2 girls in critical condition after Cleburne wreck
CLEBURNE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) - A 4-year-old girl and a 21-month-old girl remained in critical condition Monday at Parkland Memorial Hospital after a Sunday evening accident in Cleburne, police said.
Cleburne police said a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Jennifer Jarmon, 28, was stopped at a red light in the 1900 block of South Main Street with the two girls sitting in the back seat about 5:25 p.m. when a Chevrolet Lumina struck it from behind. The Jeep burst into flames upon impact, according to police.
The children were taken via CareFlite to Parkland Memorial Hospital.
The male driver of the Chevrolet Lumina, 69-year-old Delbert Joe Davidson, was treated at a local hospital. Jarmon refused treatment at the scene.
The cause of the accident was under investigation.
News from the Lone Star State
Moderator: S2k Moderators
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Suspect in custody after shots fired at Fort Hood
FORT HOOD, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) - A suspect was taken into custody Monday morning after shots were fired near a group of soldiers at Fort Hood, though no injuries were reported.
An Army spokesperson said gunshots rang out in the vicinity of a morning troop formation of the 13th Corps Support Command (COSCOM).
All checkpoints at the base, which is located near Killeen, were closed to all outgoing traffic for part of the morning while military police searched for a suspect.
A civilian was apprehended, and the incident is currently being investigated by local and federal authorities, the spokesperson said.
FORT HOOD, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) - A suspect was taken into custody Monday morning after shots were fired near a group of soldiers at Fort Hood, though no injuries were reported.
An Army spokesperson said gunshots rang out in the vicinity of a morning troop formation of the 13th Corps Support Command (COSCOM).
All checkpoints at the base, which is located near Killeen, were closed to all outgoing traffic for part of the morning while military police searched for a suspect.
A civilian was apprehended, and the incident is currently being investigated by local and federal authorities, the spokesperson said.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Plano man, police in standoff
PLANO, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A 23-year-old Plano man threatening to kill himself has been engaged in a standoff with police for several hours early Monday.
The man called 911 from his house on Meadowcrest Drive near Collin Creek Mall a little before 3 a.m. and told police he was going to harm himself, Plano police Detective Jerry Minton said.
“Family members inside the house walked out without any problems,” Minton said. “He remained behind.”
The man has a shotgun but was threatening only himself, not officers or family members, police said.
“He’s not answering phone calls or talking to officers right now,” Minton said. “Right now we are just trying to get him on the phone.”
PLANO, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A 23-year-old Plano man threatening to kill himself has been engaged in a standoff with police for several hours early Monday.
The man called 911 from his house on Meadowcrest Drive near Collin Creek Mall a little before 3 a.m. and told police he was going to harm himself, Plano police Detective Jerry Minton said.
“Family members inside the house walked out without any problems,” Minton said. “He remained behind.”
The man has a shotgun but was threatening only himself, not officers or family members, police said.
“He’s not answering phone calls or talking to officers right now,” Minton said. “Right now we are just trying to get him on the phone.”
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Schlosser pleads not guilty
By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
McKINNEY, Texas — The Plano mother accused of killing her infant by severing the girl's arms at the shoulders pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity this morning at the opening of her trial.
Prosecutor Curtis Howard told the jury that its up to them to decide whether Dena Schlosser, 37, was insane, and that there is no medical definition of insanity. It’s a legal term.
"I can’t tell you if Maggie was sleeping. I can’t tell you if Maggie was crying," Howard said in his opening statement to the jury. "I can’t tell you what Maggie was doing."
One of Schlosser’s defense attorneys, Bill Schultz, told the jury there is no way Schlosser was not insane when she killed 10-month-old Maggie Schlosser.
"She’s the real thing," he said doctors told him. "If she wasn’t insane at the time, we might as well abolish the insanity defense."
The defense played a tape of a Plano police interview with Schlosser's best friend, Carolyn Thomas, who spoke to Schlosser by phone after the baby was hurt but before police arrived. Thomas had worked with Ms. Schlosser at a Plano daycare before Maggie was born.
Schlosser said, "I killed her" when Thomas asked her about the baby. "I cut her arms off," Thomas recalled to police the day of the baby’s death.
Thomas described Schlosser as "cool, calm and collected" during their conversation many times throughout the interview.
Thomas said she was shocked by Maggie’s death because Schlosser was such a "sweet" person. She was "the most wonderful mother you could have," Thomas said. "She was crazy about that baby."
Thomas also told police that she repeatedly pestered Schlosser and her husband, John Schlosser, about whether Schlosser was taking her antipsychotic medication. Schlosser had been diagnosed with postpartum psychosis following Maggie’s home birth. She said that John Schlosser told her not to pressure him.
"'She don’t really need that,'" she recalled Mr. Schlosser saying.
Thomas said Dena Schlosser repeated her husband’s thoughts on taking the medication whenever they discussed it.
"She knew not to ask for more medication and more money to be spent on medication," Thomas said. The family was having financial problems since John Schlosser lost his job and their insurance. He did not have regular work.
In opening statements, Howard also told the jury that Maggie had 50 cuts to her face, as well as cuts to her side. He said the injuries were made as Schlosser cut into the left shoulder. The cut to the right shoulder was cleaner.
Because prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, a guilty verdict would send Schlosser to prison for life. If the jury believes Schlosser was insane—and finds her not guilty by reason of insanity—she would go to North Texas State Hospital in Vernon for treatment. She would remain there until doctors and State District Judge Chris Oldner agree she should be released.
The defense must prove by a preponderance of the evidence to the jury that Schlosser suffered from a mental disease or defect that caused her not to know right from wrong.
The night before Maggie died, Schlosser told her husband that she wanted to give the baby "to God."
Ms. Schlosser’s mother and stepfather, Connie and Mick Macaulay, said it was her psychosis coupled with her infatuation with her charismatic minister and his teachings that lead her to harm Maggie.
Schlosser’s husband, who has filed for divorce, has moved from the Plano apartment where Maggie was killed. The couple’s two surviving daughters live with him.
By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
McKINNEY, Texas — The Plano mother accused of killing her infant by severing the girl's arms at the shoulders pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity this morning at the opening of her trial.
Prosecutor Curtis Howard told the jury that its up to them to decide whether Dena Schlosser, 37, was insane, and that there is no medical definition of insanity. It’s a legal term.
"I can’t tell you if Maggie was sleeping. I can’t tell you if Maggie was crying," Howard said in his opening statement to the jury. "I can’t tell you what Maggie was doing."
One of Schlosser’s defense attorneys, Bill Schultz, told the jury there is no way Schlosser was not insane when she killed 10-month-old Maggie Schlosser.
"She’s the real thing," he said doctors told him. "If she wasn’t insane at the time, we might as well abolish the insanity defense."
The defense played a tape of a Plano police interview with Schlosser's best friend, Carolyn Thomas, who spoke to Schlosser by phone after the baby was hurt but before police arrived. Thomas had worked with Ms. Schlosser at a Plano daycare before Maggie was born.
Schlosser said, "I killed her" when Thomas asked her about the baby. "I cut her arms off," Thomas recalled to police the day of the baby’s death.
Thomas described Schlosser as "cool, calm and collected" during their conversation many times throughout the interview.
Thomas said she was shocked by Maggie’s death because Schlosser was such a "sweet" person. She was "the most wonderful mother you could have," Thomas said. "She was crazy about that baby."
Thomas also told police that she repeatedly pestered Schlosser and her husband, John Schlosser, about whether Schlosser was taking her antipsychotic medication. Schlosser had been diagnosed with postpartum psychosis following Maggie’s home birth. She said that John Schlosser told her not to pressure him.
"'She don’t really need that,'" she recalled Mr. Schlosser saying.
Thomas said Dena Schlosser repeated her husband’s thoughts on taking the medication whenever they discussed it.
"She knew not to ask for more medication and more money to be spent on medication," Thomas said. The family was having financial problems since John Schlosser lost his job and their insurance. He did not have regular work.
In opening statements, Howard also told the jury that Maggie had 50 cuts to her face, as well as cuts to her side. He said the injuries were made as Schlosser cut into the left shoulder. The cut to the right shoulder was cleaner.
Because prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, a guilty verdict would send Schlosser to prison for life. If the jury believes Schlosser was insane—and finds her not guilty by reason of insanity—she would go to North Texas State Hospital in Vernon for treatment. She would remain there until doctors and State District Judge Chris Oldner agree she should be released.
The defense must prove by a preponderance of the evidence to the jury that Schlosser suffered from a mental disease or defect that caused her not to know right from wrong.
The night before Maggie died, Schlosser told her husband that she wanted to give the baby "to God."
Ms. Schlosser’s mother and stepfather, Connie and Mick Macaulay, said it was her psychosis coupled with her infatuation with her charismatic minister and his teachings that lead her to harm Maggie.
Schlosser’s husband, who has filed for divorce, has moved from the Plano apartment where Maggie was killed. The couple’s two surviving daughters live with him.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Dallas ISD's May a 'champion of equality'
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - Friends, colleagues and civic leaders were among over 500 people who attended a memorial service Monday afternoon for Dallas school board trustee Joe May, who died Friday at age 61 after suffering a heart attack.
Seated around a large photograph of May adorned with white flowers, family members and fellow trustees were joined on stage at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center by a gospel choir from Madison High School and a mariachi group from Molina High School.
Over a dozen people took the podium during the two-hour service to speak about the life and work of May, who became known since his election in 2002 for his outspoken support of Hispanics and his desire to fix problems within the district. The two-hour service brought together community leaders from across Dallas, many of whom stand on opposite sides of the very issues May worked to promote.
DISD board president Lois Parrott recalled that May liked to do research and came to every meeting prepared with facts and figures to support his viewpoint.
"We're going to miss Joe's statistics (and) his love for public education," Parrott said. "Joe believed that education was the great equalizer, and blind to all colors, creeds and opinions."
May fought off critics last year to get a controversial proposal passed requiring some principals to become bilingual. Just last week, he touched off a controversy after suggesting that the district look into hiring illegal immigrants as bilingual teachers. May said in an interview Thursday that he was surprised with local and national attention that his proposal was receiving, most of it negative.
Fellow board member Jack Lowe called May a "warrior" and board member Jerome Garza said May was a "champion of equality."
"For those of us that worked with Joe on a daily basis, we found him genuine, warm, caring and passionate," Garza said. "We all respected his intellect, his conviction, his dedication, his vigilance and his preparedness."
The board president said May was well-known among board members and district officials for being talkative and having an ability to speak his mind.
"The three-minute rule didn't apply to Joe," Parrott said to laughter from the audience. "He didn't mince words, but he was always willing to hear all sides on every issue."
DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said he remembered late-night, hours-long conversations with May, focusing on the district and its future.
"Joe was the strongest advocate for the ethics of the staff and the board," Hinojosa said. "The people that underestimated him were the ones that weren't paying attention."
Hinojosa said May's positive impact on the district will be felt most strongly in years to come.
"As the country changes and the state changes, 10 years from now ... Joe May's legacy will be appreciated."
The service concluded with the playing of "Taps" for May, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam.
This is the second death of a DISD trustee that current board members can recall. Yvonne A. Ewell, a trustee of 11 years, died from pancreatic cancer in 1998.
Dallas Morning News reporter Tawnell D. Hobbs contributed to this report.
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - Friends, colleagues and civic leaders were among over 500 people who attended a memorial service Monday afternoon for Dallas school board trustee Joe May, who died Friday at age 61 after suffering a heart attack.
Seated around a large photograph of May adorned with white flowers, family members and fellow trustees were joined on stage at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center by a gospel choir from Madison High School and a mariachi group from Molina High School.
Over a dozen people took the podium during the two-hour service to speak about the life and work of May, who became known since his election in 2002 for his outspoken support of Hispanics and his desire to fix problems within the district. The two-hour service brought together community leaders from across Dallas, many of whom stand on opposite sides of the very issues May worked to promote.
DISD board president Lois Parrott recalled that May liked to do research and came to every meeting prepared with facts and figures to support his viewpoint.
"We're going to miss Joe's statistics (and) his love for public education," Parrott said. "Joe believed that education was the great equalizer, and blind to all colors, creeds and opinions."
May fought off critics last year to get a controversial proposal passed requiring some principals to become bilingual. Just last week, he touched off a controversy after suggesting that the district look into hiring illegal immigrants as bilingual teachers. May said in an interview Thursday that he was surprised with local and national attention that his proposal was receiving, most of it negative.
Fellow board member Jack Lowe called May a "warrior" and board member Jerome Garza said May was a "champion of equality."
"For those of us that worked with Joe on a daily basis, we found him genuine, warm, caring and passionate," Garza said. "We all respected his intellect, his conviction, his dedication, his vigilance and his preparedness."
The board president said May was well-known among board members and district officials for being talkative and having an ability to speak his mind.
"The three-minute rule didn't apply to Joe," Parrott said to laughter from the audience. "He didn't mince words, but he was always willing to hear all sides on every issue."
DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said he remembered late-night, hours-long conversations with May, focusing on the district and its future.
"Joe was the strongest advocate for the ethics of the staff and the board," Hinojosa said. "The people that underestimated him were the ones that weren't paying attention."
Hinojosa said May's positive impact on the district will be felt most strongly in years to come.
"As the country changes and the state changes, 10 years from now ... Joe May's legacy will be appreciated."
The service concluded with the playing of "Taps" for May, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam.
This is the second death of a DISD trustee that current board members can recall. Yvonne A. Ewell, a trustee of 11 years, died from pancreatic cancer in 1998.
Dallas Morning News reporter Tawnell D. Hobbs contributed to this report.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Molestation claim leads to council meeting arrest
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
Officers wrestled a man to the ground and dragged him outside a city council meeting in Wills Point after a long standing dispute erupted into a loud exchange of words.
James Lunsford sat across from council member Mike Jones, who he said repeatedly molested him more than 15 years ago. Wills Point's mayor ordered Lunsford arrested after he began to verbally confront Jones.
"If you will not address me directly sir and stop what you're doing I will have you removed from the chambers," said Mayor Roy Caldwell.
Police then moved in as Lunsford said he would be back in March to confront Jones again.
"I got a plane ticket," he said as he got out of his seat.
Lunsford sat down once again and police then began to physically remove him from the building as he yelled for them to let go of him.
Lunsford kicked and yelled as police grabbed him by the arms and legs. Police then told Lunsford to quit struggling or they would be forced to use a taser on him.
Police charged Lunsford with disrupting a city council meeting and assault.
Jones sat quietly during the outburst and later denied the accusations against him during the meeting.
"Mr. Lunsford's allegations are false," he said. "I resent them. My family and I have been hurt by them, and I feel sorry for him that he has to respond in such a way."
However, Jones did not address previous allegations that he acted inappropriately while he was the fire chief in Richardson. Jones was investigated after several firefighters accused him of watching them in the shower. Jones later resigned.
More recent allegations arose against Jones after his cousin said he molested him as well.
"I was sleeping on the floor in his bedroom and Mike had suggested I would be much more comfortable up in bed with him, and so I agreed and crawled up in bed," he said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALSO ONLINE:
Full Confrontation Video
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
Officers wrestled a man to the ground and dragged him outside a city council meeting in Wills Point after a long standing dispute erupted into a loud exchange of words.
James Lunsford sat across from council member Mike Jones, who he said repeatedly molested him more than 15 years ago. Wills Point's mayor ordered Lunsford arrested after he began to verbally confront Jones.
"If you will not address me directly sir and stop what you're doing I will have you removed from the chambers," said Mayor Roy Caldwell.
Police then moved in as Lunsford said he would be back in March to confront Jones again.
"I got a plane ticket," he said as he got out of his seat.
Lunsford sat down once again and police then began to physically remove him from the building as he yelled for them to let go of him.
Lunsford kicked and yelled as police grabbed him by the arms and legs. Police then told Lunsford to quit struggling or they would be forced to use a taser on him.
Police charged Lunsford with disrupting a city council meeting and assault.
Jones sat quietly during the outburst and later denied the accusations against him during the meeting.
"Mr. Lunsford's allegations are false," he said. "I resent them. My family and I have been hurt by them, and I feel sorry for him that he has to respond in such a way."
However, Jones did not address previous allegations that he acted inappropriately while he was the fire chief in Richardson. Jones was investigated after several firefighters accused him of watching them in the shower. Jones later resigned.
More recent allegations arose against Jones after his cousin said he molested him as well.
"I was sleeping on the floor in his bedroom and Mike had suggested I would be much more comfortable up in bed with him, and so I agreed and crawled up in bed," he said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALSO ONLINE:
Full Confrontation Video
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Dozens assist in Cleburne rescue
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
CLEBURNE, Texas - Video captured images of dozens risking their lives to pull children to safety from a burning jeep after a car slammed into its tail end in Johnson County.
Cleburne police said the two little girls were in critical condition after being flown to Parkland Memorial Hospital and being treated for severe burns and smoke inhalation.
Several witnesses said they watched as the car with the two little girls trapped inside bursts into flames.
"I was standing inside and I heard this explosion and I looked there and it was on fire," said one witness.
Video from a police squad car showed the group of people trying to help the mother get her 21-month-old baby and 4-year-old girl out of the burning car.
"I was like, I have to get them out," said another witness. "I have to help them."
Police said the girl's mother was on her way to see her husband, who works at C & L Services, when an elderly man slammed into the back of the Jeep Cherokee across from the business.
"The man in the white vehicle just didn't stop in time and struck the back of the jeep," said Sgt. Amy Knoll, Cleburne Police Department.
Witnesses tried to put the fire out on their own using fire extinguishers but when that didn't work the employees of C & L got one of the company's water trucks and put the fire out themselves.
"When you see kids suffer like that, you do whatever you got to do to get them out," said Danny Parsley, who assisted in the rescue.
The video showed one of the rescuers getting the little girl form the jeep and carrying her to safety. The girls were barely breathing by the time paramedics arrived.
Had it not been for so many of the Good Samaritans the girls would not have survived. However, the girls are still in critical condition, police said.
Not only did employees from the trucking company help, but a church youth group, a nurse and two volunteer fire fighters also joined in the rescue effort.
No charges have been filed but investigators are looking into the wreck.
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
CLEBURNE, Texas - Video captured images of dozens risking their lives to pull children to safety from a burning jeep after a car slammed into its tail end in Johnson County.
Cleburne police said the two little girls were in critical condition after being flown to Parkland Memorial Hospital and being treated for severe burns and smoke inhalation.
Several witnesses said they watched as the car with the two little girls trapped inside bursts into flames.
"I was standing inside and I heard this explosion and I looked there and it was on fire," said one witness.
Video from a police squad car showed the group of people trying to help the mother get her 21-month-old baby and 4-year-old girl out of the burning car.
"I was like, I have to get them out," said another witness. "I have to help them."
Police said the girl's mother was on her way to see her husband, who works at C & L Services, when an elderly man slammed into the back of the Jeep Cherokee across from the business.
"The man in the white vehicle just didn't stop in time and struck the back of the jeep," said Sgt. Amy Knoll, Cleburne Police Department.
Witnesses tried to put the fire out on their own using fire extinguishers but when that didn't work the employees of C & L got one of the company's water trucks and put the fire out themselves.
"When you see kids suffer like that, you do whatever you got to do to get them out," said Danny Parsley, who assisted in the rescue.
The video showed one of the rescuers getting the little girl form the jeep and carrying her to safety. The girls were barely breathing by the time paramedics arrived.
Had it not been for so many of the Good Samaritans the girls would not have survived. However, the girls are still in critical condition, police said.
Not only did employees from the trucking company help, but a church youth group, a nurse and two volunteer fire fighters also joined in the rescue effort.
No charges have been filed but investigators are looking into the wreck.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Memorial service takes place for Joe May
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - Friends, colleagues and civic leaders were among over 500 people who attended a memorial service Monday afternoon for Dallas school board trustee Joe May, who died Friday at age 61 after suffering a heart attack.
Seated around a large photograph of May adorned with white flowers, family members and fellow trustees were joined on stage at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center by a gospel choir from Madison High School and a mariachi group from Molina High School.
Over a dozen people took the podium during the two-hour service to speak about the life and work of May, who became known since his election in 2002 for his outspoken support of Hispanics and his desire to fix problems within the district. The two-hour service brought together community leaders from across Dallas, many of whom stand on opposite sides of the very issues May worked to promote.
DISD board president Lois Parrott recalled that May liked to do research and came to every meeting prepared with facts and figures to support his viewpoint.
"We're going to miss Joe's statistics (and) his love for public education," Parrott said. "Joe believed that education was the great equalizer, and blind to all colors, creeds and opinions."
May fought off critics last year to get a controversial proposal passed requiring some principals to become bilingual. Just last week, he touched off a controversy after suggesting that the district look into hiring illegal immigrants as bilingual teachers. May said in an interview Thursday that he was surprised with local and national attention that his proposal was receiving, most of it negative.
Fellow board member Jack Lowe called May a "warrior" and board member Jerome Garza said May was a "champion of equality."
"For those of us that worked with Joe on a daily basis, we found him genuine, warm, caring and passionate," Garza said. "We all respected his intellect, his conviction, his dedication, his vigilance and his preparedness."
The board president said May was well-known among board members and district officials for being talkative and having an ability to speak his mind.
"The three-minute rule didn't apply to Joe," Parrott said to laughter from the audience. "He didn't mince words, but he was always willing to hear all sides on every issue."
DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said he remembered late-night, hours-long conversations with May, focusing on the district and its future.
"Joe was the strongest advocate for the ethics of the staff and the board," Hinojosa said. "The people that underestimated him were the ones that weren't paying attention."
Hinojosa said May's positive impact on the district will be felt most strongly in years to come.
"As the country changes and the state changes, 10 years from now ... Joe May's legacy will be appreciated."
The service concluded with the playing of "Taps" for May, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam.
This is the second death of a DISD trustee that current board members can recall. Yvonne A. Ewell, a trustee of 11 years, died from pancreatic cancer in 1998.
Dallas Morning News reporter Tawnell D. Hobbs contributed to this report.
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - Friends, colleagues and civic leaders were among over 500 people who attended a memorial service Monday afternoon for Dallas school board trustee Joe May, who died Friday at age 61 after suffering a heart attack.
Seated around a large photograph of May adorned with white flowers, family members and fellow trustees were joined on stage at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center by a gospel choir from Madison High School and a mariachi group from Molina High School.
Over a dozen people took the podium during the two-hour service to speak about the life and work of May, who became known since his election in 2002 for his outspoken support of Hispanics and his desire to fix problems within the district. The two-hour service brought together community leaders from across Dallas, many of whom stand on opposite sides of the very issues May worked to promote.
DISD board president Lois Parrott recalled that May liked to do research and came to every meeting prepared with facts and figures to support his viewpoint.
"We're going to miss Joe's statistics (and) his love for public education," Parrott said. "Joe believed that education was the great equalizer, and blind to all colors, creeds and opinions."
May fought off critics last year to get a controversial proposal passed requiring some principals to become bilingual. Just last week, he touched off a controversy after suggesting that the district look into hiring illegal immigrants as bilingual teachers. May said in an interview Thursday that he was surprised with local and national attention that his proposal was receiving, most of it negative.
Fellow board member Jack Lowe called May a "warrior" and board member Jerome Garza said May was a "champion of equality."
"For those of us that worked with Joe on a daily basis, we found him genuine, warm, caring and passionate," Garza said. "We all respected his intellect, his conviction, his dedication, his vigilance and his preparedness."
The board president said May was well-known among board members and district officials for being talkative and having an ability to speak his mind.
"The three-minute rule didn't apply to Joe," Parrott said to laughter from the audience. "He didn't mince words, but he was always willing to hear all sides on every issue."
DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said he remembered late-night, hours-long conversations with May, focusing on the district and its future.
"Joe was the strongest advocate for the ethics of the staff and the board," Hinojosa said. "The people that underestimated him were the ones that weren't paying attention."
Hinojosa said May's positive impact on the district will be felt most strongly in years to come.
"As the country changes and the state changes, 10 years from now ... Joe May's legacy will be appreciated."
The service concluded with the playing of "Taps" for May, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam.
This is the second death of a DISD trustee that current board members can recall. Yvonne A. Ewell, a trustee of 11 years, died from pancreatic cancer in 1998.
Dallas Morning News reporter Tawnell D. Hobbs contributed to this report.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Illegal labor could cost firms in court
Racketeering suits may snare those who hire immigrants to lower wages
By DIANNE SOLÍS / The Dallas Morning News
Employers who hire illegal immigrants to depress wages have something new to fear: Employees who use racketeering laws to take them to court.
A law originally conceived to hammer the Mafia – the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute – is now being swung against employers at chicken-plucking plants, apple orchards and janitorial firms.
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear a Georgia racketeering case involving carpet giant Mohawk Industries Inc., its employment practices and allegations that it used labor recruiters in Brownsville.
The case is being closely watched by many employment law specialists – particularly in areas such as North Texas with large illegal immigrant populations – because it could trigger a rash of costly suits against businesses that depend on illegal labor.
A handful of similar suits have already been filed under RICO, and last month a judge approved a $1.3 million settlement in one of them.
"I wouldn't be surprised at all if this attracted more of these kinds of lawsuits," said Steven McCown of the Dallas office of Littler Mendelson, a high-profile employment and labor law firm.
Illegal immigration and lax enforcement of existing immigration law are hot-button issues in the U.S., where the illegal immigrant population has swelled to an estimated 11 million.
"The government never adequately funded an enforcement scheme," Mr. McCown said.
The plaintiffs in the Georgia case – four women who are suing as a class – argue that Mohawk conspired to artificially and illegally depress wages by hiring illegal immigrants. Mohawk has vigorously denied any illegal conduct.
The Georgia case was made possible by a 1996 change to the RICO statute that includes those who knowingly hire illegal workers. It gives workers the right to sue – and for triple damages.
Plaintiffs' lawyer Bobby Lee Cook says Mohawk operates in a region known as the world's carpet capital, and he estimates that nearly half the workers there are illegal immigrants.
"We are inundated by illegal workers," said Mr. Cook, one of the most prominent litigators in the South.
Mohawk attorney Juan Morillo agrees that there is a problem with undeterred illegal immigration. But he said the Mohawk lawsuit is a "perversion" of the racketeering law.
"This use of RICO is an attempt to circumvent what should be a comprehensive immigration reform," said Mr. Morillo, a partner with Sidley Austin in Washington.
Next month, the Senate is expected to take up a House-approved immigration bill that puts a greater burden on employers to police hiring, makes it a felony to be in the U.S. illegally and adds 700 miles of fence along the nation's southern border.
In his State of the Union address last month, President Bush called again for a guest-worker program, underscoring that he wants legislation that focuses on more than just law enforcement.
Few punished
Under immigration reforms in 1986, it's illegal for employers to knowingly hire illegal immigrants. But all sides concede that sanctions against employers have become scant.
Officials with the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, noted in testimony last year before a House Judiciary subcommittee that 417 notices of intent to fine were issued against employers in 1999. The number fell to three by 2004.
For the last few years, immigration lawyer Mira Mdivani in Overland Park, Kan., has been warning corporate clients of possible use of the RICO statute.
"They looked at me and thought I was crazy," Ms. Mdivani said.
"I don't think that any of these employers in their worst dreams have thought that hiring workers, when they can't get enough American workers, would be characterized as Mafia-like activity."
Mohawk, which employs about 32,000 workers, is the second-largest U.S. carpet-maker, with 2004 sales of $6.29 billion.
Plaintiffs Shirley Williams, Gale Pelfrey, Bonnie Jones and Lora Sisson sued the company in 2004, alleging that it hired illegal immigrants and thereby depressed wages. The women are suing under RICO for a retroactive wage increase.
The suit also names "other recruiters," including a Georgia employment agency known as Temporary Placement Services.
Through their attorney, the women declined interviews. Ms. Jones is the only plaintiff who still works for Mohawk, according to her attorney.
The suit seeks to cover legal workers at Mohawk from January 1999 to the present.
It alleges that the carpet-maker "knowingly and recklessly accepted" false documents for the employees, and that Mohawk employees traveled to the Brownsville area to recruit illegal immigrants who'd recently entered the U.S.
The suit also alleges that Mohawk made incentive payments to employees and other recruiters to locate the workers, and that Mohawk employees and others transported the illegal workers from the Texas border to northern Georgia.
Moreover, the suit accuses Mohawk of taking steps to shield the illegal immigrants from detection during law enforcement searches at Mohawk plants by hiding them in barrels or other containers. And when the company fired illegal workers who were found to lack proper documents, it brought back many of them under different names, the suit alleges.
"This practice of recycling illegal workers is widespread at Mohawk," the suit says.
Mr. Morillo, the Mohawk attorney, called the allegations "fully unsupported," "bare-boned" and "crazy."
He said more detail should come to light to discredit allegations such as those involving recruiter relations.
Because so many of the RICO suits are brought in areas that hire large numbers of Hispanics, Mr. Morillo said the issue should be of concern to the Hispanic community as a whole.
Mr. Cook, the plaintiffs' attorney, countered: "I am not anti-Hispanic. Hell, I'm not anti-anything. This is bad business."
Immigration attorneys say that the U.S. Supreme Court must untangle conflicting circuit court rulings on RICO in immigration cases.
"Since the circuits are split, it is a natural sort of case to resolve the split," said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a Cornell Law School professor who's following the cases.
Chicago attorney Howard Foster has been behind many of the employees' cases.
Among his victories is a case involving Zirkle Fruit Co. of Washington. Last month, lawyers for the workers received preliminary approval of a $1.3 million settlement with Zirkle executives in a case that dates to 2000.
As in the Mohawk case, attorneys alleged that the company conspired to hire illegal workers in order to pay them less, resulting in lower wages for legal workers.
Even illegal immigrant workers have used the RICO statute.
In October 2003, the federal government raided dozens of Wal-Mart stores in 21 states, including Texas. Victor Zavala and other janitors who were detained sued Wal-Mart under labor statutes and RICO. They alleged systematic violation of immigration, wage, hour and other laws for the "profit and benefit" of the company.
A federal district court in New Jersey dismissed the RICO allegations. The plaintiffs are appealing.
Businesses' fears
Business groups are clearly worried.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a brief in support of Mohawk. So did Associated Builders & Contractors, a powerful trade group.
"This case is about RICO, which was initially used to go after the mob, and now it is being expanded by smart plaintiff lawyers to go after employers who have nothing to do with the mob," said Amar Sarwal, general counsel of the National Chamber Litigation Center, the public policy law firm of the U.S. Chamber.
Law firms that represent businesses are worried as well.
Plaintiffs' lawyers "see it as a way to get into court and achieve their goals – and they have goals that may be politically motivated or economically motivated," said Mr. McCown of Littler Mendelson.
The firm advises employers to be especially careful in their dealings with third-party recruiters, or labor contractors.
"The fact that you have a third party isn't going to immunize you at all," Mr. McCown said.
Susie Morrissey, a Dallas janitorial firm owner who's familiar with the Wal-Mart case, said she is careful to check documents before hiring anyone. She recently denied a job to an applicant who was using the Social Security number of a person who had died in 1968.
Illegal immigration penalizes employees or employers who "play by the rules," she said. "I think it is a great thing that these employees are suing, as it brings to light things the general public doesn't know about it."
Racketeering suits may snare those who hire immigrants to lower wages
By DIANNE SOLÍS / The Dallas Morning News
Employers who hire illegal immigrants to depress wages have something new to fear: Employees who use racketeering laws to take them to court.
A law originally conceived to hammer the Mafia – the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute – is now being swung against employers at chicken-plucking plants, apple orchards and janitorial firms.
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear a Georgia racketeering case involving carpet giant Mohawk Industries Inc., its employment practices and allegations that it used labor recruiters in Brownsville.
The case is being closely watched by many employment law specialists – particularly in areas such as North Texas with large illegal immigrant populations – because it could trigger a rash of costly suits against businesses that depend on illegal labor.
A handful of similar suits have already been filed under RICO, and last month a judge approved a $1.3 million settlement in one of them.
"I wouldn't be surprised at all if this attracted more of these kinds of lawsuits," said Steven McCown of the Dallas office of Littler Mendelson, a high-profile employment and labor law firm.
Illegal immigration and lax enforcement of existing immigration law are hot-button issues in the U.S., where the illegal immigrant population has swelled to an estimated 11 million.
"The government never adequately funded an enforcement scheme," Mr. McCown said.
The plaintiffs in the Georgia case – four women who are suing as a class – argue that Mohawk conspired to artificially and illegally depress wages by hiring illegal immigrants. Mohawk has vigorously denied any illegal conduct.
The Georgia case was made possible by a 1996 change to the RICO statute that includes those who knowingly hire illegal workers. It gives workers the right to sue – and for triple damages.
Plaintiffs' lawyer Bobby Lee Cook says Mohawk operates in a region known as the world's carpet capital, and he estimates that nearly half the workers there are illegal immigrants.
"We are inundated by illegal workers," said Mr. Cook, one of the most prominent litigators in the South.
Mohawk attorney Juan Morillo agrees that there is a problem with undeterred illegal immigration. But he said the Mohawk lawsuit is a "perversion" of the racketeering law.
"This use of RICO is an attempt to circumvent what should be a comprehensive immigration reform," said Mr. Morillo, a partner with Sidley Austin in Washington.
Next month, the Senate is expected to take up a House-approved immigration bill that puts a greater burden on employers to police hiring, makes it a felony to be in the U.S. illegally and adds 700 miles of fence along the nation's southern border.
In his State of the Union address last month, President Bush called again for a guest-worker program, underscoring that he wants legislation that focuses on more than just law enforcement.
Few punished
Under immigration reforms in 1986, it's illegal for employers to knowingly hire illegal immigrants. But all sides concede that sanctions against employers have become scant.
Officials with the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, noted in testimony last year before a House Judiciary subcommittee that 417 notices of intent to fine were issued against employers in 1999. The number fell to three by 2004.
For the last few years, immigration lawyer Mira Mdivani in Overland Park, Kan., has been warning corporate clients of possible use of the RICO statute.
"They looked at me and thought I was crazy," Ms. Mdivani said.
"I don't think that any of these employers in their worst dreams have thought that hiring workers, when they can't get enough American workers, would be characterized as Mafia-like activity."
Mohawk, which employs about 32,000 workers, is the second-largest U.S. carpet-maker, with 2004 sales of $6.29 billion.
Plaintiffs Shirley Williams, Gale Pelfrey, Bonnie Jones and Lora Sisson sued the company in 2004, alleging that it hired illegal immigrants and thereby depressed wages. The women are suing under RICO for a retroactive wage increase.
The suit also names "other recruiters," including a Georgia employment agency known as Temporary Placement Services.
Through their attorney, the women declined interviews. Ms. Jones is the only plaintiff who still works for Mohawk, according to her attorney.
The suit seeks to cover legal workers at Mohawk from January 1999 to the present.
It alleges that the carpet-maker "knowingly and recklessly accepted" false documents for the employees, and that Mohawk employees traveled to the Brownsville area to recruit illegal immigrants who'd recently entered the U.S.
The suit also alleges that Mohawk made incentive payments to employees and other recruiters to locate the workers, and that Mohawk employees and others transported the illegal workers from the Texas border to northern Georgia.
Moreover, the suit accuses Mohawk of taking steps to shield the illegal immigrants from detection during law enforcement searches at Mohawk plants by hiding them in barrels or other containers. And when the company fired illegal workers who were found to lack proper documents, it brought back many of them under different names, the suit alleges.
"This practice of recycling illegal workers is widespread at Mohawk," the suit says.
Mr. Morillo, the Mohawk attorney, called the allegations "fully unsupported," "bare-boned" and "crazy."
He said more detail should come to light to discredit allegations such as those involving recruiter relations.
Because so many of the RICO suits are brought in areas that hire large numbers of Hispanics, Mr. Morillo said the issue should be of concern to the Hispanic community as a whole.
Mr. Cook, the plaintiffs' attorney, countered: "I am not anti-Hispanic. Hell, I'm not anti-anything. This is bad business."
Immigration attorneys say that the U.S. Supreme Court must untangle conflicting circuit court rulings on RICO in immigration cases.
"Since the circuits are split, it is a natural sort of case to resolve the split," said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a Cornell Law School professor who's following the cases.
Chicago attorney Howard Foster has been behind many of the employees' cases.
Among his victories is a case involving Zirkle Fruit Co. of Washington. Last month, lawyers for the workers received preliminary approval of a $1.3 million settlement with Zirkle executives in a case that dates to 2000.
As in the Mohawk case, attorneys alleged that the company conspired to hire illegal workers in order to pay them less, resulting in lower wages for legal workers.
Even illegal immigrant workers have used the RICO statute.
In October 2003, the federal government raided dozens of Wal-Mart stores in 21 states, including Texas. Victor Zavala and other janitors who were detained sued Wal-Mart under labor statutes and RICO. They alleged systematic violation of immigration, wage, hour and other laws for the "profit and benefit" of the company.
A federal district court in New Jersey dismissed the RICO allegations. The plaintiffs are appealing.
Businesses' fears
Business groups are clearly worried.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a brief in support of Mohawk. So did Associated Builders & Contractors, a powerful trade group.
"This case is about RICO, which was initially used to go after the mob, and now it is being expanded by smart plaintiff lawyers to go after employers who have nothing to do with the mob," said Amar Sarwal, general counsel of the National Chamber Litigation Center, the public policy law firm of the U.S. Chamber.
Law firms that represent businesses are worried as well.
Plaintiffs' lawyers "see it as a way to get into court and achieve their goals – and they have goals that may be politically motivated or economically motivated," said Mr. McCown of Littler Mendelson.
The firm advises employers to be especially careful in their dealings with third-party recruiters, or labor contractors.
"The fact that you have a third party isn't going to immunize you at all," Mr. McCown said.
Susie Morrissey, a Dallas janitorial firm owner who's familiar with the Wal-Mart case, said she is careful to check documents before hiring anyone. She recently denied a job to an applicant who was using the Social Security number of a person who had died in 1968.
Illegal immigration penalizes employees or employers who "play by the rules," she said. "I think it is a great thing that these employees are suing, as it brings to light things the general public doesn't know about it."
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Plano mom pleads insanity in killing
Jury told she's 'loaded' on drugs for trial; horror of baby's death described
By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
McKINNEY, Texas – On the first day of the trial against a Plano woman accused of killing her baby by severing her arms, prosecutors offered no clue to jurors that they would disprove the defense's contention that the mother was insane at the time.
Dena Schlosser, 37, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity Monday.
Prosecutor Curtis Howard told jurors that it's up to them to decide whether she was insane when her 10-month-old daughter, Maggie Schlosser, was killed in November 2004. Mr. Howard called the baby's death "one of the most heinous acts you could imagine."
The defense must prove by a preponderance of the evidence to the jury that Ms. Schlosser suffered from a mental illness that caused her not to know right from wrong.
"She's the real thing," defense attorney Bill Schultz said doctors told him. "If she wasn't insane at the time, we might as well abolish the insanity defense."
Mr. Schultz told jurors that Ms. Schlosser was "loaded" with anti-psychotic medication during Monday's trial and that medical staff was nearby in case she needed more. He also described her as a woman with postpartum psychosis obsessed with her church and its charismatic minister, a self-proclaimed apostle who preaches that women have a Jezebel spirit and must submit to their husbands.
During the trial, Ms. Schlosser frequently looked down at her hands and a white legal pad. When prosecutors showed a silent video of the Schlosser apartment the day Maggie died, Ms. Schlosser watched with interest as the camera panned a wall of family photos.
Her head hung almost at her chest when the video turned to the blood-soaked crib where paramedics found Maggie. A stuffed Winnie the Pooh sat in the crib. She wiped her eyes at least once, but it was impossible to tell if she was crying. For the trial, Ms. Schlosser wore a dark gray suit with a green blouse instead of the jail jumper.
Prosecutors did not show the jury photographs of the dead child.
Mr. Howard also told the jury that Maggie had 50 cuts on her face as well as cuts on her side. He said the injuries were made as Ms. Schlosser cut into the child's left shoulder. The cut to the right shoulder was cleaner, he said.
A video shown in court shows that Ms. Schlosser may have been doing laundry before Maggie was hurt. Piles of laundry are sorted on the floor and hangers and clean clothes lay on a made bed.
An open box of Cheerios sits on the kitchen counter and the tray from Maggie's high chair sits upside down in the sink.
Mr. Howard told jurors they don't know what happened before Maggie's arms were cut off.
"I can't tell you if Maggie was sleeping. I can't tell you if Maggie was crying," Mr. Howard said in his opening statement to the jury. "I can't tell you what Maggie was doing."
Plano Detective Bruce Miller, the lead investigator, said Ms. Schlosser's demeanor seemed flat the day Maggie died.
"She seemed to be completely shut down, very distraught, emotionless," he said. "Not quite there."
Testimony also showed Ms. Schlosser had flesh on her shirt. No DNA testing was done, so it is not known whether it's Maggie's or Ms. Schlosser's, who also deeply cut one of her own shoulders.
The defense played a video of a Plano police detective interviewing Ms. Schlosser's best friend, Carolyn Thomas. She spoke with Ms. Schlosser by phone after Maggie was injured but before police arrived. The two attend Plano's Water of Life church and had worked together at a day care before Maggie's birth.
Ms. Thomas described Ms. Schlosser as "cool, calm and collected" during their conversation many times throughout the interview, even as she told Ms. Thomas that she cut her baby's arms off.
Ms. Thomas also told police that she repeatedly pestered Ms. Schlosser and her husband, John, about whether Ms. Schlosser was taking her anti-psychotic medication. Ms. Schlosser had been diagnosed with postpartum psychosis following Maggie's home birth. Ms. Thomas said that Mr. Schlosser told her not to pressure him.
"She don't really need that," she recalled Mr. Schlosser saying.
Ms. Thomas said she was shocked by Maggie's death because Ms. Schlosser was such a "sweet" person.
She was "the most wonderful mother you could have," Ms. Thomas said. "She was crazy about that baby."
Jury told she's 'loaded' on drugs for trial; horror of baby's death described
By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
McKINNEY, Texas – On the first day of the trial against a Plano woman accused of killing her baby by severing her arms, prosecutors offered no clue to jurors that they would disprove the defense's contention that the mother was insane at the time.
Dena Schlosser, 37, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity Monday.
Prosecutor Curtis Howard told jurors that it's up to them to decide whether she was insane when her 10-month-old daughter, Maggie Schlosser, was killed in November 2004. Mr. Howard called the baby's death "one of the most heinous acts you could imagine."
The defense must prove by a preponderance of the evidence to the jury that Ms. Schlosser suffered from a mental illness that caused her not to know right from wrong.
"She's the real thing," defense attorney Bill Schultz said doctors told him. "If she wasn't insane at the time, we might as well abolish the insanity defense."
Mr. Schultz told jurors that Ms. Schlosser was "loaded" with anti-psychotic medication during Monday's trial and that medical staff was nearby in case she needed more. He also described her as a woman with postpartum psychosis obsessed with her church and its charismatic minister, a self-proclaimed apostle who preaches that women have a Jezebel spirit and must submit to their husbands.
During the trial, Ms. Schlosser frequently looked down at her hands and a white legal pad. When prosecutors showed a silent video of the Schlosser apartment the day Maggie died, Ms. Schlosser watched with interest as the camera panned a wall of family photos.
Her head hung almost at her chest when the video turned to the blood-soaked crib where paramedics found Maggie. A stuffed Winnie the Pooh sat in the crib. She wiped her eyes at least once, but it was impossible to tell if she was crying. For the trial, Ms. Schlosser wore a dark gray suit with a green blouse instead of the jail jumper.
Prosecutors did not show the jury photographs of the dead child.
Mr. Howard also told the jury that Maggie had 50 cuts on her face as well as cuts on her side. He said the injuries were made as Ms. Schlosser cut into the child's left shoulder. The cut to the right shoulder was cleaner, he said.
A video shown in court shows that Ms. Schlosser may have been doing laundry before Maggie was hurt. Piles of laundry are sorted on the floor and hangers and clean clothes lay on a made bed.
An open box of Cheerios sits on the kitchen counter and the tray from Maggie's high chair sits upside down in the sink.
Mr. Howard told jurors they don't know what happened before Maggie's arms were cut off.
"I can't tell you if Maggie was sleeping. I can't tell you if Maggie was crying," Mr. Howard said in his opening statement to the jury. "I can't tell you what Maggie was doing."
Plano Detective Bruce Miller, the lead investigator, said Ms. Schlosser's demeanor seemed flat the day Maggie died.
"She seemed to be completely shut down, very distraught, emotionless," he said. "Not quite there."
Testimony also showed Ms. Schlosser had flesh on her shirt. No DNA testing was done, so it is not known whether it's Maggie's or Ms. Schlosser's, who also deeply cut one of her own shoulders.
The defense played a video of a Plano police detective interviewing Ms. Schlosser's best friend, Carolyn Thomas. She spoke with Ms. Schlosser by phone after Maggie was injured but before police arrived. The two attend Plano's Water of Life church and had worked together at a day care before Maggie's birth.
Ms. Thomas described Ms. Schlosser as "cool, calm and collected" during their conversation many times throughout the interview, even as she told Ms. Thomas that she cut her baby's arms off.
Ms. Thomas also told police that she repeatedly pestered Ms. Schlosser and her husband, John, about whether Ms. Schlosser was taking her anti-psychotic medication. Ms. Schlosser had been diagnosed with postpartum psychosis following Maggie's home birth. Ms. Thomas said that Mr. Schlosser told her not to pressure him.
"She don't really need that," she recalled Mr. Schlosser saying.
Ms. Thomas said she was shocked by Maggie's death because Ms. Schlosser was such a "sweet" person.
She was "the most wonderful mother you could have," Ms. Thomas said. "She was crazy about that baby."
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Wild finale to police pursuit
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
WILMER, Texas — Two men in a stolen pickup truck were in police custody early Tuesday after leading law enforcement agencies on a wild, 20-minute chase through southern Dallas County.
Officers said they became suspicious when they spotted the red Chevrolet pickup with a broken window. When they tried to pull the vehicle over, the chase was on.
Police said the suspects tried to ram a squad car as they fled. Then—someone in the truck took aim at pursuing officers with a shotgun—hitting a police vehicle but missing the officers.
The stolen vehicle was disabled by police. The suspects bailed out and started running after the truck caught fire on Interstate 45 in Wilmer.
The final moments of the pursuit, captured on videotape, show two men running from police as smoke from the truck obscured the lineup of police vehicles behind it.
The suspects were nabbed a short time later. They face charges of aggravated assault against police officers and driving a stolen vehicle.
Robert Flagg / WFAA ABC 8
A suspect flees from police.
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
WILMER, Texas — Two men in a stolen pickup truck were in police custody early Tuesday after leading law enforcement agencies on a wild, 20-minute chase through southern Dallas County.
Officers said they became suspicious when they spotted the red Chevrolet pickup with a broken window. When they tried to pull the vehicle over, the chase was on.
Police said the suspects tried to ram a squad car as they fled. Then—someone in the truck took aim at pursuing officers with a shotgun—hitting a police vehicle but missing the officers.
The stolen vehicle was disabled by police. The suspects bailed out and started running after the truck caught fire on Interstate 45 in Wilmer.
The final moments of the pursuit, captured on videotape, show two men running from police as smoke from the truck obscured the lineup of police vehicles behind it.
The suspects were nabbed a short time later. They face charges of aggravated assault against police officers and driving a stolen vehicle.
Robert Flagg / WFAA ABC 8
A suspect flees from police.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
North Texan patents flying motorcycle
By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8
How much time do you spend stuck in traffic on your way home from work?
There may be a solution - flying to work.
A North Texas man has patented a flying motorcycle.
The transportation breakthrough comes from a small aeronautics lab near Bridgeport.
It's called the Sky Cycle.
The top half, is something like a helicopter. The bottom half, a three-wheeled motorcycle, which is able to leap stacked traffic in a single bound.
Larry Neal calls this a fly drive vehicle.
"It is easy to fly. I can fly it hands off. I can leave the ground and put my arms out like this. It's autostable," he says.
An unpowered rotor on top creates enough lift for it to fly. A propeller on the back pushes it through the air. It takes off quickly and can fly as fast as 70 miles an hour in complete safety, Neal says.
"I can shut the engine off at 500 feet and come down in total control slower than a parachute," he adds.
But that's only half the story.
Back on the ground, the rotor folds up. And the vehicle becomes a motorcycle, with a range of about 300 miles.
Neal has patented all of this and says the Sky Cycle will go on sale in a couple of months for $25,000, assembly required.
Neal's company, Butterfly LLC, has other models in the prototype stage. All are designed to fit through a seven foot garage door. He says it won't be long before that beep you hear on the highway could be coming from above as well as behind.
By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8
How much time do you spend stuck in traffic on your way home from work?
There may be a solution - flying to work.
A North Texas man has patented a flying motorcycle.
The transportation breakthrough comes from a small aeronautics lab near Bridgeport.
It's called the Sky Cycle.
The top half, is something like a helicopter. The bottom half, a three-wheeled motorcycle, which is able to leap stacked traffic in a single bound.
Larry Neal calls this a fly drive vehicle.
"It is easy to fly. I can fly it hands off. I can leave the ground and put my arms out like this. It's autostable," he says.
An unpowered rotor on top creates enough lift for it to fly. A propeller on the back pushes it through the air. It takes off quickly and can fly as fast as 70 miles an hour in complete safety, Neal says.
"I can shut the engine off at 500 feet and come down in total control slower than a parachute," he adds.
But that's only half the story.
Back on the ground, the rotor folds up. And the vehicle becomes a motorcycle, with a range of about 300 miles.
Neal has patented all of this and says the Sky Cycle will go on sale in a couple of months for $25,000, assembly required.
Neal's company, Butterfly LLC, has other models in the prototype stage. All are designed to fit through a seven foot garage door. He says it won't be long before that beep you hear on the highway could be coming from above as well as behind.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Husband says he should have sought help for Schlosser
By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
MCKINNEY, Texas - The husband of a woman accused of killing her baby girl testified Tuesday morning that he should have sought help when she first showed odd behavior, the day after their daughter was born.
John Schlosser, 37, testified that at that time, Dena Schlosser cut her left wrist with a pair of scissors.
"It was something that needed a Band-aid," he said in a McKinney courtroom. "It wasn't something I had any experience with."
Ms. Schlosser is standing trial for capital murder and is accused of severing their 10-month-old daughter's arms at the shoulders.
The prosecution finished questioning Mr. Schlosser this morning, and the defense is expected to cross examine him today as well.
Ms. Schlosser watched her husband intently during his testimony. He has filed for divorce and has custody of their two surviving school-age daughters.
Maggie Schlosser was killed in November 2004 just before Thanksgiving in the family's Plano apartment. Ms. Schlosser has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
MCKINNEY, Texas - The husband of a woman accused of killing her baby girl testified Tuesday morning that he should have sought help when she first showed odd behavior, the day after their daughter was born.
John Schlosser, 37, testified that at that time, Dena Schlosser cut her left wrist with a pair of scissors.
"It was something that needed a Band-aid," he said in a McKinney courtroom. "It wasn't something I had any experience with."
Ms. Schlosser is standing trial for capital murder and is accused of severing their 10-month-old daughter's arms at the shoulders.
The prosecution finished questioning Mr. Schlosser this morning, and the defense is expected to cross examine him today as well.
Ms. Schlosser watched her husband intently during his testimony. He has filed for divorce and has custody of their two surviving school-age daughters.
Maggie Schlosser was killed in November 2004 just before Thanksgiving in the family's Plano apartment. Ms. Schlosser has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Cash from scout cookie sale stolen
Southlake: Mom warns others after $200 is taken by thieves
By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News
SOUTHLAKE, Texas – Kristen Boulet is hoping for a happy ending to a cookie money caper that left her daughter in tears.
Last month, Mrs. Boulet of Grapevine helped her 6-year-old daughter, Grace, and a fellow Girl Scout in their first cookie sale.
After about 30 boxes of Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties and other goodies were sold inside a Kroger store on Southlake Boulevard, thieves on Jan. 30 stole a moneybag containing $700 in checks and cash.
"This is a first-year Brownie troop," said Mrs. Boulet, the group's leader. "We had never sold cookies before, and everybody said the table-top sale was the way to go. We were at an approved location.
"My daughter was dressed in her Brownie uniform, so they had to know they were taking money from the Girl Scouts," Mrs. Boulet said.
The bag was later recovered outside the store in a grocery cart. The checks that cookie buyers wrote were inside, but $200 in cash was gone.
"Grace was upset, but she was saying prayers for the person to bring our money back," Mrs. Boulet said. "I had to explain to her that there were bad people, and she was taken aback."
Mother and daughter are now warning other troops to be careful with their dough.
"We have until March to get the money back," she said. "But there's another lesson. We signed a contract to be responsible for the cookies. We may have to pay for it ourselves."
The Girl Scout cookie program teaches life skills such as money management and teamwork, said Liesl Gray Logan, spokeswoman for the Circle T Council.
"People think this is just about cookies, but it isn't," Ms. Logan said. "The lessons from cookies are so important. They learn money management and teamwork."
Southlake: Mom warns others after $200 is taken by thieves
By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News
SOUTHLAKE, Texas – Kristen Boulet is hoping for a happy ending to a cookie money caper that left her daughter in tears.
Last month, Mrs. Boulet of Grapevine helped her 6-year-old daughter, Grace, and a fellow Girl Scout in their first cookie sale.
After about 30 boxes of Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties and other goodies were sold inside a Kroger store on Southlake Boulevard, thieves on Jan. 30 stole a moneybag containing $700 in checks and cash.
"This is a first-year Brownie troop," said Mrs. Boulet, the group's leader. "We had never sold cookies before, and everybody said the table-top sale was the way to go. We were at an approved location.
"My daughter was dressed in her Brownie uniform, so they had to know they were taking money from the Girl Scouts," Mrs. Boulet said.
The bag was later recovered outside the store in a grocery cart. The checks that cookie buyers wrote were inside, but $200 in cash was gone.
"Grace was upset, but she was saying prayers for the person to bring our money back," Mrs. Boulet said. "I had to explain to her that there were bad people, and she was taken aback."
Mother and daughter are now warning other troops to be careful with their dough.
"We have until March to get the money back," she said. "But there's another lesson. We signed a contract to be responsible for the cookies. We may have to pay for it ourselves."
The Girl Scout cookie program teaches life skills such as money management and teamwork, said Liesl Gray Logan, spokeswoman for the Circle T Council.
"People think this is just about cookies, but it isn't," Ms. Logan said. "The lessons from cookies are so important. They learn money management and teamwork."
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
North Texan patents flying motorcycle
By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8
How much time do you spend stuck in traffic on your way home from work?
There may be a solution: Flying to work.
A North Texas man has patented a flying motorcycle.
The transportation breakthrough, called the Super Sky Cycle, comes from a small aeronautics lab near Bridgeport.
The top half of the contraption looks something like a helicopter. The bottom half is a three-wheeled motorcycle. The resulting vehicle is able to leap stacked traffic in a single bound.
Larry Neal calls this a "fly-drive vehicle."
"It is easy to fly. I can fly it hands off. I can leave the ground and put my arms out like this. It's autostable," he said.
An unpowered rotor on top creates enough lift for the Super Sky Cycle to fly. A propeller on the back pushes it through the air. It takes off quickly, and can fly as fast as 70 mph in complete safety, Neal said.
"I can shut the engine off at 500 feet and come down in total control slower than a parachute," he added.
But that's only half the story.
Back on the ground, the rotor folds up, and the vehicle becomes a motorcycle, with a range of about 300 miles.
Neal has patented all of this and said the Super Sky Cycle will go on sale in a couple of months for $25,000 (assembly required).
Neal's company, Butterfly LLC, has other models in the prototype stage. All are designed to fit through a seven foot garage door. He said it won't be long before that "beep" you hear on the highway could be coming from above as well as behind.
By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8
How much time do you spend stuck in traffic on your way home from work?
There may be a solution: Flying to work.
A North Texas man has patented a flying motorcycle.
The transportation breakthrough, called the Super Sky Cycle, comes from a small aeronautics lab near Bridgeport.
The top half of the contraption looks something like a helicopter. The bottom half is a three-wheeled motorcycle. The resulting vehicle is able to leap stacked traffic in a single bound.
Larry Neal calls this a "fly-drive vehicle."
"It is easy to fly. I can fly it hands off. I can leave the ground and put my arms out like this. It's autostable," he said.
An unpowered rotor on top creates enough lift for the Super Sky Cycle to fly. A propeller on the back pushes it through the air. It takes off quickly, and can fly as fast as 70 mph in complete safety, Neal said.
"I can shut the engine off at 500 feet and come down in total control slower than a parachute," he added.
But that's only half the story.
Back on the ground, the rotor folds up, and the vehicle becomes a motorcycle, with a range of about 300 miles.
Neal has patented all of this and said the Super Sky Cycle will go on sale in a couple of months for $25,000 (assembly required).
Neal's company, Butterfly LLC, has other models in the prototype stage. All are designed to fit through a seven foot garage door. He said it won't be long before that "beep" you hear on the highway could be coming from above as well as behind.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Homeless take part in city clean up
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - The homeless hit the streets this morning picking up trash left by people like themselves.
Falicia Anderson wanted to put some heart back in the neighborhood.
"I'm trying to help too. Believe me, I want to help," she says.
"It feels real good on Valentine's Day to help the community out."
City staff organized the clean up to mend fences with businesses who have endured years of trash, loitering and crime that come from being a Day Resources Center neighbor.
The message? The homeless care.
"They're trying to be good citizens, wanna be good neighbors. They're trying their level best to show everybody that all the stereotypes that hold true, simply aren't true," said Ruben Henderson, of the Day Resource Center.
They also cleaned around the site, where the new H-A-C Homeless Assistance Center will be built. Despite the opposition of these neighbors, Dallas voters recently approved to build the center.
James Reddell said this was a way to say thanks.
"There's a place we could go eat and not do this... but I mean, I kind of feel I have a responsibility, because Dallas does care about its citizens," he says.
Several neighbors say they weren't even aware the clean up had occurred.
They appreciate the effort, but say they'd be more encouraged if it happened once a month, instead of once a year.
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - The homeless hit the streets this morning picking up trash left by people like themselves.
Falicia Anderson wanted to put some heart back in the neighborhood.
"I'm trying to help too. Believe me, I want to help," she says.
"It feels real good on Valentine's Day to help the community out."
City staff organized the clean up to mend fences with businesses who have endured years of trash, loitering and crime that come from being a Day Resources Center neighbor.
The message? The homeless care.
"They're trying to be good citizens, wanna be good neighbors. They're trying their level best to show everybody that all the stereotypes that hold true, simply aren't true," said Ruben Henderson, of the Day Resource Center.
They also cleaned around the site, where the new H-A-C Homeless Assistance Center will be built. Despite the opposition of these neighbors, Dallas voters recently approved to build the center.
James Reddell said this was a way to say thanks.
"There's a place we could go eat and not do this... but I mean, I kind of feel I have a responsibility, because Dallas does care about its citizens," he says.
Several neighbors say they weren't even aware the clean up had occurred.
They appreciate the effort, but say they'd be more encouraged if it happened once a month, instead of once a year.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Proscecution rests at Schlosser trial
By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
MCKINNEY, Texas — The state rested its case Tuesday afternoon at the trial of a woman accused of killing her baby girl.
Earlier, the husband of Dena Schlosser testified that he didn’t call 911 when his wife told him she cut their baby’s arms off because he didn’t believe her.
Maggie Schlosser was killed in November 2004 just before Thanksgiving in the family's Plano apartment. Dena Schlosser has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
“No, you didn’t,” John Schlosser, 37, told the jury he told his wife over the phone. He said he was worried Ms. Schlosser would hurt herself and never imagined she would use a 10-inch kitchen knife to sever the arms of their 10-month-old daughter, Maggie, at the shoulders.
He told the jury of five women and seven men that he never thought of calling 911.
“She had a tone of voice I had never heard before – emotionless,” he said.
Mr. Schlosser said he called the family’s pastor instead of 911 to see if someone could check on his wife at their Plano apartment. The pastor – a charismatic self-proclaimed apostle – told Mr. Schlosser to call a fellow church member. Mr. Schlosser called Carolyn Thomas at the daycare where she worked. Ms. Thomas, also Ms. Schlosser’s best friend, called her friend to find out what happened. Other day care workers called 911.
Mr. Schlosser said the only time he called 911 in the year his wife was suffering from postpartum psychosis was when the apartment complex called his cell phone the day Maggie died to tell him police were at the apartment.
He testified Tuesday morning that he should have sought help when she first showed odd behavior -- the day after their daughter was born, when she cut her left wrist with a pair of scissors.
"It was something that needed a Band-aid," he said in a McKinney courtroom. "It wasn't something I had any experience with."
Ms. Schlosser watched her husband intently during his testimony. He has filed for divorce and has custody of their two surviving school-age daughters.
The morning of Maggie’s death, Mr. Schlosser said he was not worried about leaving his wife alone because seemed fine.
“I’d had several months of my wife slowly becoming herself after whatever it was that happened after Maggie was born,” he said, adding he liked having someone to talk to again.
That morning, Mr. Schlosser said he took his oldest girls, now ages 10 and 7, to school. His wife told him, “I love you. I’ll see you later” when he left, he said. He called her again around 8 a.m. and suggested she listen to music.
“I gave her a call and told her she should listen to music from the church because it was something she enjoyed,” he said.
The hymn “He Touched Me” played from the computer in the living room when police arrived and found Maggie in her crib with her arms severed.
Ms. Schlosser, 37, was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis after she ran out of the apartment just days after Maggie was born, leaving the baby alone. Another time, she left the apartment in the middle of the night and went to the hospital, where she was found on the bathroom floor.
Ms. Schlosser is standing trial for capital murder and has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Mr. Schlosser was the only witness to testify today before court recessed for lunch.
By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
MCKINNEY, Texas — The state rested its case Tuesday afternoon at the trial of a woman accused of killing her baby girl.
Earlier, the husband of Dena Schlosser testified that he didn’t call 911 when his wife told him she cut their baby’s arms off because he didn’t believe her.
Maggie Schlosser was killed in November 2004 just before Thanksgiving in the family's Plano apartment. Dena Schlosser has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
“No, you didn’t,” John Schlosser, 37, told the jury he told his wife over the phone. He said he was worried Ms. Schlosser would hurt herself and never imagined she would use a 10-inch kitchen knife to sever the arms of their 10-month-old daughter, Maggie, at the shoulders.
He told the jury of five women and seven men that he never thought of calling 911.
“She had a tone of voice I had never heard before – emotionless,” he said.
Mr. Schlosser said he called the family’s pastor instead of 911 to see if someone could check on his wife at their Plano apartment. The pastor – a charismatic self-proclaimed apostle – told Mr. Schlosser to call a fellow church member. Mr. Schlosser called Carolyn Thomas at the daycare where she worked. Ms. Thomas, also Ms. Schlosser’s best friend, called her friend to find out what happened. Other day care workers called 911.
Mr. Schlosser said the only time he called 911 in the year his wife was suffering from postpartum psychosis was when the apartment complex called his cell phone the day Maggie died to tell him police were at the apartment.
He testified Tuesday morning that he should have sought help when she first showed odd behavior -- the day after their daughter was born, when she cut her left wrist with a pair of scissors.
"It was something that needed a Band-aid," he said in a McKinney courtroom. "It wasn't something I had any experience with."
Ms. Schlosser watched her husband intently during his testimony. He has filed for divorce and has custody of their two surviving school-age daughters.
The morning of Maggie’s death, Mr. Schlosser said he was not worried about leaving his wife alone because seemed fine.
“I’d had several months of my wife slowly becoming herself after whatever it was that happened after Maggie was born,” he said, adding he liked having someone to talk to again.
That morning, Mr. Schlosser said he took his oldest girls, now ages 10 and 7, to school. His wife told him, “I love you. I’ll see you later” when he left, he said. He called her again around 8 a.m. and suggested she listen to music.
“I gave her a call and told her she should listen to music from the church because it was something she enjoyed,” he said.
The hymn “He Touched Me” played from the computer in the living room when police arrived and found Maggie in her crib with her arms severed.
Ms. Schlosser, 37, was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis after she ran out of the apartment just days after Maggie was born, leaving the baby alone. Another time, she left the apartment in the middle of the night and went to the hospital, where she was found on the bathroom floor.
Ms. Schlosser is standing trial for capital murder and has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Mr. Schlosser was the only witness to testify today before court recessed for lunch.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Rooftop burglar leaves a note at Ft. Worth store
FORT WORTH, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A burglar who entered a Fort Worth store from the roof left a note for employees overnight before getting away with cash from the store’s safe.
Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan said the manager of a Linens ‘n Things store in the 4600 block of South Hulen Street called police about 7 a.m. Tuesday to report a break-in.
Investigators determined the burglar or burglars entered the store by cutting a hole in the roof and gaining access to the ventilation system. They were able to reach the store’s floor 25 feet below and enter the office, where they cut open the safe.
One of the burglars left a note scrawled in marker on a dry-erase board in the store’s break room which read, “HAPPY B-DAY FROM UR FRIENDY ROOFTOP BOOGLAR” along with the date.
Lt. Sullivan said the burglars got away with an undetermined amount of cash. An investigation is under way, but so far there are no leads.
A group dubbed the Rooftop Burglars used similar methods to strike businesses in Fort Worth, Bridgeport, Grand Prairie, Denton, Arlington and Lewisville over the last 18 months, but in January police in Bridgeport arrested 14 suspects thought to be involved in the ring. Police have not determined if Tuesday's incident is related to the previous break-ins.
Anyone with information regarding Tuesday's burglary can call (817) 871-5005.
FORT WORTH, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A burglar who entered a Fort Worth store from the roof left a note for employees overnight before getting away with cash from the store’s safe.
Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan said the manager of a Linens ‘n Things store in the 4600 block of South Hulen Street called police about 7 a.m. Tuesday to report a break-in.
Investigators determined the burglar or burglars entered the store by cutting a hole in the roof and gaining access to the ventilation system. They were able to reach the store’s floor 25 feet below and enter the office, where they cut open the safe.
One of the burglars left a note scrawled in marker on a dry-erase board in the store’s break room which read, “HAPPY B-DAY FROM UR FRIENDY ROOFTOP BOOGLAR” along with the date.
Lt. Sullivan said the burglars got away with an undetermined amount of cash. An investigation is under way, but so far there are no leads.
A group dubbed the Rooftop Burglars used similar methods to strike businesses in Fort Worth, Bridgeport, Grand Prairie, Denton, Arlington and Lewisville over the last 18 months, but in January police in Bridgeport arrested 14 suspects thought to be involved in the ring. Police have not determined if Tuesday's incident is related to the previous break-ins.
Anyone with information regarding Tuesday's burglary can call (817) 871-5005.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Police: Murder confessions spur body search
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Detectives started digging for a body in an Albuquerque, New Mexico backyard Tuesday after police said a man in custody in Fort Worth on three charges of murder recently confessed to murdering a man and 12 others.
Christopher Wilkins called himself an "enforcer" for meth dealers and said he did the murders while working as a hit man for drug dealers in New Mexico and Texas, police said.
"We're going to continue until we kind of check the entire backyard for any indication of any bodies or skeletal remains," said Larry Stebleton, Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department.
Police said Wilkins said he was paid to kill people who owed drug debts.
"He never lived here, but he did have business dealings here at one time," Stebleton said.
It all started when Fort Worth police arrested Wilkins for killing three men during an 11 day crime spree around the city, which included the shooting death of Gilbert Vallejo after leaving the Lady Luck Lounge last August.
"Gilbert was a wonderful man, very kind, very gentle [and] very loving person," said Rita Early, Vallejo's friend.
Mike Silva and Willie Freeman were shot execution style and their bodies were found in a shallow ditch on the far west side.
Police said they linked Wilkins to the crimes through fingerprints and ballistics.
From the tattoos on his body police initially wondered if he was a white supremacist and that potentially the murders were racially motivated.
"This is certainly a rare case and an exception to most crimes that you see in any city," said Lt. Ralph Swearingin, Fort Worth Police Department.
Back in New Mexico, detectives have used anthropologists, backhoes and cadaver dogs in an attempt to confirm Wilkins' confession.
Authorities have not found a body yet but said they believe Wilkins is telling the truth.
He remains jailed on a bond of $1 million.
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Detectives started digging for a body in an Albuquerque, New Mexico backyard Tuesday after police said a man in custody in Fort Worth on three charges of murder recently confessed to murdering a man and 12 others.
Christopher Wilkins called himself an "enforcer" for meth dealers and said he did the murders while working as a hit man for drug dealers in New Mexico and Texas, police said.
"We're going to continue until we kind of check the entire backyard for any indication of any bodies or skeletal remains," said Larry Stebleton, Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department.
Police said Wilkins said he was paid to kill people who owed drug debts.
"He never lived here, but he did have business dealings here at one time," Stebleton said.
It all started when Fort Worth police arrested Wilkins for killing three men during an 11 day crime spree around the city, which included the shooting death of Gilbert Vallejo after leaving the Lady Luck Lounge last August.
"Gilbert was a wonderful man, very kind, very gentle [and] very loving person," said Rita Early, Vallejo's friend.
Mike Silva and Willie Freeman were shot execution style and their bodies were found in a shallow ditch on the far west side.
Police said they linked Wilkins to the crimes through fingerprints and ballistics.
From the tattoos on his body police initially wondered if he was a white supremacist and that potentially the murders were racially motivated.
"This is certainly a rare case and an exception to most crimes that you see in any city," said Lt. Ralph Swearingin, Fort Worth Police Department.
Back in New Mexico, detectives have used anthropologists, backhoes and cadaver dogs in an attempt to confirm Wilkins' confession.
Authorities have not found a body yet but said they believe Wilkins is telling the truth.
He remains jailed on a bond of $1 million.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Good Samaritan talks after fiery rescue
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
CLEBURNE, Texas - One of dozens of ordinary citizens who risked their lives to rescue two little girls from a burning car in Cleburne Monday spoke to News 8 about his experience personally pulling the girls from the jeep to safety.
The family of 21-month-old Kallie and 4-year-old Cassidy has set up a vigil at Parkland Memorial Hospital's burn unit where the girl's are being treated.
While the girls are still struggling for their lives, a community of strangers have come together once again to help the family and one remembers the close call.
Many of the rescuers who rushed to the burning car with the two young girls trapped inside Monday afternoon said they didn't have time to think about their own safety.
"Your adrenaline is pumping and you just don't think about it," said Jerry Miller.
Among the heroes was Miller, an Austin firefighter who happened to be driving by when he saw the smoke and who actually got inside the vehicle as smoke and fire enveloped it.
"I was feeling for something," he said. "I could feel her four point harness in the car seat and got her out."
He pulled the youngest of the girls out of the inferno, but the elder sister remained trapped in her car seat. Miller and another rescuer worked frantically to free her loose.
"We couldn't get the car seat loose and he had a pocket knife," Miller said. "He cut the seat belt and got her out."
The fiery car crash occurred after the girls' mother was making a left hand turn into C & L Services to pick up her husband from work.
Witnesses said a man driving a white car hit the jeep from behind, and soon the vehicle was caught ablaze.
Witnesses said the husband saw the smoke and ran to help, but had no clue it was his own daughters that were inside the burning vehicle.
"He ran to get a fire extinguisher and ran to the scene and found it was his vehicle and his family involved in it," said Steve Wood, of C& L Services.
His coworkers used 30 fire extinguishers in an attempt to put the fire out, and when that didn't work they used one of the company's water trucks normally used to haul water to and from oil rigs.
"We've got some good people here," Wood said.
The community of Cleburne is rallying around the family and a dealership donated a car to them.
However, their medical expenses are very high already and a fund has been setup at the Community Bank in Cleburne.
To make a donation you can visit the bank at 104 N. Nolan River Road across from the mall, or you can call the bank at (817) 641-9000.
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
CLEBURNE, Texas - One of dozens of ordinary citizens who risked their lives to rescue two little girls from a burning car in Cleburne Monday spoke to News 8 about his experience personally pulling the girls from the jeep to safety.
The family of 21-month-old Kallie and 4-year-old Cassidy has set up a vigil at Parkland Memorial Hospital's burn unit where the girl's are being treated.
While the girls are still struggling for their lives, a community of strangers have come together once again to help the family and one remembers the close call.
Many of the rescuers who rushed to the burning car with the two young girls trapped inside Monday afternoon said they didn't have time to think about their own safety.
"Your adrenaline is pumping and you just don't think about it," said Jerry Miller.
Among the heroes was Miller, an Austin firefighter who happened to be driving by when he saw the smoke and who actually got inside the vehicle as smoke and fire enveloped it.
"I was feeling for something," he said. "I could feel her four point harness in the car seat and got her out."
He pulled the youngest of the girls out of the inferno, but the elder sister remained trapped in her car seat. Miller and another rescuer worked frantically to free her loose.
"We couldn't get the car seat loose and he had a pocket knife," Miller said. "He cut the seat belt and got her out."
The fiery car crash occurred after the girls' mother was making a left hand turn into C & L Services to pick up her husband from work.
Witnesses said a man driving a white car hit the jeep from behind, and soon the vehicle was caught ablaze.
Witnesses said the husband saw the smoke and ran to help, but had no clue it was his own daughters that were inside the burning vehicle.
"He ran to get a fire extinguisher and ran to the scene and found it was his vehicle and his family involved in it," said Steve Wood, of C& L Services.
His coworkers used 30 fire extinguishers in an attempt to put the fire out, and when that didn't work they used one of the company's water trucks normally used to haul water to and from oil rigs.
"We've got some good people here," Wood said.
The community of Cleburne is rallying around the family and a dealership donated a car to them.
However, their medical expenses are very high already and a fund has been setup at the Community Bank in Cleburne.
To make a donation you can visit the bank at 104 N. Nolan River Road across from the mall, or you can call the bank at (817) 641-9000.
0 likes
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 37 guests