and placed with her parents after police found her high on meth with a convicted sex offender at her home.
"The people you associate with, you think are normal and then one day you find out someone's a sex offender and you're like what?" she said.
However, that still wasn't the straw that broke Villanueva's addiction. It was her own flesh and blood that opened her eyes.
"After I got him in my arms I knew I wasn't ever going to do meth again," she said. "In my heart I knew."
The mask of meth came off and also revealed that her infant son had the drug in his system from exposure to people who use it.
"I know there are moms using out there that don't know what they're doing to their children because I had no clue," she said. "I just cry for the babies you know cause. Oh man, if you read about what meth does to you. It messes your brain up. It messes everything within you..."
After leaving the motel, Villanueva called her family and then the authorities who placed her baby in foster care.
"He's not with family and it's just, you just hurt your baby so much," she said.
Determined to get her son back and live life free of meth, the young mother decided to end her three year addiction and all contact with drug users and dealers.
"I don't know," she said. "It's up to cops. But if I work my orders and I do everything I'm supposed to do, then I will get my son back. I know I will. I will."
Denton police said they sent a case to the district attorney to review charging Villanueva with endangering a child. In the meantime, the mother of two said she has forged ahead with counseling, outpatient drug treatment and AA meetings to prepare for a new future without meth.
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TexasStooge
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Man allegedly kills girlfriend, carjacks mother
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Mark Anatole manages the Esther's Garden apartments on the 900 block of West Wheatland Road and he was the first person to find the body of 42-year-old Angela Williams who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend.
"I had never seen anything like that before," he said.
Anatole said he and another employee entered the apartment after the suspect's mother told them her son had just admitted he killed his girlfriend.
"Once we entered there - the apartment - it had a weird feeling and we knew something had gone bad," said witness Felton Williams.
Police and witnesses said Williams was beaten to death and her body hidden in a closet. They said the suspect then robbed his own mother.
"She alerted us that her son had pulled a knife and threatened her and took her car and took her money and fled," Anatole said.
Police said he fled in his mother's green 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue.
"He held her up like she was anybody else on the street and she was in a bad mental state," Williams said. "In a very bad way."
Police said they believe the suspect is very dangerous, may be on drugs and it is urgent they find him. Police have not released the name of the suspect because he has not been formally charged.
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Mark Anatole manages the Esther's Garden apartments on the 900 block of West Wheatland Road and he was the first person to find the body of 42-year-old Angela Williams who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend.
"I had never seen anything like that before," he said.
Anatole said he and another employee entered the apartment after the suspect's mother told them her son had just admitted he killed his girlfriend.
"Once we entered there - the apartment - it had a weird feeling and we knew something had gone bad," said witness Felton Williams.
Police and witnesses said Williams was beaten to death and her body hidden in a closet. They said the suspect then robbed his own mother.
"She alerted us that her son had pulled a knife and threatened her and took her car and took her money and fled," Anatole said.
Police said he fled in his mother's green 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue.
"He held her up like she was anybody else on the street and she was in a bad mental state," Williams said. "In a very bad way."
Police said they believe the suspect is very dangerous, may be on drugs and it is urgent they find him. Police have not released the name of the suspect because he has not been formally charged.
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TexasStooge
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Craddick: Time to end session
Perry says stick with it, makes plan to get textbooks to schools
By ROBERT T. GARRETT and TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – It's time to shut down the special session on school finance, House Speaker Tom Craddick said Thursday, even as he joined other state leaders in an emergency plan to ship millions of new textbooks to waiting school districts.
"At this point in the special session, neither chamber has been able to pass any legislation, and it does not appear that they will," Mr. Craddick said, becoming the first of the state's top three leaders to call for lawmakers to adjourn.
"We are wasting time and money, and it is unproductive to prolong this process," the Midland Republican said. His comments came moments after the Senate Education Committee passed out its latest school finance and education improvement plan – one that deleted key proposals backed by the House.
Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst expressed disappointment at Mr. Craddick and said they wanted to keep working on a solution.
"I don't think there has ever been a war won waving a white flag," Mr. Perry said of lawmakers' growing desire to adjourn early and go home after months of failure on the difficult issues of schools and taxes. "We need to be making progress on improving public schools."
An IOU from the state
On textbooks, the three Republican leaders said they might send publishers an unprecedented letter promising payment for 6 million new books for foreign language, health, art and music courses that now sit in warehouses in the Dallas area and Lubbock.
The letter would plead for manufacturers to immediately release the books to schools, some of which start classes next week.
As The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday, the state has $295 million set aside to pay for the books, which the State Board of Education approved last November. But the normally routine payments to the publishers became mired in the larger political struggle over school finance.
A spokeswoman said Mr. Perry's staff is drafting the letter to the publishers but wouldn't say what payment method it would propose.
Mr. Craddick favors using a budget procedure that Mr. Perry and key legislators can deploy to shift around state funds when the Legislature is not in session. However, Mr. Dewhurst wants to keep alive the hope of action during the current special session.
"I am prepared to sign a letter today saying, 'We are going to pay for the textbooks. Ship them today, whether we pay for them through legislation this session or through budget execution authority after the session is over,' " the lieutenant governor said.
Caution from industry
Initial response from textbook publishers was mixed.
Rosemarie Cappabianca, spokeswoman for McGraw-Hill Education, the nation's second-leading seller of textbooks, said it would be willing to put on extra shifts at its DeSoto warehouse and have its own truck lines assist in a rapid distribution of books.
As for accepting state leaders' trust-us deal on payment, she said: "I can't speak from a legal point of view, but a letter from the governor, the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the House of Texas would be pretty powerful."
Sounding a note of caution, however, was Steve Driesler, executive director of the schools division of the Association of American Publishers, an industry trade group.
He said another top textbook publisher, which he declined to name, does not think it could immediately accept the three Texas leaders' pledge of payment.
"It would have to go up to the full board of directors and fairly in-depth legal analysis," Mr. Driesler said. "You're potentially risking tens of millions of dollars."
After Mr. Craddick called for adjourning the special session, Mr. Dewhurst said he will meet with the governor and senators to discuss their dwindling options.
"I'm disappointed by Speaker Craddick's statement and the apparent unwillingness of the House to continue considering school reform, especially as the Senate Education Committee was passing" a new school finance bill," he said.
Mr. Craddick cannot send his lawmakers home unilaterally. Under legislative rules, neither chamber can adjourn without the other's consent until the final three days of the session, which is scheduled to last about two more weeks.
The lieutenant governor has been pushing the Senate to move forward on its school finance bill even after the House soundly rejected a version of the legislation last week. The other major legislation before lawmakers – a giant tax swap trading lower school property taxes for higher state taxes on consumers, smokers and some businesses – also failed in the House, where the state constitution requires that it originate.
"The Senate can only do what the Senate can do," Mr. Dewhurst said. "We need to have a meaningful school finance bill, but if there is no movement in the House to pass a tax bill, we will have to rethink where we are. It might be beating a dead horse at that point."
House 'exhausted'
Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Florence Shapiro also voiced regret over Mr. Craddick's conclusion that the special session has become a waste of time and money. Each 30-day session is estimated to cost the state about $1.7 million.
"We just moved forward a bill that is a significant piece of legislation," said Ms. Shapiro, R-Plano. "The Senate was ready to move forward."
Other House leaders, though, joined their speaker in seeking to end the session, the second coming right on the heels of the five-month regular session.
"It has become clear that we are at an impasse," said House Speaker Pro Tem Sylvester Turner, D-Houston. "The members of the House are exhausted.
"I fully concur with Speaker Craddick's suggestion to end this special session. We should wait for the Supreme Court ruling on school finance before making any further attempts to legislate on this matter."
The high court is considering the state's appeal of a lower court ruling that declared the state's school finance system unconstitutional. That ruling called on the Legislature to substantially boost funding for all schools to meet state and federal education requirements.
Mr. Craddick has long favored waiting on the Supreme Court decision before redesigning the school funding system. Mr. Perry and Mr. Dewhurst, by contrast, wanted to take action before the court ruled, saying elected representatives, not judges, should control education.
Perry says stick with it, makes plan to get textbooks to schools
By ROBERT T. GARRETT and TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – It's time to shut down the special session on school finance, House Speaker Tom Craddick said Thursday, even as he joined other state leaders in an emergency plan to ship millions of new textbooks to waiting school districts.
"At this point in the special session, neither chamber has been able to pass any legislation, and it does not appear that they will," Mr. Craddick said, becoming the first of the state's top three leaders to call for lawmakers to adjourn.
"We are wasting time and money, and it is unproductive to prolong this process," the Midland Republican said. His comments came moments after the Senate Education Committee passed out its latest school finance and education improvement plan – one that deleted key proposals backed by the House.
Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst expressed disappointment at Mr. Craddick and said they wanted to keep working on a solution.
"I don't think there has ever been a war won waving a white flag," Mr. Perry said of lawmakers' growing desire to adjourn early and go home after months of failure on the difficult issues of schools and taxes. "We need to be making progress on improving public schools."
An IOU from the state
On textbooks, the three Republican leaders said they might send publishers an unprecedented letter promising payment for 6 million new books for foreign language, health, art and music courses that now sit in warehouses in the Dallas area and Lubbock.
The letter would plead for manufacturers to immediately release the books to schools, some of which start classes next week.
As The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday, the state has $295 million set aside to pay for the books, which the State Board of Education approved last November. But the normally routine payments to the publishers became mired in the larger political struggle over school finance.
A spokeswoman said Mr. Perry's staff is drafting the letter to the publishers but wouldn't say what payment method it would propose.
Mr. Craddick favors using a budget procedure that Mr. Perry and key legislators can deploy to shift around state funds when the Legislature is not in session. However, Mr. Dewhurst wants to keep alive the hope of action during the current special session.
"I am prepared to sign a letter today saying, 'We are going to pay for the textbooks. Ship them today, whether we pay for them through legislation this session or through budget execution authority after the session is over,' " the lieutenant governor said.
Caution from industry
Initial response from textbook publishers was mixed.
Rosemarie Cappabianca, spokeswoman for McGraw-Hill Education, the nation's second-leading seller of textbooks, said it would be willing to put on extra shifts at its DeSoto warehouse and have its own truck lines assist in a rapid distribution of books.
As for accepting state leaders' trust-us deal on payment, she said: "I can't speak from a legal point of view, but a letter from the governor, the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the House of Texas would be pretty powerful."
Sounding a note of caution, however, was Steve Driesler, executive director of the schools division of the Association of American Publishers, an industry trade group.
He said another top textbook publisher, which he declined to name, does not think it could immediately accept the three Texas leaders' pledge of payment.
"It would have to go up to the full board of directors and fairly in-depth legal analysis," Mr. Driesler said. "You're potentially risking tens of millions of dollars."
After Mr. Craddick called for adjourning the special session, Mr. Dewhurst said he will meet with the governor and senators to discuss their dwindling options.
"I'm disappointed by Speaker Craddick's statement and the apparent unwillingness of the House to continue considering school reform, especially as the Senate Education Committee was passing" a new school finance bill," he said.
Mr. Craddick cannot send his lawmakers home unilaterally. Under legislative rules, neither chamber can adjourn without the other's consent until the final three days of the session, which is scheduled to last about two more weeks.
The lieutenant governor has been pushing the Senate to move forward on its school finance bill even after the House soundly rejected a version of the legislation last week. The other major legislation before lawmakers – a giant tax swap trading lower school property taxes for higher state taxes on consumers, smokers and some businesses – also failed in the House, where the state constitution requires that it originate.
"The Senate can only do what the Senate can do," Mr. Dewhurst said. "We need to have a meaningful school finance bill, but if there is no movement in the House to pass a tax bill, we will have to rethink where we are. It might be beating a dead horse at that point."
House 'exhausted'
Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Florence Shapiro also voiced regret over Mr. Craddick's conclusion that the special session has become a waste of time and money. Each 30-day session is estimated to cost the state about $1.7 million.
"We just moved forward a bill that is a significant piece of legislation," said Ms. Shapiro, R-Plano. "The Senate was ready to move forward."
Other House leaders, though, joined their speaker in seeking to end the session, the second coming right on the heels of the five-month regular session.
"It has become clear that we are at an impasse," said House Speaker Pro Tem Sylvester Turner, D-Houston. "The members of the House are exhausted.
"I fully concur with Speaker Craddick's suggestion to end this special session. We should wait for the Supreme Court ruling on school finance before making any further attempts to legislate on this matter."
The high court is considering the state's appeal of a lower court ruling that declared the state's school finance system unconstitutional. That ruling called on the Legislature to substantially boost funding for all schools to meet state and federal education requirements.
Mr. Craddick has long favored waiting on the Supreme Court decision before redesigning the school funding system. Mr. Perry and Mr. Dewhurst, by contrast, wanted to take action before the court ruled, saying elected representatives, not judges, should control education.
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TexasStooge
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Ch. 8 announces new duo for mornings
By TOM MAURSTAD / The Dallas Morning News
A new team will soon be anchoring the WFAA ABC 8 morning broadcasts.
Justin Farmer and Jackie Hyland will co-anchor News 8 Daybreak, Good Morning Texas and News 8 Midday, executive news director Michael Valentine announced.
Mr. Farmer, 36, comes to Channel 8 from a Fox-owned station in Denver and previously worked at Dallas' KDAF WB 33. Ms. Hyland, 37, makes the move from the WB affiliate in New York City. He will start in mid-August, and she will join the broadcast in early September.
They replace Michael Rey and Debbie Denmon, who will continue at Channel 8 as general reporters and co-anchor the weekend editions of News 8 Daybreak.
In the interim, Jeff Brady and Macie Jepson will serve as weekday morning anchors.
By TOM MAURSTAD / The Dallas Morning News
A new team will soon be anchoring the WFAA ABC 8 morning broadcasts.
Justin Farmer and Jackie Hyland will co-anchor News 8 Daybreak, Good Morning Texas and News 8 Midday, executive news director Michael Valentine announced.
Mr. Farmer, 36, comes to Channel 8 from a Fox-owned station in Denver and previously worked at Dallas' KDAF WB 33. Ms. Hyland, 37, makes the move from the WB affiliate in New York City. He will start in mid-August, and she will join the broadcast in early September.
They replace Michael Rey and Debbie Denmon, who will continue at Channel 8 as general reporters and co-anchor the weekend editions of News 8 Daybreak.
In the interim, Jeff Brady and Macie Jepson will serve as weekday morning anchors.
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TexasStooge
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Fort Worth restaurant ratings may be as easy as A, B, C
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth residents rarely see how restaurants fare with health inspectors because of the lack of availability of the information. Now, there's a move to make those food inspection reports easier to understand and easily available to the public.
At least one city council member wants to put a report card at the entrance to all restaurants judging their cleanliness with a letter grade of A, B or C. That idea is prompting a move to make restaurant inspection reports consumer-friendly.
However, health inspectors said they believe letter grades of A, B and C won't work because that grading system is just too simple.
At lunchtime at Mr. Jim's Pizza on 8th Avenue, orders were coming in Thursday afternoon. But, so was the city health inspector.
"[I am] looking for violations that could put the public at risk," said Tony Hiller, a public health inspector.
Hiller said he looks to see if food is being served at the correct temperature, being cooked properly and handled properly. Then comes the score.
Scores are based on demerits. Thirty or higher means a food establishment has close to 72 hours to conform.
"We're in favor of the public having access to complete inspection reports," said Scott Hanlan, assistant director of public health.
Restaurant scores are posted on the Fort Worth Public Health website, but consumers have to search by week. The city is working to improve that by using a system that instead searches by business name or location.
And council members may consider an ordinance that would allow posting inspection reports inside restaurants.
Customers at John Carter's Place on 5309 E. Lancaster Ave said they like the idea. Even the owner welcomes posting scores.
"Yes I do," he said. "I sure do."
Yet some customers said they are the judges.
"First impression when we walk in the door you can generally tell if the place is clean," said Roxane Hinshaw.
Back at Mr. Jim's, owner Ramon Chavez scored a 12.
"He did real good," Hiller said.
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth residents rarely see how restaurants fare with health inspectors because of the lack of availability of the information. Now, there's a move to make those food inspection reports easier to understand and easily available to the public.
At least one city council member wants to put a report card at the entrance to all restaurants judging their cleanliness with a letter grade of A, B or C. That idea is prompting a move to make restaurant inspection reports consumer-friendly.
However, health inspectors said they believe letter grades of A, B and C won't work because that grading system is just too simple.
At lunchtime at Mr. Jim's Pizza on 8th Avenue, orders were coming in Thursday afternoon. But, so was the city health inspector.
"[I am] looking for violations that could put the public at risk," said Tony Hiller, a public health inspector.
Hiller said he looks to see if food is being served at the correct temperature, being cooked properly and handled properly. Then comes the score.
Scores are based on demerits. Thirty or higher means a food establishment has close to 72 hours to conform.
"We're in favor of the public having access to complete inspection reports," said Scott Hanlan, assistant director of public health.
Restaurant scores are posted on the Fort Worth Public Health website, but consumers have to search by week. The city is working to improve that by using a system that instead searches by business name or location.
And council members may consider an ordinance that would allow posting inspection reports inside restaurants.
Customers at John Carter's Place on 5309 E. Lancaster Ave said they like the idea. Even the owner welcomes posting scores.
"Yes I do," he said. "I sure do."
Yet some customers said they are the judges.
"First impression when we walk in the door you can generally tell if the place is clean," said Roxane Hinshaw.
Back at Mr. Jim's, owner Ramon Chavez scored a 12.
"He did real good," Hiller said.
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TexasStooge
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3 stabbed in Frisco street fight
FRISCO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com) - A street fight in a Frisco neighborhood led to the stabbing of three men late Thursday night.
Around 10:30 p.m., an anonymous caller told police men were involved in an altercation in the 6600 block of Half Elm Street. Once officers arrived, they found three victims who had been stabbed.
Little Elm residents Christopher Brooks, 24, and Randall Brooks, 21, were transported by CareFlite helicopter to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas in critical condition. The third victim, a 16-year-old from Little Elm, was taken by ground ambulance to Centennial Medical Center in Frisco in stable condition.
According to the witnesses, the fight erupted in the middle of the street in a residential area.
As a result of the initial investigation, three arrests have been made in connection with the stabbings. Frisco resident Pedro Trevino, 26, has been charged with attempted murder, and 26-year-old Rene Quinones, also of Frisco, has been charged with aggravated assault - both of which are second-degree felonies punishable by up to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Bond was set at $500,000 for both suspects.
Additionally, a juvenile was also taken into custody in connection with the stabbings.
Frisco police officials said detectives could make more arrests as the investigation proceeds.
FRISCO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com) - A street fight in a Frisco neighborhood led to the stabbing of three men late Thursday night.
Around 10:30 p.m., an anonymous caller told police men were involved in an altercation in the 6600 block of Half Elm Street. Once officers arrived, they found three victims who had been stabbed.
Little Elm residents Christopher Brooks, 24, and Randall Brooks, 21, were transported by CareFlite helicopter to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas in critical condition. The third victim, a 16-year-old from Little Elm, was taken by ground ambulance to Centennial Medical Center in Frisco in stable condition.
According to the witnesses, the fight erupted in the middle of the street in a residential area.
As a result of the initial investigation, three arrests have been made in connection with the stabbings. Frisco resident Pedro Trevino, 26, has been charged with attempted murder, and 26-year-old Rene Quinones, also of Frisco, has been charged with aggravated assault - both of which are second-degree felonies punishable by up to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Bond was set at $500,000 for both suspects.
Additionally, a juvenile was also taken into custody in connection with the stabbings.
Frisco police officials said detectives could make more arrests as the investigation proceeds.
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TexasStooge
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Community speaks out about poor Coppell ISD rating
By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8
COPPELL, Texas - Murmurs are rippling across Dallas northern suburbs about one of the wealthiest school systems in the state. The Texas Education Agency has rated Coppell High School academically unacceptable. But the grade may not be as bad as it seems.
As soccer moms pulled into a local Sonic for lunch, some already knew and others were hearing for the first time that Coppell High School rated academically unacceptable.
"I'm really shocked," said Lydia Swire.
The owners of the manicured lawns and prim houses pay some of the highest taxes in the state. So this wasn't just an issue of embarassment. It was an issue of money.
"I was very angry," said Karen Stofer. "I just feel that that's unacceptable and I think it's something the school board needs to take up all the way up to the administrator to get the schools back to where they need to be."
Coppell Superintendent Jeff Turner declined to be interviewed, but issued a statement that said "ratings do not accurately reflect the quality of education in the Coppel Independent School District."
The school's weakness appears to be special education where less than half of the 69 students passed a crucial test. A tiny fraction of a student body with 10,000 students made the whole system unacceptable CISD said.
Residents at the local drive-in said there was still confidence in the quality of the district.
"I actually believe that our kids are getting a quality education here," said Todd Wilcox.
If the unacceptable rating is a blow to parents and taxpayers, it is a matter of pride to Coppell ISD. It is appealing the unacceptale rating and should have a ruling within two weeks.
"Whatever is going on - or whatever isn't going on - that needs to be be immediatley corrected will," said local resident Carol Smith. "A nd I have no doubt about that and we will get an acceptible rating because we are top notch.
By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8
COPPELL, Texas - Murmurs are rippling across Dallas northern suburbs about one of the wealthiest school systems in the state. The Texas Education Agency has rated Coppell High School academically unacceptable. But the grade may not be as bad as it seems.
As soccer moms pulled into a local Sonic for lunch, some already knew and others were hearing for the first time that Coppell High School rated academically unacceptable.
"I'm really shocked," said Lydia Swire.
The owners of the manicured lawns and prim houses pay some of the highest taxes in the state. So this wasn't just an issue of embarassment. It was an issue of money.
"I was very angry," said Karen Stofer. "I just feel that that's unacceptable and I think it's something the school board needs to take up all the way up to the administrator to get the schools back to where they need to be."
Coppell Superintendent Jeff Turner declined to be interviewed, but issued a statement that said "ratings do not accurately reflect the quality of education in the Coppel Independent School District."
The school's weakness appears to be special education where less than half of the 69 students passed a crucial test. A tiny fraction of a student body with 10,000 students made the whole system unacceptable CISD said.
Residents at the local drive-in said there was still confidence in the quality of the district.
"I actually believe that our kids are getting a quality education here," said Todd Wilcox.
If the unacceptable rating is a blow to parents and taxpayers, it is a matter of pride to Coppell ISD. It is appealing the unacceptale rating and should have a ruling within two weeks.
"Whatever is going on - or whatever isn't going on - that needs to be be immediatley corrected will," said local resident Carol Smith. "A nd I have no doubt about that and we will get an acceptible rating because we are top notch.
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TexasStooge
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Constable has past child-sex claims
The Colony: In 2002, police investigated relatives' accusations
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
THE COLONY, Texas - The Colony police chief wasn't surprised to hear that Larry Dale Floyd had been arrested last week in Colorado on suspicion of soliciting to have sex with a child.
Chief Joe Clark's department investigated the 62-year-old Denton County constable in 2002 after two relatives said he had sexually assaulted them when they were children in the early 1980s.
Chief Clark said this week that he thought the cases would have been successfully prosecuted, but the statute of limitations had passed.
According to an affidavit for search warrants executed at the constable's home and office July 29 in The Colony, foreign exchange students and foster children also made accusations against Mr. Floyd.
As Denton County officials maneuver through legal obstacles to try to remove Mr. Floyd from his $60,000 post, law enforcement investigators in Colorado and Texas continue to unravel his past and look for possible victims.
Mr. Floyd remains at the Fremont County Detention Center in southern Colorado on $100,000 cash-only bail.
He denied a request for an interview.
He is accused of having sexually explicit conversations online and by phone with an undercover officer dating to June 2. According to court papers, Mr. Floyd wanted to perform sexual acts on the woman and her 8-year-old daughter.
During those conversations, he told the undercover officer "he had traveled two times before so far for this sort of thing."
After his arrest, Mr. Floyd told Cañon City police he used computers at work and at home to have similar chats with "about 100 women."
He had a laptop when he was arrested in Colorado.
He also told police he was accused of sexually assaulting "a couple of foster children that he and his wife were taking care of," the documents say.
His wife, Patricia B. Floyd, said the previous allegations investigated in The Colony were false. She declined to comment further.
Marissa Gonzales, a spokeswoman for Child Protective Services, says her agency has no record of the Floyds being licensed foster parents. CPS records date back only about 15 years, she said.
Court papers also say Mr. Floyd was accused of sexually assaulting foreign exchange students who stayed at his home in The Colony.
On his biography on the Denton County Web site, Mr. Floyd said he was a "host of 7 foreign exchange students worldwide." That biography has been taken off the Web site since his arrest.
Chief Clark said his department also investigated Mr. Floyd while he was a patrol officer in The Colony from 1986 to 1992, but he did not know the details or why charges were not filed. Because the case is so old, the department no longer has a record of it, he said.
Mr. Floyd was arrested on suspicion of soliciting to have sex with a child in Cañon City on July 28. He also faces charges of conspiracy and criminal intent to commit sexual assault on a child, pandering of a child, inducement of child prostitution, trafficking in children, criminal solicitation, solicitation for child prostitution and enticement of a child.
He has been a Denton County constable since 1993. A Republican, Mr. Floyd was unopposed in his most recent re-election in November.
While he awaits an Aug. 15 court date, his fellow elected officials are investigating ways to remove him from office.
Had he been arrested in Texas, they would have an easier time doing so, said Lee Ann Breading, first assistant district attorney for Denton County. But because the statute is based on Texas laws – none of which Mr. Floyd is accused of violating – the process is more difficult. She said county officials are considering lobbying local legislators to broaden the statute.
"Given the level of offense, when you tell people that this may not be official misconduct, they think that's incredulous," Ms. Breading said. "I think it should be a little bit broader. Of course, you know the argument on the other side is nobody's proven anything yet."
Local law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Mr. Floyd's home and office last week. Items they seized include computers, digital cameras and binders that listed Internet sites and e-mail addresses.
"We have to have sufficient evidence to connect that activity to conduct within his office," Ms. Breading said. "Under the laws, as it's written, if he's doing it at home on off-time, that may not be official misconduct."
Ms. Breading said if investigators can prove that Mr. Floyd used his work computer to chat with the undercover Colorado officer, her office will begin the removal process.
Denton County Judge Mary Horn hopes that happens soon.
"I cannot stop paying him," Ms. Horn said. "I want to. But I can't. It just makes me want to puke."
The Colony: In 2002, police investigated relatives' accusations
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
THE COLONY, Texas - The Colony police chief wasn't surprised to hear that Larry Dale Floyd had been arrested last week in Colorado on suspicion of soliciting to have sex with a child.
Chief Joe Clark's department investigated the 62-year-old Denton County constable in 2002 after two relatives said he had sexually assaulted them when they were children in the early 1980s.
Chief Clark said this week that he thought the cases would have been successfully prosecuted, but the statute of limitations had passed.
According to an affidavit for search warrants executed at the constable's home and office July 29 in The Colony, foreign exchange students and foster children also made accusations against Mr. Floyd.
As Denton County officials maneuver through legal obstacles to try to remove Mr. Floyd from his $60,000 post, law enforcement investigators in Colorado and Texas continue to unravel his past and look for possible victims.
Mr. Floyd remains at the Fremont County Detention Center in southern Colorado on $100,000 cash-only bail.
He denied a request for an interview.
He is accused of having sexually explicit conversations online and by phone with an undercover officer dating to June 2. According to court papers, Mr. Floyd wanted to perform sexual acts on the woman and her 8-year-old daughter.
During those conversations, he told the undercover officer "he had traveled two times before so far for this sort of thing."
After his arrest, Mr. Floyd told Cañon City police he used computers at work and at home to have similar chats with "about 100 women."
He had a laptop when he was arrested in Colorado.
He also told police he was accused of sexually assaulting "a couple of foster children that he and his wife were taking care of," the documents say.
His wife, Patricia B. Floyd, said the previous allegations investigated in The Colony were false. She declined to comment further.
Marissa Gonzales, a spokeswoman for Child Protective Services, says her agency has no record of the Floyds being licensed foster parents. CPS records date back only about 15 years, she said.
Court papers also say Mr. Floyd was accused of sexually assaulting foreign exchange students who stayed at his home in The Colony.
On his biography on the Denton County Web site, Mr. Floyd said he was a "host of 7 foreign exchange students worldwide." That biography has been taken off the Web site since his arrest.
Chief Clark said his department also investigated Mr. Floyd while he was a patrol officer in The Colony from 1986 to 1992, but he did not know the details or why charges were not filed. Because the case is so old, the department no longer has a record of it, he said.
Mr. Floyd was arrested on suspicion of soliciting to have sex with a child in Cañon City on July 28. He also faces charges of conspiracy and criminal intent to commit sexual assault on a child, pandering of a child, inducement of child prostitution, trafficking in children, criminal solicitation, solicitation for child prostitution and enticement of a child.
He has been a Denton County constable since 1993. A Republican, Mr. Floyd was unopposed in his most recent re-election in November.
While he awaits an Aug. 15 court date, his fellow elected officials are investigating ways to remove him from office.
Had he been arrested in Texas, they would have an easier time doing so, said Lee Ann Breading, first assistant district attorney for Denton County. But because the statute is based on Texas laws – none of which Mr. Floyd is accused of violating – the process is more difficult. She said county officials are considering lobbying local legislators to broaden the statute.
"Given the level of offense, when you tell people that this may not be official misconduct, they think that's incredulous," Ms. Breading said. "I think it should be a little bit broader. Of course, you know the argument on the other side is nobody's proven anything yet."
Local law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Mr. Floyd's home and office last week. Items they seized include computers, digital cameras and binders that listed Internet sites and e-mail addresses.
"We have to have sufficient evidence to connect that activity to conduct within his office," Ms. Breading said. "Under the laws, as it's written, if he's doing it at home on off-time, that may not be official misconduct."
Ms. Breading said if investigators can prove that Mr. Floyd used his work computer to chat with the undercover Colorado officer, her office will begin the removal process.
Denton County Judge Mary Horn hopes that happens soon.
"I cannot stop paying him," Ms. Horn said. "I want to. But I can't. It just makes me want to puke."
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TexasStooge
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McMurtry to keep bookstore open
ARCHER CITY, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) - Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry won't be closing his eclectic book shop after all.
The author of "Lonesome Dove" and "Terms of Endearment" announced in February that he would shutter Booked Up Inc., saying he needed a break from a business that had been losing customers.
But McMurtry said this week that the shop's outlook has improved due to staff cuts and an upturn in business. The North Texas shop contains about 400,000 books, including hard-to-find, out-of-print and used editions.
"I think it will be able to stay solvent and stay open," McMurtry said. "I didn't want to close it. I wouldn't know what to do with it if I did close it."
McMurtry revitalized his one-stoplight hometown when he opened the Archer City store in the mid-1980s. The store grew as McMurtry closed his bookstores in other states and moved the books to the North Texas location.
Many residents still resent McMurtry's portrayal of Archer City in The Last Picture Show and other novels.
Archer City Mayor Carl Harrelson said he was surprised by McMurtry's latest announcement, which was posted on the shop's Web site this week. But he said most local residents weren't really worried about the closing.
"There was some concern around town, but it wasn't panic," Harrelson said. "I haven't heard anybody say anything about it around town lately."
ARCHER CITY, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) - Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry won't be closing his eclectic book shop after all.
The author of "Lonesome Dove" and "Terms of Endearment" announced in February that he would shutter Booked Up Inc., saying he needed a break from a business that had been losing customers.
But McMurtry said this week that the shop's outlook has improved due to staff cuts and an upturn in business. The North Texas shop contains about 400,000 books, including hard-to-find, out-of-print and used editions.
"I think it will be able to stay solvent and stay open," McMurtry said. "I didn't want to close it. I wouldn't know what to do with it if I did close it."
McMurtry revitalized his one-stoplight hometown when he opened the Archer City store in the mid-1980s. The store grew as McMurtry closed his bookstores in other states and moved the books to the North Texas location.
Many residents still resent McMurtry's portrayal of Archer City in The Last Picture Show and other novels.
Archer City Mayor Carl Harrelson said he was surprised by McMurtry's latest announcement, which was posted on the shop's Web site this week. But he said most local residents weren't really worried about the closing.
"There was some concern around town, but it wasn't panic," Harrelson said. "I haven't heard anybody say anything about it around town lately."
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TexasStooge
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Dallas police get a huge grant
Department says $15 million gift will relieve supply woes, make city safer
By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The resource-strapped Dallas police will benefit from a gift of $15 million over three years in what may be the largest ever private grant to a police department.
Police officials hope the donation by the W.W. Caruth Jr. Foundation Fund of the Communities Foundation of Texas may mark a critical turning point for Dallas, which for the last seven years has had the highest crime rate among cities with more than 1 million residents.
It also may mark a turning point for a department long accustomed to scarcity.
"In the history of the department, there's never been a brighter day than what we're experiencing today," said Police Chief David Kunkle, who took over the department's top post in June of last year. "If Dallas police officers have the equipment, tools and resources, then we will make a difference in the community."
The Police Department will receive $5 million upfront to fill a variety of equipment needs, including squad car cages and cameras in cars.
A consultant will be hired to help the department determine how to best spend the remaining $10 million.
"We're making an unprecedented investment in the future of our city," said Charles Wyly, chairman of the Communities Foundation's board. "Without security of person and property, very little else matters."
The grant is one of the largest awarded in the foundation's 52-year history.
The urgency of the department's needs – ranging from broken squad cars and aging helicopters to a lack of squad car cages and computers – emerged in internal operational reviews, an outside efficiency study and news accounts over the last 18 months.
Those reports blamed years of tight budgets, poor leadership and bad hiring practices for a variety of ills, including high crime, a frustrated community and, within the police department, low morale, poor equipment and a shortage of officers.
As recently as May, the city had estimated it would spend $4 million on police equipment in the 2005-06 budget.
The multimillion-dollar donation clearly reflects faith in Chief Kunkle's stewardship, Mayor Laura Miller said.
"We've got a police chief who I know will use this wisely," Ms. Miller said, pledging that the City Council will continue to beef up the department's staffing and resources.
City Manager Mary Suhm said the department will begin purchasing badly needed equipment immediately.
"We will justify your trust," she said.
Thursday's announcement at the foundation's headquarters featured all the force's pomp and circumstance, with the entire command staff attending in full dress uniform. Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill sat in the front row in a ceremony attended by more than 100 prominent local residents.
Police played Scottish bagpipes. The department's honor guard led the pledge of allegiance. Members of the police choir sang patriotic standards. Four sons of Mr. Caruth, a Dallas developer and philanthropist who died in 1990, were on hand for the ceremony.
"It's nice to be able to do something good for the good guys," said Bill Caruth, one of the philanthropist's sons. He said his father had a "soft spot" for the men and women in blue.
Police "put their lives on the line every time they go to work, and that's what makes them special to me," Bill Caruth said.
An idea takes root
The seeds of the grant were sown in La Jolla, Calif., where Ms. Miller vacations each year.
In July 2004, Jack Hammack, a former oil executive and Highland Park mayor, was also vacationing there when he knocked on the mayor's condo door and told her he wanted to do something to help the struggling Police Department.
He said he was reminded of the need to beef up police resources when his longtime housekeeper's home was burglarized.
"You should call Charles Terrell," Ms. Miller recalled telling him.
Her suggestion prompted Mr. Hammack and Mr. Terrell, a former City Council member and longtime public safety advocate, to team up to work on behalf of the Police Department.
In the case of Mr. Hammack's housekeeper, thieves had struck the home while she was at work, he said.
"They stole treasures that she had worked years to accumulate," Mr. Hammack said. "The police asked her two questions: Is the robber there, and is anybody injured." When she answered no to both questions, police told her that they would come by later to get details.
Mr. Hammack didn't blame the police for their response because "they just don't have enough to go around," he said. "I decided I was going to make it safer for people, especially in low-income areas."
He and Mr. Terrell founded the organization Safer Dallas, Better Dallas, asked the department for an equipment wish list and began soliciting donors.
"What we've tried to do is sell the message that Dallas needs to emphasize public safety, that we needed to do something dramatic," Mr. Terrell said.
In May, Ruth Altshuler heard Mr. Hammack and Mr. Terrell's presentation during a meeting at the Meadows Foundation.
"The light bulb went on when they started talking about this. I knew this was so down Will Caruth's alley," said Ms. Altshuler, a trustee of the Communities Foundation, referring to the late philanthropist.
Setting a precedent?
Experts said the grant's size appears to be historic.
Foundations routinely award grants for a variety of governmental projects, but such a large gift specifically to a police department is unique, said Jeff Martin, spokesman for the Council on Foundations in Washington, D.C.
"This is obviously a very generous gift to the Police Department," he said.
The Foundation Center in New York City, which tracks gifts by philanthropic groups nationwide, recorded dozens of gifts in recent years directly to U.S. police and sheriff's departments, but the highest amount was $121,000.
"What a grant like that says to me is that the foundation sees the importance of what the Police Department is trying to do," said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington-based law enforcement think tank.
The Caruth donation may well mark the beginning of a new phase of giving. A meeting with other foundations has been scheduled for Aug. 24 at the Jack Evans Police Headquarters, officials say.
Staff writers Kim Horner and Michael Grabell contributed to this report.
Department says $15 million gift will relieve supply woes, make city safer
By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The resource-strapped Dallas police will benefit from a gift of $15 million over three years in what may be the largest ever private grant to a police department.
Police officials hope the donation by the W.W. Caruth Jr. Foundation Fund of the Communities Foundation of Texas may mark a critical turning point for Dallas, which for the last seven years has had the highest crime rate among cities with more than 1 million residents.
It also may mark a turning point for a department long accustomed to scarcity.
"In the history of the department, there's never been a brighter day than what we're experiencing today," said Police Chief David Kunkle, who took over the department's top post in June of last year. "If Dallas police officers have the equipment, tools and resources, then we will make a difference in the community."
The Police Department will receive $5 million upfront to fill a variety of equipment needs, including squad car cages and cameras in cars.
A consultant will be hired to help the department determine how to best spend the remaining $10 million.
"We're making an unprecedented investment in the future of our city," said Charles Wyly, chairman of the Communities Foundation's board. "Without security of person and property, very little else matters."
The grant is one of the largest awarded in the foundation's 52-year history.
The urgency of the department's needs – ranging from broken squad cars and aging helicopters to a lack of squad car cages and computers – emerged in internal operational reviews, an outside efficiency study and news accounts over the last 18 months.
Those reports blamed years of tight budgets, poor leadership and bad hiring practices for a variety of ills, including high crime, a frustrated community and, within the police department, low morale, poor equipment and a shortage of officers.
As recently as May, the city had estimated it would spend $4 million on police equipment in the 2005-06 budget.
The multimillion-dollar donation clearly reflects faith in Chief Kunkle's stewardship, Mayor Laura Miller said.
"We've got a police chief who I know will use this wisely," Ms. Miller said, pledging that the City Council will continue to beef up the department's staffing and resources.
City Manager Mary Suhm said the department will begin purchasing badly needed equipment immediately.
"We will justify your trust," she said.
Thursday's announcement at the foundation's headquarters featured all the force's pomp and circumstance, with the entire command staff attending in full dress uniform. Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill sat in the front row in a ceremony attended by more than 100 prominent local residents.
Police played Scottish bagpipes. The department's honor guard led the pledge of allegiance. Members of the police choir sang patriotic standards. Four sons of Mr. Caruth, a Dallas developer and philanthropist who died in 1990, were on hand for the ceremony.
"It's nice to be able to do something good for the good guys," said Bill Caruth, one of the philanthropist's sons. He said his father had a "soft spot" for the men and women in blue.
Police "put their lives on the line every time they go to work, and that's what makes them special to me," Bill Caruth said.
An idea takes root
The seeds of the grant were sown in La Jolla, Calif., where Ms. Miller vacations each year.
In July 2004, Jack Hammack, a former oil executive and Highland Park mayor, was also vacationing there when he knocked on the mayor's condo door and told her he wanted to do something to help the struggling Police Department.
He said he was reminded of the need to beef up police resources when his longtime housekeeper's home was burglarized.
"You should call Charles Terrell," Ms. Miller recalled telling him.
Her suggestion prompted Mr. Hammack and Mr. Terrell, a former City Council member and longtime public safety advocate, to team up to work on behalf of the Police Department.
In the case of Mr. Hammack's housekeeper, thieves had struck the home while she was at work, he said.
"They stole treasures that she had worked years to accumulate," Mr. Hammack said. "The police asked her two questions: Is the robber there, and is anybody injured." When she answered no to both questions, police told her that they would come by later to get details.
Mr. Hammack didn't blame the police for their response because "they just don't have enough to go around," he said. "I decided I was going to make it safer for people, especially in low-income areas."
He and Mr. Terrell founded the organization Safer Dallas, Better Dallas, asked the department for an equipment wish list and began soliciting donors.
"What we've tried to do is sell the message that Dallas needs to emphasize public safety, that we needed to do something dramatic," Mr. Terrell said.
In May, Ruth Altshuler heard Mr. Hammack and Mr. Terrell's presentation during a meeting at the Meadows Foundation.
"The light bulb went on when they started talking about this. I knew this was so down Will Caruth's alley," said Ms. Altshuler, a trustee of the Communities Foundation, referring to the late philanthropist.
Setting a precedent?
Experts said the grant's size appears to be historic.
Foundations routinely award grants for a variety of governmental projects, but such a large gift specifically to a police department is unique, said Jeff Martin, spokesman for the Council on Foundations in Washington, D.C.
"This is obviously a very generous gift to the Police Department," he said.
The Foundation Center in New York City, which tracks gifts by philanthropic groups nationwide, recorded dozens of gifts in recent years directly to U.S. police and sheriff's departments, but the highest amount was $121,000.
"What a grant like that says to me is that the foundation sees the importance of what the Police Department is trying to do," said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington-based law enforcement think tank.
The Caruth donation may well mark the beginning of a new phase of giving. A meeting with other foundations has been scheduled for Aug. 24 at the Jack Evans Police Headquarters, officials say.
Staff writers Kim Horner and Michael Grabell contributed to this report.
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TexasStooge
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Officials: Oak Cliff man has W. Nile
By LARUA BEIL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Officials from the Dallas County Health and Human Services department on Friday confirmed the first human case of West Nile fever so far this year.
The patient is a man in his 40s who lives in the Kessler Stevens area of north Oak Cliff. Citing privacy concerns, health officials released little information about the patient, only saying that his symptoms were mild.
The disease typically includes fever, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. It is carried through mosquito bites, and activity usually peaks in August and September. However, about 80 percent of people who are bitten by infected mosquitoes never develop symptoms. In 2004, there were 16 West Nile cases in Dallas County.
Health officials have notified city officials, who will be handing out flyers to residents in the area, increasing surveillance for the virus and spraying for mosquitoes. Meanwhile, residents are urged to take precautions against mosquito bites, such as removing standing water around homes and wearing insect repellant when outside.
For more information, visit the health department’s Web site at http://www.dallascounty.org.
By LARUA BEIL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Officials from the Dallas County Health and Human Services department on Friday confirmed the first human case of West Nile fever so far this year.
The patient is a man in his 40s who lives in the Kessler Stevens area of north Oak Cliff. Citing privacy concerns, health officials released little information about the patient, only saying that his symptoms were mild.
The disease typically includes fever, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. It is carried through mosquito bites, and activity usually peaks in August and September. However, about 80 percent of people who are bitten by infected mosquitoes never develop symptoms. In 2004, there were 16 West Nile cases in Dallas County.
Health officials have notified city officials, who will be handing out flyers to residents in the area, increasing surveillance for the virus and spraying for mosquitoes. Meanwhile, residents are urged to take precautions against mosquito bites, such as removing standing water around homes and wearing insect repellant when outside.
For more information, visit the health department’s Web site at http://www.dallascounty.org.
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TexasStooge
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SWA flight evacuated in Houston
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com) - A Southwest Airlines flight from Dallas was evacuated in Houston after something suspicious was found on board.
Southwest Airlines Flight 21, which left Love Field around 11:30 a.m. and had a planned Houston stop on its way to Corpus Christi, was taken to a remote runway and cleared of passengers once it landed at Hobby Airport.
CNN reported that a passenger found a note containing "threatening language" on the plane during the flight.
An airline spokesman said the plane was carrying 136 passengers, but had no further details on why the plane was moved and cleared.
Watch WFAA.com and News 8 at Five for more on this developing story.
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com) - A Southwest Airlines flight from Dallas was evacuated in Houston after something suspicious was found on board.
Southwest Airlines Flight 21, which left Love Field around 11:30 a.m. and had a planned Houston stop on its way to Corpus Christi, was taken to a remote runway and cleared of passengers once it landed at Hobby Airport.
CNN reported that a passenger found a note containing "threatening language" on the plane during the flight.
An airline spokesman said the plane was carrying 136 passengers, but had no further details on why the plane was moved and cleared.
Watch WFAA.com and News 8 at Five for more on this developing story.
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TexasStooge
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Dead body leads to police pursuit
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas — A car that may be linked to the discovery of a dead body crashed in East Fort Worth Friday morning, and its three occupants were hospitalized.
Police said the series of events began with a 911 call from a concerned citizen who said he had discovered a corpse in a storage shed behind his house.
When investigators arrived, they noted two suspicious vehicles in the vicinity and began to follow them.
Police said a marked patrol car was called in to apprehend the suspects.
The chase was under way.
One car crashed in the 1900 block of Oakland Blvd., and its three occupants were all injured. They were taken under police supervision to John Peter Smith Hospital for treatment. Their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
Police said they stopped the second vehicle and its occupants about two miles away.
Evidence relevant to the original crime was found in both vehicles, police said.
The name of the dead person and other information about the case was under investigation.
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas — A car that may be linked to the discovery of a dead body crashed in East Fort Worth Friday morning, and its three occupants were hospitalized.
Police said the series of events began with a 911 call from a concerned citizen who said he had discovered a corpse in a storage shed behind his house.
When investigators arrived, they noted two suspicious vehicles in the vicinity and began to follow them.
Police said a marked patrol car was called in to apprehend the suspects.
The chase was under way.
One car crashed in the 1900 block of Oakland Blvd., and its three occupants were all injured. They were taken under police supervision to John Peter Smith Hospital for treatment. Their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
Police said they stopped the second vehicle and its occupants about two miles away.
Evidence relevant to the original crime was found in both vehicles, police said.
The name of the dead person and other information about the case was under investigation.
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