Home development threatens alligator turtles
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
COLLEYVILLE, Texas -- For years a lake in Colleyville has been a safe haven for wildlife.
Beneath the still waters are turtles, several of them, that only seem to rear their heads to come up for air. Some are special endangered alligator turtles, and that interests the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
"If we have evidence that there is a protected species, then we don't wait for anybody, we take the initiative,” said Captain Scott Haney, of Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Even though the land is private property and is being developed into town homes, the developer wants to see the project through as planned. The turtles may hamper that a bit.
"We will do whatever we can to either issue permits to move the turtles or if at that point we can't the habitat will be preserved," said Capt. Haney.
Experts at the Fort Worth Zoo say preserving the habitat may be the best thing, because the alligator turtles never come out of the water.
"You don't know how many are there. So, you figure you catch 20 and you think you're all good to develop and there could be 20 more," said John Ward of the Fort Worth Zoo.
News from the Lone Star State
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TexasStooge
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Officer hurt as suspect flees
HIGHLAND PARK, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) — Shots were fired in the parking lot of a supermarket Wednesday afternoon as a police officer attempted to arrest a fleeing felony suspect.
Highland Park police said an off-duty officer working at the Whole Foods Market at Lemmon Ave. and Lomo Alto Drive stopped the man after confirming that he had a warrant out for his arrest.
The officer, whose name was not released, managed to get one handcuff on the man when he started to drive away—pulling the officer along with the car.
The officer began firing at the man with his service revolver, striking him twice.
The officer's leg was run over by the car as it crashed at the side of the road.
Both the suspect and the officer were hospitalized for treatment. No other details were available.
Streets in the area of the supermarket were blocked off as police investigated the crime scene.
HIGHLAND PARK, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) — Shots were fired in the parking lot of a supermarket Wednesday afternoon as a police officer attempted to arrest a fleeing felony suspect.
Highland Park police said an off-duty officer working at the Whole Foods Market at Lemmon Ave. and Lomo Alto Drive stopped the man after confirming that he had a warrant out for his arrest.
The officer, whose name was not released, managed to get one handcuff on the man when he started to drive away—pulling the officer along with the car.
The officer began firing at the man with his service revolver, striking him twice.
The officer's leg was run over by the car as it crashed at the side of the road.
Both the suspect and the officer were hospitalized for treatment. No other details were available.
Streets in the area of the supermarket were blocked off as police investigated the crime scene.
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$1.6M pot bust made in Denton
By DONNA FIELDER / Denton Record-Chronicle
DENTON, Texas - Two men remained in the Denton County jail Wednesday on drug charges in connection with $1.6 million worth of marijuana found inside a tractor-trailer rig in Denton.
Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Lonnie Haschel said Wednesday that Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Trooper Chris Burr stopped a northbound Freightliner pulling a box trailer about 6:30 p.m. Saturday on Interstate 35 in Denton.
“He stopped the truck for an inspection,” Haschel said. “There were boxes inside on pallets that were not listed on the manifest. He checked them, and they contained marijuana.”
The total weight of the marijuana was 3,259 pounds, the DPS spokesman said.
The DPS is not releasing the names of the two men, Haschel said, and no further information was available.
By DONNA FIELDER / Denton Record-Chronicle
DENTON, Texas - Two men remained in the Denton County jail Wednesday on drug charges in connection with $1.6 million worth of marijuana found inside a tractor-trailer rig in Denton.
Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Lonnie Haschel said Wednesday that Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Trooper Chris Burr stopped a northbound Freightliner pulling a box trailer about 6:30 p.m. Saturday on Interstate 35 in Denton.
“He stopped the truck for an inspection,” Haschel said. “There were boxes inside on pallets that were not listed on the manifest. He checked them, and they contained marijuana.”
The total weight of the marijuana was 3,259 pounds, the DPS spokesman said.
The DPS is not releasing the names of the two men, Haschel said, and no further information was available.
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Police look into Dallas abandonment case
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police are looking into the case of an alleged abandoned 3-year-old girl after an employee at an apartment complex called police when she said she noticed the child was by herself.
When officers arrived to the apartment, police said the young girl answered the door and she was all alone.
"A 3-year-old by no stretch of the imagination can be considered able to care for him or herself," said Lt. Chess Williams.
Lilianna Flores lives nearby the apartment and said she has a daughter the same age and couldn't imagine leaving her alone for even a few minutes.
"A lot of things can happen, accidents," she said. "They can get into things. Something really bad can happen to them."
Police said parents are breaking the law if they leave a child under the age of 15-years-old alone who cannot care for themselves.
Cases involving children left alone are not unusual police said.
In a recent case, police found 6 and 7-year-old children caring for babies. In fact, child protective services are handling hundreds of new cases every month.
Authorities said the summertime is one of the worst parts of the year because kids are out of school and often have no one home to watch them.
"Clearly leaving a 13-year-old in a clean and safe locked apartment for 20 minutes while mom runs to the grocery store would not trigger an offense, but the same circumstances with a 3-year-old might very well," Lt. Williams said.
Parents face charges of abandonment or neglect in many cases and serve jail time.
"I think that's not good," Flores said. "I never leave my children alone, not even to go throw out the trash."
Police said the investigation into the 3-year-old's case could lead to jail time for the parents.
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police are looking into the case of an alleged abandoned 3-year-old girl after an employee at an apartment complex called police when she said she noticed the child was by herself.
When officers arrived to the apartment, police said the young girl answered the door and she was all alone.
"A 3-year-old by no stretch of the imagination can be considered able to care for him or herself," said Lt. Chess Williams.
Lilianna Flores lives nearby the apartment and said she has a daughter the same age and couldn't imagine leaving her alone for even a few minutes.
"A lot of things can happen, accidents," she said. "They can get into things. Something really bad can happen to them."
Police said parents are breaking the law if they leave a child under the age of 15-years-old alone who cannot care for themselves.
Cases involving children left alone are not unusual police said.
In a recent case, police found 6 and 7-year-old children caring for babies. In fact, child protective services are handling hundreds of new cases every month.
Authorities said the summertime is one of the worst parts of the year because kids are out of school and often have no one home to watch them.
"Clearly leaving a 13-year-old in a clean and safe locked apartment for 20 minutes while mom runs to the grocery store would not trigger an offense, but the same circumstances with a 3-year-old might very well," Lt. Williams said.
Parents face charges of abandonment or neglect in many cases and serve jail time.
"I think that's not good," Flores said. "I never leave my children alone, not even to go throw out the trash."
Police said the investigation into the 3-year-old's case could lead to jail time for the parents.
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Highland Park officer shoots fleeing suspect
HIGHLAND PARK, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) — A man was shot and wounded by an off-duty Highland Park police officer after he dragged the officer across a grocery store parking lot Wednesday.
The Highland Park Department of Public Safety said an off-duty officer working at the Whole Foods Market at Lemmon Ave. and Lomo Alto Drive stopped the man after recognizing him as someone who had previously written bad checks.
Officer John Lee checked the man's identification on a database and learned that Terence Sheffield, 40, was wanted on a parole violation following a conviction for aggravated robbery.
Sheffield was considered "armed and dangerous."
Lee attempted to arrest Sheffield, but he broke free of the officer’s grip and ran outside, Highland Park DPS Detective Randy Millican said.
Sheffield led Officer Lee on a brief foot chase across Lomo Alto Drive, then back into the Whole Foods parking lot.
That's when Mr. Sheffield pushed his wife, 46-year-old Denise Sheffield, out of the driver's seat of his car and jumped in, police said. Officer Lee shot at the car's tires but became entangled with the vehicle.
Lee—whose leg was run over—fired into the car and struck Sheffield multiple times. The car then struck at least one other parked vehicle before it came to a stop and the officer called for help, Millican said.
Lee, a 13-year veteran of the Highland Park department, was taken to Baylor University Medical Center with injuries to his leg and knee. His condition was unknown.
Sheffield was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital where he remained in critical condition early Thursday. Highland Park police said earlier reports that he had died were erroneous.
Streets in the area of the supermarket were blocked off as police investigated the crime scene.
Sheffield's wife was uninjured. She was questioned by police and released. Detective Millican said investigators believe she had no role in the incident.
Highland Park asked the Dallas County Sheriff's Department to assume the investigation. Detectives planned to review store surveillance video for additional details.
Dallas Morning News staff writer Holly Yan contributed to this report.
HIGHLAND PARK, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) — A man was shot and wounded by an off-duty Highland Park police officer after he dragged the officer across a grocery store parking lot Wednesday.
The Highland Park Department of Public Safety said an off-duty officer working at the Whole Foods Market at Lemmon Ave. and Lomo Alto Drive stopped the man after recognizing him as someone who had previously written bad checks.
Officer John Lee checked the man's identification on a database and learned that Terence Sheffield, 40, was wanted on a parole violation following a conviction for aggravated robbery.
Sheffield was considered "armed and dangerous."
Lee attempted to arrest Sheffield, but he broke free of the officer’s grip and ran outside, Highland Park DPS Detective Randy Millican said.
Sheffield led Officer Lee on a brief foot chase across Lomo Alto Drive, then back into the Whole Foods parking lot.
That's when Mr. Sheffield pushed his wife, 46-year-old Denise Sheffield, out of the driver's seat of his car and jumped in, police said. Officer Lee shot at the car's tires but became entangled with the vehicle.
Lee—whose leg was run over—fired into the car and struck Sheffield multiple times. The car then struck at least one other parked vehicle before it came to a stop and the officer called for help, Millican said.
Lee, a 13-year veteran of the Highland Park department, was taken to Baylor University Medical Center with injuries to his leg and knee. His condition was unknown.
Sheffield was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital where he remained in critical condition early Thursday. Highland Park police said earlier reports that he had died were erroneous.
Streets in the area of the supermarket were blocked off as police investigated the crime scene.
Sheffield's wife was uninjured. She was questioned by police and released. Detective Millican said investigators believe she had no role in the incident.
Highland Park asked the Dallas County Sheriff's Department to assume the investigation. Detectives planned to review store surveillance video for additional details.
Dallas Morning News staff writer Holly Yan contributed to this report.
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Donation a boost for Old Red Museum
By DAVID FLICK / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Trini Lopez's guitar will be there. So will Doak Walker's Heisman Trophy and (allegedly) one of Clyde Barrow's guns.
Though plans have been in the works since 2001, many details of the Old Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture were publicly introduced for the first time Wednesday.
Museum officials also announced that a $1 million donation from philanthropists Nancy and Ray Hunt will allow them to finish the $16 million project and, for the first time, schedule a firm opening date: sometime in May.
The museum was set to open this summer but was delayed in part by restoration of the Old Red Courthouse clock tower, now scheduled for completion this fall. Re-creation of the clock tower is part of a $35.6 million restoration of the 1890s-era courthouse.
"We've finally got the money, and we're ready to move forward on construction. It's a big step," said Thomas H. Smith, the museum's executive director. "This is going to be a gorgeous, gorgeous place."
The exhibits will be presented in four extensively renovated former courtrooms on Old Red's second floor.
Each room will feature a different era in the county's history – the Early Years leading up until just before the coming of the railroads; the Trading Center years before World War I; the Big "D" room featuring the colorful decades before World War II ; and the World Crossroads exhibit chronicling the area's explosive postwar growth.
The stories will be told with a combination of artifacts and interactive exhibits.
A touch-screen exhibit might tell the story of an early settler or recount the origins of a billion-dollar corporation – but will do so in less than two minutes, which museum consultants advise is the outer limit of most visitors' attention spans.
"In today's world, if you don't entertain while you educate, you won't educate," said David Biegler, chairman of the Old Red Foundation.
The museum will have explanatory theaters and a host of artifacts – a mock-up of the first bridge across the Trinity River, a log cabin and a bowl used by Caddo Indians. A donor gave museum officials a Harrington & Richards .45-caliber gun traced to a Bowie County sheriff who claimed it was used by Mr. Barrow.
The gun is a rare make known to be used by Clyde, and the sheriff was among the lawmen who hunted down the famed bank robber.
"But we have no direct proof, so that's why we're saying 'attributed to Clyde,' " Dr. Smith said.
For much of the restoration of Old Red, in fact, educated guesswork help bridge the journey to historical fact.
Dan Savage, the county official in charge of courthouse reconstruction, said a 1960s renovation stripped the building's interior of nearly all its original detail. Officials used pieces of wood trim found in closets or ironwork from fragments of the staircase to re-create a century-old look.
The paint colors will be original, however. They were found by stripping down a century of redecorating, with a result that may surprise visitors.
Mr. Biegler, speaking in a 20-foot-high salmon-color room that will be the postwar history wing, noted that the vivid colors, though sometimes jarring, are nonetheless authentic.
"It always surprises people who see the old black-and-white photographs and think that the colors back then were all dim and drab," he said.
"One color, in fact, we had to tone down because nobody could stand it. You couldn't accuse these people of being drab."
By DAVID FLICK / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Trini Lopez's guitar will be there. So will Doak Walker's Heisman Trophy and (allegedly) one of Clyde Barrow's guns.
Though plans have been in the works since 2001, many details of the Old Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture were publicly introduced for the first time Wednesday.
Museum officials also announced that a $1 million donation from philanthropists Nancy and Ray Hunt will allow them to finish the $16 million project and, for the first time, schedule a firm opening date: sometime in May.
The museum was set to open this summer but was delayed in part by restoration of the Old Red Courthouse clock tower, now scheduled for completion this fall. Re-creation of the clock tower is part of a $35.6 million restoration of the 1890s-era courthouse.
"We've finally got the money, and we're ready to move forward on construction. It's a big step," said Thomas H. Smith, the museum's executive director. "This is going to be a gorgeous, gorgeous place."
The exhibits will be presented in four extensively renovated former courtrooms on Old Red's second floor.
Each room will feature a different era in the county's history – the Early Years leading up until just before the coming of the railroads; the Trading Center years before World War I; the Big "D" room featuring the colorful decades before World War II ; and the World Crossroads exhibit chronicling the area's explosive postwar growth.
The stories will be told with a combination of artifacts and interactive exhibits.
A touch-screen exhibit might tell the story of an early settler or recount the origins of a billion-dollar corporation – but will do so in less than two minutes, which museum consultants advise is the outer limit of most visitors' attention spans.
"In today's world, if you don't entertain while you educate, you won't educate," said David Biegler, chairman of the Old Red Foundation.
The museum will have explanatory theaters and a host of artifacts – a mock-up of the first bridge across the Trinity River, a log cabin and a bowl used by Caddo Indians. A donor gave museum officials a Harrington & Richards .45-caliber gun traced to a Bowie County sheriff who claimed it was used by Mr. Barrow.
The gun is a rare make known to be used by Clyde, and the sheriff was among the lawmen who hunted down the famed bank robber.
"But we have no direct proof, so that's why we're saying 'attributed to Clyde,' " Dr. Smith said.
For much of the restoration of Old Red, in fact, educated guesswork help bridge the journey to historical fact.
Dan Savage, the county official in charge of courthouse reconstruction, said a 1960s renovation stripped the building's interior of nearly all its original detail. Officials used pieces of wood trim found in closets or ironwork from fragments of the staircase to re-create a century-old look.
The paint colors will be original, however. They were found by stripping down a century of redecorating, with a result that may surprise visitors.
Mr. Biegler, speaking in a 20-foot-high salmon-color room that will be the postwar history wing, noted that the vivid colors, though sometimes jarring, are nonetheless authentic.
"It always surprises people who see the old black-and-white photographs and think that the colors back then were all dim and drab," he said.
"One color, in fact, we had to tone down because nobody could stand it. You couldn't accuse these people of being drab."
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BREAKING NEWS
DOWNTOWN DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The ramp from northbound Central Expressway to westbound Woodall Rodgers is closed due to an overturned 18-wheeler.
Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse.
DOWNTOWN DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The ramp from northbound Central Expressway to westbound Woodall Rodgers is closed due to an overturned 18-wheeler.
Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse.
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Delapaz gets prison sentence, but files appeal
By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A former officer at the center of the 2001 fake-drugs scandal received two five-year prison sentences Thursday for lying in an arrest report about a bogus drug arrest and making false statements in his last trial.
Although the two sentences will run simultaneously, they will not begin until Mark Delapaz completes a five-year sentence he received in his April 2005 trial for lying to a judge about a search warrant.
But Mr. Delapaz will not likely go to prison yet. He immediately filed an appeal to the sentence, and family members were working Thursday to raise the combined $100,000 bail set by the judge. He's been free on bond while his last conviction is under appeal.
Some of the more than two dozen people wrongly arrested by Mr. Delapaz said they were discouraged that he will not be going to prison immediately. In each of the cases known widely as the fake-drugs scandal, crooked informants working with Mr. Delapaz fabricated phony drugs out of crushed pool chalk and set up unsuspecting innocent people for arrest.
"That’s the most devastating thing, he’s going to bail out today in a few hours," said Jaime Siguenza, who spent more than five months in jail. "We had to spend real time in jail."
By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A former officer at the center of the 2001 fake-drugs scandal received two five-year prison sentences Thursday for lying in an arrest report about a bogus drug arrest and making false statements in his last trial.
Although the two sentences will run simultaneously, they will not begin until Mark Delapaz completes a five-year sentence he received in his April 2005 trial for lying to a judge about a search warrant.
But Mr. Delapaz will not likely go to prison yet. He immediately filed an appeal to the sentence, and family members were working Thursday to raise the combined $100,000 bail set by the judge. He's been free on bond while his last conviction is under appeal.
Some of the more than two dozen people wrongly arrested by Mr. Delapaz said they were discouraged that he will not be going to prison immediately. In each of the cases known widely as the fake-drugs scandal, crooked informants working with Mr. Delapaz fabricated phony drugs out of crushed pool chalk and set up unsuspecting innocent people for arrest.
"That’s the most devastating thing, he’s going to bail out today in a few hours," said Jaime Siguenza, who spent more than five months in jail. "We had to spend real time in jail."
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Garland shops evacuated after gas leak
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
GARLAND, Texas — Construction crews ruptured a six-inch natural gas line at a busy Garland intersection Thursday morning.
Emergency officials set up a command post at Shiloh and Kingsley roads, and Shiloh was closed in both directions.
An adjacent shopping center was evacuated as a precaution.
Officials hoped to have the source of the leaking gas cut off by midafternoon.
No injuries were reported.
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
GARLAND, Texas — Construction crews ruptured a six-inch natural gas line at a busy Garland intersection Thursday morning.
Emergency officials set up a command post at Shiloh and Kingsley roads, and Shiloh was closed in both directions.
An adjacent shopping center was evacuated as a precaution.
Officials hoped to have the source of the leaking gas cut off by midafternoon.
No injuries were reported.
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Former officer convicted of sexual impropriety
By DONNA FIELDER / Denton Record-Chronicle
SEAGOVILLE, Texas - A former Denton County police officer who once conducted Internet stings by pretending to be a teenage girl agreeing to sex with adult men has himself been convicted of sexual impropriety with a 16-year-old girl.
Brady Randall Hale, 30, was convicted of sexual assault Wednesday and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He remained in the Denton County jail Thursday and could not be reached for comment.
Hale was arrested in Seagoville, where he was a police officer, in February 2005. He had consensual sex with the girl while he was a Pilot Point officer, according to testimony in his trial this week.
In July of 2004 Mr. Hale was working at the Pilot Point department and made at least two arrests after posing as a young girl in Internet chat rooms. Adult men drove to Pilot Point to meet the “girl” and Hale arrested them.
Another officer who worked for Pilot Point at the time, Darrell Wright, 41, was convicted in September 2005 on six counts of sexual assault involving the same victim. He was sentenced to eight years on each count.
Pilot Point Police Chief James Edland heard rumors about sexual liaisons involving his officers and the girl in October 2004, and asked Texas Ranger Tracy Murphree to investigate. Murphree arrested both men in early 2005, along with former Aubrey Police Sgt. Dennis Alatzas.
According to testimony, Mr. Hale met the girl when he gave her a traffic ticket and began a relationship with her. He brought her to a house he shared with Mr. Wright, who also began having sex with her.
Hale was working for Seagoville police by the time the allegations came to light. He was tried on two counts of sexual assault but the jury found him not guilty on the second count Wednesday.
Alatzas, 38, faced indecency with a child charges in connection with the girl. He was accused of knowing about Wright's relationship with the girl and not reporting the crime. He testified against the other men.
Officials said Alatzas’s charges will be reduced to misdemeanor failure to report child abuse.
By DONNA FIELDER / Denton Record-Chronicle
SEAGOVILLE, Texas - A former Denton County police officer who once conducted Internet stings by pretending to be a teenage girl agreeing to sex with adult men has himself been convicted of sexual impropriety with a 16-year-old girl.
Brady Randall Hale, 30, was convicted of sexual assault Wednesday and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He remained in the Denton County jail Thursday and could not be reached for comment.
Hale was arrested in Seagoville, where he was a police officer, in February 2005. He had consensual sex with the girl while he was a Pilot Point officer, according to testimony in his trial this week.
In July of 2004 Mr. Hale was working at the Pilot Point department and made at least two arrests after posing as a young girl in Internet chat rooms. Adult men drove to Pilot Point to meet the “girl” and Hale arrested them.
Another officer who worked for Pilot Point at the time, Darrell Wright, 41, was convicted in September 2005 on six counts of sexual assault involving the same victim. He was sentenced to eight years on each count.
Pilot Point Police Chief James Edland heard rumors about sexual liaisons involving his officers and the girl in October 2004, and asked Texas Ranger Tracy Murphree to investigate. Murphree arrested both men in early 2005, along with former Aubrey Police Sgt. Dennis Alatzas.
According to testimony, Mr. Hale met the girl when he gave her a traffic ticket and began a relationship with her. He brought her to a house he shared with Mr. Wright, who also began having sex with her.
Hale was working for Seagoville police by the time the allegations came to light. He was tried on two counts of sexual assault but the jury found him not guilty on the second count Wednesday.
Alatzas, 38, faced indecency with a child charges in connection with the girl. He was accused of knowing about Wright's relationship with the girl and not reporting the crime. He testified against the other men.
Officials said Alatzas’s charges will be reduced to misdemeanor failure to report child abuse.
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Official: Unattended stove caused apartment fire
By MATTHEW HAAG / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - About 75 firefighters battled a stubborn blaze Thursday morning at an Old East Dallas apartment building.
Dallas Fire-Rescue Lt. Joel Lavender said flames first broke out around 10:15 a.m. at the Los Colores apartments in the 4300 block of San Jacinto Street at Burlew Street. The fire grew to three alarms as crews worked to evacuate residents and pinpoint the fire’s exact location.
At least two residents were treated for smoke inhalation, and six ambulances were called to the location as a precaution after crews received reports of residents still inside the 16-unit structure. Lt. Lavender said all residents eventually were accounted for.
Residents of nearby buildings gathered to watch as smoke poured from an upstairs window, charring the white brick. Fire crews blocked off streets within a two-block radius.
Christy Ghoshi, 39, was inside her second-floor unit when the blaze started.
“I was inside the apartment with a friend, and when he opened the front door the hall was full of black smoke,” she said.
Ms. Ghoshi said she was preparing to jump from a bedroom window when she managed to get firefighters’ attention. She climbed down to safety after they moved a ladder under her window.
Fire investigators have determined that an unattended stove caused the fire, which resulted in about $100,000 in damages.
Displaced families are receiving overnight housing assistance from the American Red Cross, Lt. Lavender said.
By MATTHEW HAAG / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - About 75 firefighters battled a stubborn blaze Thursday morning at an Old East Dallas apartment building.
Dallas Fire-Rescue Lt. Joel Lavender said flames first broke out around 10:15 a.m. at the Los Colores apartments in the 4300 block of San Jacinto Street at Burlew Street. The fire grew to three alarms as crews worked to evacuate residents and pinpoint the fire’s exact location.
At least two residents were treated for smoke inhalation, and six ambulances were called to the location as a precaution after crews received reports of residents still inside the 16-unit structure. Lt. Lavender said all residents eventually were accounted for.
Residents of nearby buildings gathered to watch as smoke poured from an upstairs window, charring the white brick. Fire crews blocked off streets within a two-block radius.
Christy Ghoshi, 39, was inside her second-floor unit when the blaze started.
“I was inside the apartment with a friend, and when he opened the front door the hall was full of black smoke,” she said.
Ms. Ghoshi said she was preparing to jump from a bedroom window when she managed to get firefighters’ attention. She climbed down to safety after they moved a ladder under her window.
Fire investigators have determined that an unattended stove caused the fire, which resulted in about $100,000 in damages.
Displaced families are receiving overnight housing assistance from the American Red Cross, Lt. Lavender said.
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Cell phone assault at Cockrell Hill Wal-Mart
By BOB GREENE /WFAA ABC 8
COCKRELL HILL, Texas -- Susan Olivares just stopped at a Cockrell Hill Wal-Mart last night to pick up a few things, never thinking she would become the victim of a cell phone assault.
"I'm surprised that the person behind me didn't see him," said Olivares.
It happened when she was in a checkout line, reaching for her money. "I just happened to look to the side of me and I see this man and he squatted down," said Olivares.
She says she thought nothing of it, until he made his next move.
"I see his hand with his phone trying to capture a picture under my skirt," said Olivares.
Olivares told the checkout clerk what happened, and he called security. Police caught up with this man, 23-year-old Angel Gallegos, in the parking lot.
"They told me that whenever they unlocked his phone, they found all of these pictures," said Olivares.
Including pictures of what looked to be minors. Police won't specify how many pictures they found on Gallegos' phone, saying only there were several pictures taken that evening.
He was arrested and booked on charges of improper photography. Meanwhile, Olivares says the incident makes her more aware of what she wears, and a lot less trusting of the people around her.
"It's a horrible feeling. It's like you just got violated in such a weird manner," she said.
By BOB GREENE /WFAA ABC 8
COCKRELL HILL, Texas -- Susan Olivares just stopped at a Cockrell Hill Wal-Mart last night to pick up a few things, never thinking she would become the victim of a cell phone assault.
"I'm surprised that the person behind me didn't see him," said Olivares.
It happened when she was in a checkout line, reaching for her money. "I just happened to look to the side of me and I see this man and he squatted down," said Olivares.
She says she thought nothing of it, until he made his next move.
"I see his hand with his phone trying to capture a picture under my skirt," said Olivares.
Olivares told the checkout clerk what happened, and he called security. Police caught up with this man, 23-year-old Angel Gallegos, in the parking lot.
"They told me that whenever they unlocked his phone, they found all of these pictures," said Olivares.
Including pictures of what looked to be minors. Police won't specify how many pictures they found on Gallegos' phone, saying only there were several pictures taken that evening.
He was arrested and booked on charges of improper photography. Meanwhile, Olivares says the incident makes her more aware of what she wears, and a lot less trusting of the people around her.
"It's a horrible feeling. It's like you just got violated in such a weird manner," she said.
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TexasStooge
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Two shot in carjack attempt
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Dallas police were searching for an attempted carjacker early Friday.
Investigators said a man and a woman were inside a pickup truck at an apartment complex near Fair Oaks Park when they were approached by the gunman around 2.a.m.
He shot them both, but fled without the truck.
The victims were taken to Baylor University Medical Center for treatment; one had been shot in the arm, the other in the buttocks.
Police say their wounds were not believed to be life-threatening.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Dallas police were searching for an attempted carjacker early Friday.
Investigators said a man and a woman were inside a pickup truck at an apartment complex near Fair Oaks Park when they were approached by the gunman around 2.a.m.
He shot them both, but fled without the truck.
The victims were taken to Baylor University Medical Center for treatment; one had been shot in the arm, the other in the buttocks.
Police say their wounds were not believed to be life-threatening.
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TexasStooge
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More complaints about agressive officers
By BRETT SHIPP / News 8 Investigates (WFAA ABC 8)
DALLAS, Texas - More criticism is being leveled against Dallas police officers assigned to the beat on Lower Greenville Avenue.
In our previous reports, the criticism has been about cops misusing pepperball guns. This time, the charge is more serious.
SMU star running back DeMyron Martin told News 8 he was shot with a Taser and arrested by overly-aggressive officers—officers the department continues to defend.
Martin is one of the most gifted young running backs in recent memory at SMU. But the freshman scholarship athlete's promising future nearly came to a shocking halt at the hands of a Dallas officer last February.
He was jolted to the ground with a taser gun, handcuffed and charged with resisting arrest after questioning an officer who had arrested another teammate for fighting.
"I come up to the officer; I'm like, I touch his shoulder and saying like, 'You're arresting the wrong people! You need to arrest these people,' and he flips out. He goes in my face cussing me out. I'm backing away like I'm sorry," Martin recalled.
Teammate Fred Turner, who also witnessed the arrest, said Martin was not out of line and had committed no crime.
"DeMyron goes up to him and grabs him on the shoulder like this and he said, 'You got the wrong one! The guy's getting away!'"
Turner then watched as the officer drew his Taser gun and took his teammate to the ground with an electrical jolt of 50,000 volts. "He was crying, tears, screaming. Screaming, 'No!' It sounded like they were torturing him," Turner said.
Turner said he was so disturbed by what he saw, he grabbed his cell phone camera and started recording the incident.
Seconds later, he said he became the target, as documented in the video.
TURNER: "Man, you can't talk to him like that, man."
VOICE: "Oh, wanna make a bet?"
TURNER: "He ain't done nothing. He laid his hands on him!"
And with that exchange, Turner was arrested—at first, he said, for public intoxication. But Turner maintained he had not been drinking.
"He was like, 'You know what? I'm going to get you on something else,'" Turner quoted the officer as saying. "'Inciting a riot. That's what I'm going to get you on.'"
One police report indicated that Turner's actions "incited the crowd," which "began to attack the police officers." Yet no officer actually complained of being physically attacked.
Assistant Chief David Brown said the incident has been thoroughly investigated, all video recordings closely reviewed. "We take it seriously, these complaints," he said.
Brown said the SMU players were involved in a bar fight and were aggressively resisting police, who feared for their own safety.
"We have some witnesses that say that this use of force was not necessary; but then we have officers saying that the use of force was necessary in order to gain control," Brown said.
Dallas Attorney Bob Jenevine represents the players, all of whom filed complaints against officers who they believe crossed the line between duty and authority. "In this case, they went so far over the line, they had to conjure up a charge that doesn't even make sense," Jenevine said. "They were interested in kicking ass, because that's what they told people they were doing that night—that was their agenda."
Over the past six months, News 8 Investigates has documented numerous allegations of police officers harboring a similar agenda: Includng the firing of pepperball guns into crowds and into cars at close range—not just as a means of crowd control, but to send a message to bar patrons who question their authority.
For DeMyron Martin and others who made that mistake, the impact is achieving the opposite effect.
"My trust in the... any police department is really gone right now," he said. "Anything to do with police, I don't want to be a part of right now."
In all of these cases, the civilians have felt so strongly about being wronged, they have filed official compaints, and each complaint has been—or is being—investigated.
"My image is messed up because of an officer doing wrong. It hurts me more than anything," Martin said with a heavy sigh.
While many of the officers involved have been assigned to another patrol, not one has been disciplined, and to date, all of the complaints have been declared inconclusive or unfounded.
By BRETT SHIPP / News 8 Investigates (WFAA ABC 8)
DALLAS, Texas - More criticism is being leveled against Dallas police officers assigned to the beat on Lower Greenville Avenue.
In our previous reports, the criticism has been about cops misusing pepperball guns. This time, the charge is more serious.
SMU star running back DeMyron Martin told News 8 he was shot with a Taser and arrested by overly-aggressive officers—officers the department continues to defend.
Martin is one of the most gifted young running backs in recent memory at SMU. But the freshman scholarship athlete's promising future nearly came to a shocking halt at the hands of a Dallas officer last February.
He was jolted to the ground with a taser gun, handcuffed and charged with resisting arrest after questioning an officer who had arrested another teammate for fighting.
"I come up to the officer; I'm like, I touch his shoulder and saying like, 'You're arresting the wrong people! You need to arrest these people,' and he flips out. He goes in my face cussing me out. I'm backing away like I'm sorry," Martin recalled.
Teammate Fred Turner, who also witnessed the arrest, said Martin was not out of line and had committed no crime.
"DeMyron goes up to him and grabs him on the shoulder like this and he said, 'You got the wrong one! The guy's getting away!'"
Turner then watched as the officer drew his Taser gun and took his teammate to the ground with an electrical jolt of 50,000 volts. "He was crying, tears, screaming. Screaming, 'No!' It sounded like they were torturing him," Turner said.
Turner said he was so disturbed by what he saw, he grabbed his cell phone camera and started recording the incident.
Seconds later, he said he became the target, as documented in the video.
TURNER: "Man, you can't talk to him like that, man."
VOICE: "Oh, wanna make a bet?"
TURNER: "He ain't done nothing. He laid his hands on him!"
And with that exchange, Turner was arrested—at first, he said, for public intoxication. But Turner maintained he had not been drinking.
"He was like, 'You know what? I'm going to get you on something else,'" Turner quoted the officer as saying. "'Inciting a riot. That's what I'm going to get you on.'"
One police report indicated that Turner's actions "incited the crowd," which "began to attack the police officers." Yet no officer actually complained of being physically attacked.
Assistant Chief David Brown said the incident has been thoroughly investigated, all video recordings closely reviewed. "We take it seriously, these complaints," he said.
Brown said the SMU players were involved in a bar fight and were aggressively resisting police, who feared for their own safety.
"We have some witnesses that say that this use of force was not necessary; but then we have officers saying that the use of force was necessary in order to gain control," Brown said.
Dallas Attorney Bob Jenevine represents the players, all of whom filed complaints against officers who they believe crossed the line between duty and authority. "In this case, they went so far over the line, they had to conjure up a charge that doesn't even make sense," Jenevine said. "They were interested in kicking ass, because that's what they told people they were doing that night—that was their agenda."
Over the past six months, News 8 Investigates has documented numerous allegations of police officers harboring a similar agenda: Includng the firing of pepperball guns into crowds and into cars at close range—not just as a means of crowd control, but to send a message to bar patrons who question their authority.
For DeMyron Martin and others who made that mistake, the impact is achieving the opposite effect.
"My trust in the... any police department is really gone right now," he said. "Anything to do with police, I don't want to be a part of right now."
In all of these cases, the civilians have felt so strongly about being wronged, they have filed official compaints, and each complaint has been—or is being—investigated.
"My image is messed up because of an officer doing wrong. It hurts me more than anything," Martin said with a heavy sigh.
While many of the officers involved have been assigned to another patrol, not one has been disciplined, and to date, all of the complaints have been declared inconclusive or unfounded.
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TexasStooge
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BREAKING NEWS: Traffic
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A garbage truck accident has closed northbound lanes of the Dallas North Tollway at Keller Springs Rd.
Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A garbage truck accident has closed northbound lanes of the Dallas North Tollway at Keller Springs Rd.
Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
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TexasStooge
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Three 18-wheeler wrecks slow rush hour commute
PLANO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two 18-wheelers collided in Plano on Friday morning but no injuries were reported.
The wreck took place on the 75 at Legacy at about 6 a.m.
The trailers were cracked open but the cabs were left intact.
Another 18-wheeler overturned in Dallas, after losing its load, which led to the closing of the northbound Dallas North Tollway between Spring Valley Road and Trinity Mills Road.
Traffic was diverted to a service road at Spring Valley.
"Cleaning crews could be seen scooping up what looked to be sand or dirt and the toll road was closed all the way back to the Galleria and Spring Valley exit," said a witness.
"It was very strange not to see any cars coming from Galleria all the way to the George Bush."
The crash was reported to be causing delays of over an hour in the area.
_____________________________________________________________
ALSO ONLINE:
- Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
PLANO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two 18-wheelers collided in Plano on Friday morning but no injuries were reported.
The wreck took place on the 75 at Legacy at about 6 a.m.
The trailers were cracked open but the cabs were left intact.
Another 18-wheeler overturned in Dallas, after losing its load, which led to the closing of the northbound Dallas North Tollway between Spring Valley Road and Trinity Mills Road.
Traffic was diverted to a service road at Spring Valley.
"Cleaning crews could be seen scooping up what looked to be sand or dirt and the toll road was closed all the way back to the Galleria and Spring Valley exit," said a witness.
"It was very strange not to see any cars coming from Galleria all the way to the George Bush."
The crash was reported to be causing delays of over an hour in the area.
_____________________________________________________________
ALSO ONLINE:
- Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
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TexasStooge
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Bobcats evicted from Plano backyard
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8
PLANO, Texas — The backyard of a plush Plano home recently became familiar territory to a family of at least six bobcats. They found a comfortable place under the deck and made it their home.
It's a problem faced by an increasing number of North Texas homeowners as expanding suburbs encroach on the habitat of native wildlife.
"I would see them here, and the mom would watch them from that corner near that stone," said Sunita Singhvi, who—with her husband Prasanna—enjoyed watching the bobcat kittens play as the mother bobcat kept a watchful eye.
"At first, I was scared," Sunita admitted. "But as days went by, we sort of got attached to them."
But the Singhvis' concern grew in anticipation of their young nieces coming to town. That's when they called Plano Animal Control, who brought in wildlife relocator Cliff Moore to catch the cats and move them to a safe place.
"The mom and babies can live a long, fruitful life in a rural setting—not on Preston Road in Plano," Moore said.
It's very possible there are more bobcat cubs below the deck or somewhere near the Singvhis' backyard. The family saw five cubs, but only three were caught.
"I'm even sad that they're gone," Sunita said, "but it was the right thing to do."
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8
PLANO, Texas — The backyard of a plush Plano home recently became familiar territory to a family of at least six bobcats. They found a comfortable place under the deck and made it their home.
It's a problem faced by an increasing number of North Texas homeowners as expanding suburbs encroach on the habitat of native wildlife.
"I would see them here, and the mom would watch them from that corner near that stone," said Sunita Singhvi, who—with her husband Prasanna—enjoyed watching the bobcat kittens play as the mother bobcat kept a watchful eye.
"At first, I was scared," Sunita admitted. "But as days went by, we sort of got attached to them."
But the Singhvis' concern grew in anticipation of their young nieces coming to town. That's when they called Plano Animal Control, who brought in wildlife relocator Cliff Moore to catch the cats and move them to a safe place.
"The mom and babies can live a long, fruitful life in a rural setting—not on Preston Road in Plano," Moore said.
It's very possible there are more bobcat cubs below the deck or somewhere near the Singvhis' backyard. The family saw five cubs, but only three were caught.
"I'm even sad that they're gone," Sunita said, "but it was the right thing to do."
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TexasStooge
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20 charged in drug probe
The Dallas Morning News
Twenty people face drug conspiracy and distribution charges after a lengthy investigation into a cocaine ring operating in North Texas and Louisiana, federal officials have announced.
U.S. Attorney Donald Washington said Thursday that the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force arrested Ronald King, 38, of Dallas, and Darius “Grover” Johnson, 28, of Garland, as part of the bust. In Shreveport, La., 14 other individuals were arrested and four more remained at large.
Mr. Washington told The Shreveport (La.) Times that "Operation King Ron," named after alleged kingpin Mr. King, resulted in the breakup of a major drug trafficking and distribution operation in Shreveport. Authorities believe Mr. King has trafficked drugs for almost two decades and supplied Shreveport with more than 50 percent of its cocaine.
"Testimony provided at King's detention hearing identified large homes, luxury vehicles and hundreds of thousands of dollars going through several bank accounts," Mr. Washington told the newspaper.
The suspects were identified and taken into custody through efforts of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, which coordinates large-scale investigations by federal and regional personnel into drug-trafficking targets.
Drug trafficking in an amount greater than 5 kilograms of cocaine or 50 grams of crack cocaine carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years to life in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The Dallas Morning News
Twenty people face drug conspiracy and distribution charges after a lengthy investigation into a cocaine ring operating in North Texas and Louisiana, federal officials have announced.
U.S. Attorney Donald Washington said Thursday that the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force arrested Ronald King, 38, of Dallas, and Darius “Grover” Johnson, 28, of Garland, as part of the bust. In Shreveport, La., 14 other individuals were arrested and four more remained at large.
Mr. Washington told The Shreveport (La.) Times that "Operation King Ron," named after alleged kingpin Mr. King, resulted in the breakup of a major drug trafficking and distribution operation in Shreveport. Authorities believe Mr. King has trafficked drugs for almost two decades and supplied Shreveport with more than 50 percent of its cocaine.
"Testimony provided at King's detention hearing identified large homes, luxury vehicles and hundreds of thousands of dollars going through several bank accounts," Mr. Washington told the newspaper.
The suspects were identified and taken into custody through efforts of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, which coordinates large-scale investigations by federal and regional personnel into drug-trafficking targets.
Drug trafficking in an amount greater than 5 kilograms of cocaine or 50 grams of crack cocaine carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years to life in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
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TexasStooge
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4 dead in murder-suicide
CHINA, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) - Two adults and two children are dead and a sheriff's deputy is wounded after what investigators said was a triple murder and suicide overnight in Southeast Texas.
The bloodshed happened at a home in the small town of China, 12 miles west of Beaumont.
Jefferson County Sheriff Mitch Woods said it appears a man shot and killed his wife, their 10-year-old son and their 7-year-old daughter before dawn Friday. He said a 14-year-old son fled the home, and a 7-year-old girl spending the night with the family was found uninjured in the house.
Woods said Deputy Ed Martin was shot when he arrived at the house in response to a reported domestic disturbance. Martin was shot in the shoulder and chest, but was wearing a protective vest. He said the gunman then apparently killed himself with a self-inflicted gunshot.
No identities have been released on the dead. Woods said Martin is in stable condition at a Beaumont hospital.
CHINA, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) - Two adults and two children are dead and a sheriff's deputy is wounded after what investigators said was a triple murder and suicide overnight in Southeast Texas.
The bloodshed happened at a home in the small town of China, 12 miles west of Beaumont.
Jefferson County Sheriff Mitch Woods said it appears a man shot and killed his wife, their 10-year-old son and their 7-year-old daughter before dawn Friday. He said a 14-year-old son fled the home, and a 7-year-old girl spending the night with the family was found uninjured in the house.
Woods said Deputy Ed Martin was shot when he arrived at the house in response to a reported domestic disturbance. Martin was shot in the shoulder and chest, but was wearing a protective vest. He said the gunman then apparently killed himself with a self-inflicted gunshot.
No identities have been released on the dead. Woods said Martin is in stable condition at a Beaumont hospital.
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