News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

Insurance relief eludes homeowners

By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas homeowners continue to pay among the highest insurance rates in the nation. And an examination of home insurance rates released by the state Monday indicates that promised decreases for many policyholders have yet to materialize.

New rate comparisons compiled by the Texas Department of Insurance show that the current average costs of insurance policies are very similar to the average premiums that were charged by large and midsize companies in December 2003.

In Dallas County, that translates to an average premium of $1,028 for a 15-year-old $100,000 brick veneer home. For a frame home, the average premium is $1,220. A year ago, the rates averaged $1,040 for a brick veneer home and $1,247 for a frame house. Earlier comparisons by the insurance department did not reflect the age of the home.

Texas homeowners have paid the highest insurance premiums of any state in the nation for several years.

Insurance industry representatives said the figures are good news for a market that was in turmoil just a few years ago, and they predicted that some rates will come down as a new regulatory system for rates takes hold this year.

"It takes time – 18 months to two years – for reduced losses to work into the system to a point where it affects consumers and the premiums they pay," said Jerry Johns, president of Southwestern Insurance Information Service.

Mr. Johns said homeowners are already seeing benefits from the legislation as the market has stabilized and coverage has become more available. Losses for companies also have decreased.

But consumer representatives said the rate comparisons are evidence that Texas homeowners still are being denied the big savings that were promised after passage of a massive insurance overhaul two years ago.

Alex Winslow of Texas Watch, a consumer group active in insurance issues, said many homeowners are still waiting for a drop in their bills.

"We've been waiting for two years for rates to come down, and we're still seeing companies that have refused to comply with ordered reductions," he said.

State Farm battle

In particular, Mr. Winslow cited State Farm Lloyds Insurance, which holds nearly 30 percent of the Texas market and has been battling the insurance department over its rates for nearly a year and a half. The company contends that its rates are fair, while insurance regulators say State Farm's customers are being overcharged by at least 12 percent.

"That's money that should be in the pockets of their policyholders," he said.

State Farm's rates in Dallas average $905 for a $100,000 brick veneer home that is 15 years old. On a frame house of the same age, the average is $1,086.

Several companies had higher premiums in the insurance department survey, which showed a wide range of prices for homeowners policies in Dallas. Those differences were reflected in similar comparisons across the state.

The survey of 27 of the largest insurance companies showed the lowest premium on a 15-year-old brick home in Dallas was $542 and the largest was $3,188. Most offered policies that were priced between $800 and $1,200 a year.

Check out rate guides

Jim Hurley, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Insurance, said the rate guides – available for most cities in the state – can be very helpful for consumers trying to get the best deal on insurance. For the first time, the comparisons provide information on discounts offered by each insurer.

"The guides show who is writing policies in your area and lists all the differences between the companies and their prices," he said. "By taking a little time and doing some comparison shopping, a homeowner can save some money," he said. "One of the best weapons we have as a regulatory agency is an informed consumer."

In Arlington, the average premium for 28 companies is $1,156 on a 15-year-old brick home and $1,374 on a frame house. In Plano, the average for 26 companies is $1,108 on a brick home and $1,701 on a frame house. And in Fort Worth, the average for 28 companies is $1,156 on a brick home and $1,374 on a frame house.

All rates are for a home valued at $100,000 that is insured with a 1 percent deductible and $40,000 coverage on contents.

Auto insurance rates

The insurance department on Monday also released its rate guides for auto insurance.

In Dallas, the average premium for liability protection – roughly half the cost of a typical policy – is $533 among the 32 largest companies that sell auto policies in North Texas. That is up slightly from the average price of $524 a year ago.

The overall cost of auto insurance generally decreases over time.

Consumer groups and insurance experts are still waiting to see what happens under the new regulatory system for auto and home insurance rates that went into effect in December.

To view the new rate guides, go to: http://www.tdi.state.tx.us.

[TexasStooge]

ANOTHER BREAK IN MURDER CASE

HALTOM CITY, Texas (KDFW Fox 4) -- Another break in the murder case of a Haltom City teenager. Investigators say a tip led them to a knife near the apartment complex where 14-year-old Lan Bui was found stabbed to death.

They searched the 7-and-a-half acre field next to the Waldemar Apartments. Police have not said anything about the knife. But officers say 19-year-old Gustavo Flores and his stepfather, Lavern Pratt, are suspects in Lan's death. No one has yet been charged with the girl's murder.

[TexasStooge]

TIP LEADS POLICE TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

WEATHERFORD, Texas (KDFW Fox 4) -- An anonymous tip led authorities in Parker County to 18 illegal immigrants last night.

Weatherford police say they received a call that a trucker had dropped off about 30 illegal immigrants on Interstate 20 at the Santa Fe exit. 18 were taken into INS custody and will be deported. Police are still searching for the truck driver.

[TexasStooge]

'Thin Mints' Claim To Cut Cravings, Freshen Breath

NutriSystem's 'T-Green' Tablet Boasts Double Benefit

FORT WORTH, Texas (KXAS NBC 5) -- Cutting cravings and curbing your appetite are the hardest part of dieting, but there's a new weight loss product that promises to do just that and freshen your breath.

There are hundreds of natural appetite-suppressing formulas on the market that each promise fast results, but NutriSystem's T-Green Mints promises a double threat -- curbing the appetite while freshening the breath.

The mints, packed with green tea extract, are designed to be eaten when a craving arises.

Dieter Tonya Barnes, who claims to have tried almost every weight loss-related product, said the mints work.

"They were a little bit grainy, but they did give you a rush, sort of like an Altoid (mint)," she said. "Really, they gave me a lot of energy and they were a good enhancement, because I am on a weight-loss program right now."

Doctors at NutriSystem admit that the mints are not magic bullets, but said the tablets have the same health benefits as two cups of the popular tea.

"It acts as a way to increase a person's metabolism and actually help to break down fat," Dr. Jay Satz said.

NutriSystem also makes a NutriSystem T-Green Gum.

For more information on the products, please click on the links below.

http://www.nutrisystem.com/
https://direct.nutrisystem.com/about/di ... tamin=true
https://direct.nutrisystem.com/about/di ... tamin=true

[TexasStooge]

Prescription for future

By Matt Frazier, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - Diamond Hill Elementary fourth-grader and potential physician Lizeth Macias has a prescription for the future.

"No violence. A woman for president. A cure for cancer and other diseases."

In 50 years, Harris Methodist Fort Worth hospital will invite the 10-year-old back to see if the world followed her recommended course of action.

About 175 elementary students from Diamond Hill and DeZavala elementary schools placed messages about themselves and their wishes for the future in a time capsule at the hospital Monday. They also viewed the contents from recently opened time capsules from 1925 and 1962.

[TexasStooge]

Couple indicted in eBay fraud scheme

Online posting of bike taken in Richardson heist led to arrests

By MATT STILES / The Dallas Morning News

RICHARDSON, Texas - When burglars took $100,000 in high-end bicycles from Wheels in Motion last summer, an employee immediately remembered a post he'd seen online.

One of the stolen bikes – a rare $4,000 Giant TCR like one used in the Tour de France – was already being auctioned on eBay.

He didn't know then what police soon suspected: A thief took the photograph inside the Richardson shop days before the heist.

"I was flabbergasted," owner Kevin Porter said.

Afterthe lead, investigators quickly arrested suspects, exposing a broader scheme. Authorities believe a Dallas couple is linked to an eBay fraud scam involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen sports equipment, taken in burglaries across North Texas and Kansas.

Federal authorities got involved, and an indictment was issued last month against Cory Paris, 33, and Cassandra Clements, 32. The indictment accuses them of duping eBay users into buying stolen merchandise online.

Fencing schemes have surfaced as eBay's popularity has grown.

Mr. Paris and Ms. Clements face numerous federal charges of wire fraud and transporting stolen goods across state lines. Mr. Paris declined an interview request. Ms. Clements and her attorney couldn't be reached for comment.

Mr. Paris, a convicted thief who prosecutors say began a scheme not long after his 2001 release from federal prison, also is charged with a single count of bank fraud. He's accused of lying about having a legitimate job when applying for his Canton Street loft.

"These are what you would call career criminals," said Sgt. Kevin Perlich, a Richardson police spokesman. "They were making a living off their victims."

Authorities said the scheme unraveled after the July burglary in Richardson. Based on data retrieved from his security system, Mr. Porter suspects the burglars hid motionless in the store for several hours after closing time.

Just before midnight, the burglars quickly unloaded Mr. Porter's entire line of high-end bikes into a waiting vehicle.

A security guard, alerted by a motion detector, saw the van as two white male burglars sped away. He told police that the word "gymnastics" was painted on the side of a Ford Econoline van.

The next day, thanks to the employee's eBay discovery, police identified the suspects. They went to Mr. Paris' loft, on the edge of Deep Ellum near the Dallas Farmers Market and found a white van that matched the security guard's description.

Mr. Paris was arrested and charged with burglary.

He was already free on bail in a 2003 burglary at a McKinney Avenue eyewear shop. In that case, Dallas police said they saw him leaving the store with a pillowcase stuffed with expensive glasses, court records show. He ran and then tried to get away in a silver convertible Porsche 911 registered to Ms. Clements, authorities said. He was arrested at gunpoint after pulling over.

According to court records, Mr. Paris pleaded guilty and was supposed to get probation in exchange for paying restitution. But after the Richardson burglary, a state judge sentenced him Feb. 4 to three years in prison.

He remains in state custody until the federal case proceeds. Ms. Clements, free on bail, appeared in federal court last week and pleaded not guilty.

After the Wheels in Motion arrest, Richardson police searched Mr. Paris' loft.

Investigators reported seeing sports and high-tech gadgets stashed in odd places: 44 baseball bats in the kitchen pantry, 11 cameras under a bathroom counter, a box of water-skiing handles in a hallway.

"There was just stuff everywhere," Richardson police Detective Quentin Rasco said. "We knew we were on to something bigger."

Police also found two high-end bikes. Others missing from Wheels in Motion were found in storage rooms rented by Ms. Clements, leading to a state theft charge against her.

Police reports also show that officers found evidence that Mr. Paris had stolen a California man's identity to get a credit card.

It's not the first time Mr. Paris has been suspected of identity theft.

A federal judge in Dallas gave him 30 months in prison in 1996 after he admitted stealing checks and opening bank accounts using other people's Social Security and driver's license numbers.

Though the federal indictment alleges only about $11,000 in illegal eBay transactions, a search of the site's records shows hundreds of completed auctions by allegedly aliases used by Mr. Paris and Ms. Clements.

The couple sold everything from baseball bats to bicycles to designer handbags.

Some of those sales were linked to commercial burglaries in Dallas, Denton, Flower Mound and a few Kansas cities. In all, more than $230,000 in stolen property is linked to the couple, either through shipments across state lines, storage facilities or Internet sales, according to the indictment.

Such instances of users being accused of selling stolen goods on eBay are rare, company officials say, but they do happen.

"Law enforcement tells us, in fact, that eBay is the worst place to come with stolen items," said Chris Donlay, an eBay spokesman. "Millions of people are looking at it every day."

He recalled another case, similar to the Wheels in Motion incident, in which a theft victim recovered a stolen television thanks to an eBay post.

"The owner noticed the serial number in the photo," he said. "Case closed."

[TexasStooge]

MEETING IS DELAYED FOR AUSTIN TRIP

FORT WORTH, Texas (Star-Telegram) - The Fort Worth City Council will not meet today so that members can participate in Tarrant County Day at the Texas Legislature in Austin.

About 150 elected officials, business leaders and chamber representatives will talk to lawmakers and attend a reception tonight and a Wednesday morning breakfast. On Thursday, the pre-council session will start at 8:30 a.m. and the official meeting at 10 a.m. at City Hall, 1000 Throckmorton St.

[TexasStooge]

Police Investigate Possible Sexual Assault Of Girl

Suspect Leads Police On Chase Before Crashing Into School Bus

By Bill Young, KXAS NBC 5 News Editor

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Police are looking into the possible sexual assault of a 9-year-old Arlington girl Monday morning.

The girl was on her way to school when Jeremiah Sexton, 24, allegedly abducted her and took her to the Barrington Apartments in the 700 block of S. Great Southwest Parkway in Grand Prairie, police said.

Grand Prairie police officer Oscar Garcia was on routine patrol when he found the girl naked in the back seat of Sexton's white Honda Civic before 9 a.m.

"[Garcia] looked into the vehicle, saw some commotion going on, thought maybe it was two teenagers, but when he got closer he realized it was a grown man and a young girl," said Arlington Police spokesperson Christy Gilfour.

Sexton jumped into the driver's seat and fled.

Police chased the suspect into Arlington, where he hit a van and collided into a school bus at Park Row and Ravenwood.

Sexton was taken into police custody and faces charges of aggravated sex assault, felony evading arrest and kidnapping.

The girl was taken to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, where she is being evaluated. It is uncertain whether she was sexually assaulted.

[TexasStooge]

City Denies Landslide Responsibility

IRVING, Texas (KXAS NBC 5) -- About two weeks ago, five homes located on lakefront lots along a shore of Irving's Lake Vilbig slid about six feet toward the water. The slide caused 6-foot cracks in back yards, collapsed decks and damaged hedges.

The residents claimed the city was responsible for the landslide because the lake handles storm drainage. The city declined to act until an engineer's assessment could be completed.

Tuesday, the engineer's report was released. The assessment found that the slope failure was caused by a lack of soil strength and water in the fill material used to construct the lake.

The landslide swallowed up land Wednesday morning in the 1200 block of Lakeshore Drive.

The finding meant that the city would not pay for repairs to the back yards. Residents, therefore, would have to pay themselves for repairs.

Frustrated homeowners said the city cannot wash its hands of the damage.

"The city has a vested interest in maintaining the value of our property," homeowner Jim Ferguson said. "We pay good property taxes to live on this lake."

City officials also said a damaged drainage pipe was not to blame for the landslide, and that the city could not allot public money for private repairs.

"We've got to be very careful stewards of the public dollar," Jim Cline, of Irving Public Water Works, said. "To make improvements or repairs to private property is outside the scope of that."

The city recommends homeowners make plans to repair their properties. The homeowners have scheduled a meeting for Tuesday night to outline their next actions.

[TexasStooge]

Growing Pains Hamper Mexican Consulate

DALLAS, Texas (KXAS NBC 5/KXTX Telemundo 39) -- The Mexican Consulate in Dallas serves more than 1 million per year. Mexican immigrants come from across Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, but often they find themselves waiting outside regardless of weather conditions before they can see a representative.

The lobby inside the building, located at Interstate 35E and Regal Row, is too small to accommodate the 500 Mexican citizens who seek the consulate's service every day. The line of people typically wraps around the building.

"It's too small for all these people who come here," Orlando Carreto, in line waiting to renew his passport, said. "They got a lot of papers to fix."

Limited rest room facilities also contribute to frustrations that grow among people waiting in line. The building contains one men's room and one women's room, each with two stalls.

"Since there are so many people, they want to come in where it's warm, but they lock the doors and you have to be out there knocking until someone let's you into the rest room," Alondra Sanchez, also waiting in line, said.

According to an NBC 5 report, the men's room is missing a stall door and mold is growing on the walls.

Silvia Sanchez-Lira, a representative of the Mexican Consulate, said the Mexican government is aware of the situation and plans to make improvements.

"Right now, it's not enough for all the needs, so that's the answer to the problem with the bathrooms," she said. "Before, there was not 500 people in this building. That is why Mexico is taking this very seriously."

Sanchez-Lira said the building could accommodate the number of people who daily sought the Mexican government's help. The Mexican population in the Metroplex has grown significantly during the last decade, and demand has outgrown the consulate building.

The Mexican government, Sanchez-Lira said, plans to move the consulate to a larger building within the year, although no location was specified.

"The only thing I can tell you (is) the counsel general, Carlos Alba, is trying to move from this building (to) a bigger facility, a bigger lobby," Sanchez-Lira said.

[TexasStooge]

Post Office Suspends Use Of American Airlines

FORT WORTH, Texas (KXAS NBC 5) -- The U.S. Postal Service has stopped using American Airlines and US Airways to deliver domestic mail because the carriers failed to meet performance goals, including on-time delivery.

The post office said the suspension took effect Saturday and covers first-class mail and some small packages shipped priority class.

Jim Quirk, a Postal Service spokesman, said Tuesday the agency notified the airlines in December that "we needed a plan from them to meet the goals" for on-time delivery. He said the post office was optimistic that the two airlines could make corrections and soon be carrying mail again.

American said Tuesday that its contract remained in force, but the Fort Worth-based carrier said it was talking with the post office about future mail delivery.

"We are talking with them about aspects of our business relationship and ways to improve our performance," said Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American.

Wagner said American didn't view the post office's action as a suspension of its contract but rather the agency exercising its right to control the amount of mail it sends on American's jets.

That amount "is down from what has been standard in the past," he said.

John Bonafilia, manager of the commercial air operations for the post office, estimated that American carried about 10 percent of domestic mail. The post office uses commercial shippers most heavily in the September-December period.

Quirk said the post office had shifted mail from American and US Airways to other carriers -- most major airlines also carry mail except Northwest and Frontier, which opted out for financial reasons. Cargo shippers Federal Express and United Parcel Service are also used.

"That mail is going to other carriers, and there will be no delays in the mail," Quirk said.

The loss of service for the post office could cost the carriers millions of dollars at a time when airlines are squeezed by higher costs and limited ability to raise fares.

American was paid $22.5 million for domestic and international mail delivery in the third quarter of last year. The carrier said its international mail delivery business was not affected.

[TexasStooge]

Not buckling up lands murder suspect in jail

By Deanna Boyd, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - For 18 years, Julian Tarango avoided capture.

He was wanted on a Fort Worth murder warrant and most recently was living in Denver, Colo. On Friday morning, driving through Castle Rock, Colo., he made a mistake that caught the eye of a highway patrolman.

He wasn't wearing a seat belt.

The patrolman pulled him over and routinely ran his name through the computer. It showed that he was wanted in Fort Worth in the killing of Elojoi Martinez Mercado, 23, on April 1987, outside the Que Pasa Club, 3125 N. Main St.

On Sunday, cold case Detective Manny Reyes traveled to Colorado to confirm Tarango's identity and interview him about the slaying.

"It was determined that he was involved in the offense," homicide Sgt. J.D. Thornton said. A year ago, police received a tip that Tarango was in Oregon, but when officers went to his reported address, the home's occupants said they did not know Tarango, Thornton said.

Tarango, 30, remains in Douglas County Jail pending an extradition hearing.

[TexasStooge]

TCU-area Perotti's gone -- for now

By Paul Bourgeois, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - Perrotti's Pizza was turning out pies Sunday night, but by Monday afternoon, all that remained of the college hangout was the sign.

"I was heartsick when I saw it," said Mike Miller, a Texas Christian University senior who lives across the street in the 3000 block of Greene Avenue.

Perrotti's, one of the few family-owned pizza places in the area, was the last obstacle to the GrandMarc at Westberry Place, a $47 million development with shops, restaurants, parking and 200 apartments. It is scheduled to open in about 18 months.

For close to 20 years, Perrotti's has been a popular spot for students, professors and other customers in the TCU/south side area. It has other locations at 6136 Southwest Blvd. and 3801 Altamesa Blvd.

But owner Beverly Perrotti said customers shouldn't worry.

She said her family has been guaranteed a space in the new development and, meanwhile, will set up shop later this week a few steps away at 2900 Berry St., a one-time RadioShack store.

[TexasStooge]

High School Student Collapses, Dies

KILLEEN, Texas (KXAS NBC 5) -- A junior at Killeen High School collapsed Tuesday during an athletic period and died after being transported to a hospital.

A statement from the Killeen Independent School District said the student had been involved in sports programs.

Officials didn't immediately release the name of the student or the cause of death.

The student was a believed to be a 16-year-old boy.

Counselors will be on hand at Killeen High School.

[TexasStooge]

Stranded woman: officers wouldn't help

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - When Dallas chief of police David Kunkle took over the department, he pledged to clean up its image.

His campaign may have suffered a setback recently, however, when two of his officers allegedly were more interested in serving themselves than serving the public.

Imagine being stranded late at night, car broken down, miles from home with no phone. Then, almost out of nowhere, two police officers appear. Some would consider it a God-send, but for one local woman it turned out to be anything but.

Kristina Johnson of Mesquite was heading home from work at 1:30 in the morning when her car broke down near a Taco Cabana restaurant off I-30 in far west Dallas.

"My car completely stopped," Johnson said.

As fate would have it, inside that restaurant two Dallas police officers were enjoying an early-morning meal. She was sure help was seconds away, until she tried to reach them.

"I got out and knocked on the door, and the door was locked," Johnson said. "And so I tapped on the door."

She said one of the officers came to the door, and to her shock he seemed more interested in finishing his meal than helping her out.

Johnson recalled, "I said, 'Officer, I just got off of work and my car broke down; can you help me?' And he said 'no.' I said, 'Officer, if I give you my phone number to call my husband, could you call him to tell him I'm stranded?' He said 'no.'"

Johnson said when she asked to use a phone inside the restaurant, the officer again told her no.

When asked if she felt at that point like maybe she was asking too much of them, Johnson said, "I think so, because I was bothering him ... he was sitting down and enjoying himself."

At that point, Johnson said she walked a quarter mile down the road to another restaurant, where the manager allowed her to call her husband. But she was so upset at police, she made one more phone call to police to express her frustration. She has now followed that 911 call with a formal complaint against both officers.

While Chief Kunkle said he is not familiar with the complaint, he said he will not hesitate to respond.

"I have taken lack of responsiveness or lack of respect of our officers toward our citizens very seriously, and frequently have an enhanced punishment from the chain of command recommendations," Kunkle said.

The chief said the officers were on duty at the time, and should have allowed the use of their cell phone, offered her a ride and perhaps even arranged for a wrecker. Johnson said any one of those would have been nice.

News 8's attempts to reach the officers were unsuccessful. Kunkle said the matter is being investigated, and that the punishment could be severe. He cited one recent case in which an officer was suspended for 20 days for not properly responding to a 911 call.

Kunkle also made it clear such cases are the exception, and not the rule.

[TexasStooge]

Boy wounded in drive-by shooting

By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police say an 8-year-old boy was the victim of a drive-by shooting.

The child was wounded Tuesday night when a bullet pierced the wall of his Northwest Dallas apartment in the 11000 block of Dennis Road. The bullet hit the boy in the side and exited through his stomach.

The boy was rushed to Children's Medical Center Dallas where he was reported in stable condition early Wednesday.

Apartment residents told police they heard multiple gunshots in the parking lot shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday. According to witnesses, two groups of people had been arguing outside prior to the shooting.

Police said the incident appears to be related to ongoing feuds and problems in the neighborhood at Northaven Road and Dennis Road.

[TexasStooge]

Student, 9, kidnapped near school, assaulted

Springtown man held; Arlington sex attack 2nd of its kind in last 5 months

By HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News

ARLINGTON, Texas - An elementary school student walking to school alone was kidnapped and sexually assaulted Tuesday morning, the second such incident in Arlington in the last five months.

The 9-year-old girl was within a few blocks of Anderson Elementary School when she was abducted about 8 a.m. in the 3100 block of San Frando Drive.

About half an hour later, a Grand Prairie police officer was patrolling near the 700 block of Great Southwest Parkway when he found a girl and a man in a white Honda Civic, Arlington police spokeswoman Christy Gilfour said.

The driver of the car led police on a chase through Grand Prairie and Arlington. Moments later, the driver struck a van, spun out of control and hit an Arlington school bus at Ravenswood and Park Row drives, about six miles from where the chase began.

The school bus was headed to Bailey Junior High School. One passenger was hospitalized with minor injuries; the other 12 students went to school or were picked up by parents. No one in the van was injured.

Jeremiah Gene Sexton, 22, of Springtown was being held Tuesday in Grand Prairie Jail on a charge of aggravated kidnapping, which includes the offense of aggravated sexual assault.

The girl was taken to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth.

On Sept. 14, a 7-year-old girl was abducted from the 500 block of Sherry Street in Arlington as she and her 8-year-old brother were walking to school.

The driver of a blue sedan told the children he was having car problems, police said. The man grabbed the girl and forced her into his car. After she was sexually assaulted, the man released her near Collins and Division streets.

No arrests have been made in the September case. Ms. Gilfour said that it was too early to tell whether the incidents are related but that police would investigate the possibility.

Arlington school Superintendent Mac Bernd said he was distraught about another kidnapping and sexual assault of a student.

"We're extremely concerned about it happening," Dr. Bernd said. "It was a terrible occurrence. Any time you have an occurrence like this, your first thought goes to the parents, children and the community."

Anderson Elementary principal Mark Strand sent a letter home to parents notifying them of the incident.

Ms. Gilfour said parents could take steps in helping ensure the safety of their children while walking to school.

"We always encourage parents to walk with their children to school, but if that's not possible, we encourage them to make sure children walk in groups," she said.

Anyone who witnessed or has information about Tuesday's incident is asked to call 817-795-1803.

Staff writer Toya Lynn Stewart contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Kidnap suspect nabbed after chase

By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8

ARLINGTON, Texas — A North Texas man was jailed Tuesday morning after allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl and then leading police on a pursuit through two cities.

Police said the suspect, Jeremiah Sexton of Springtown, was spotted by a Grand Prairie police officer in a vehicle parked at a Grand Prairie apartment complex.

"He thought maybe that it was two teenagers, but when he got closer he realized it was a grown man and a young girl," said Arlington police spokesman Christy Gilfour. "The vehicle took off. The officer pursued it throughout Grand Prairie, down Great Southwest Parkway and eventually into Arlington."

The high speed chase ended after the suspect's vehicle hit a van, spun around and struck a school bus.

"The little girl that was inside the suspect vehicle ran out, went to the Grand Prairie officer," Gilfour said.

The child, who was kidnapped on her way to Anderson Elementary School in Arlington, was taken to Cook Chidren's Medical Center in Fort Worth for treatment. Her condition was not available.

Sexton, 22, apparently nabbed the youngster as she was on her way to school, police said. He was taken to the Grand Prairie jail for processing.

Mark Strand, principal at Anderson Elementary, sent a letter home with students telling them about the incident. "As always, I encourage you to instruct your children to avoid walking alone and to immediately report any suspicious activity to an adult, Strand said in the letter.

[TexasStooge]

No new clues in search for missing woman

By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8

DENTON COUNTY, Texas — A fresh search today for Katherine Lynn Stobaugh, the Denton County woman who hasn't been seen since the end of December, turned up no new clues.

Sheriff's deputies once again combed the 104-acre farm and ranch of Stobaugh's estranged husband, Charles Stobaugh, looking at barns, wells or anything that could lead them to the missing schoolteacher.

"Mr. Stobaugh is still the number one person of interest in this case," said Tom Reedy, spokesman for the Denton County Sheriff's Department. "Mr. Stobaugh told us that he had called his wife's cell phone several times trying to find her; cell phone records indicate that is not true."

Reedy said Mr. Stobaugh also declined to take a lie detector test.

Katherine Stobaugh, 43, went to her husband's home on Dec. 29, apparently to discuss their pending divorce. She wasn't reported missing until Jan. 3.

Her car was found in Charles Stobaugh's driveway.

A $61,000 reward has been posted for information leading to an arrest.

[TexasStooge]

Figures put DISD deficit at $28 million

Flaw in state funding formula blamed for understating gap by $12 million

By TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas school district is in a deeper financial hole than was originally estimated.

District administrators had planned for a $15.8 million deficit in next year's budget. But that was apparently based on a flawed state funding formula. A new estimate places the district's deficit at about $28 million.

"It's obviously not good news," said Donald Claxton, spokesman of the Dallas Independent School District. "We were already squeezed tight. Right now, we're considering what our options are."

DISD officials blamed the error on a Texas Education Agency template that was used to calculate the district's revenue. The error caused an overstatement of about $12 million, officials said.

TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said the template is prepared by the Region 13 Education Service Center. Officials there could not be reached for comment.

Karen Wilson, DISD's interim deputy superintendent for business services, said the template is a complicated funding formula that fills multiple pages.

"This happens," Ms. Wilson said, adding that it was fortunate the mistake was discovered early in the budget process. Trustees are expected to receive a preliminary budget in May, with approval scheduled in June.

The district had expected to receive about $111 million in state funding. That amount is now reduced to $99 million, said Mr. Claxton. The district's 2005-06 budget – which includes no salary increases – is projected at $1.048 billion.

Dallas school trustees plan to discuss the shortfall at a regularly scheduled meeting today.

The trustees already were facing difficult choices to meet next year's budget. They are considering reducing the optional homestead exemption or cutting about 400 positions.

Currently, the homestead exemption is 10 percent, which means the value of a home is reduced by 10 percent before being taxed.

If the trustees choose to reduce the exemption to 5 percent, the figure suggested by administrators, it would mean a $12.6 million to $15 million savings for the district. For a house valued at $130,535, the average in the district, taxes would increase about $109 annually. Homeowners 65 and older would not be affected.

Other area districts, such as Richardson and Irving, have reduced their optional homestead exemptions to increase revenue.

The board also may cut 400 nonteaching positions to save money. About 150 of the positions are vacant. Interim Superintendent Larry Groppel told trustees last month that they would have to make a decision soon to begin the process not to renew contracts.

Other possible savings include increasing class sizes for students in the fifth grade and higher, consolidating athletic programs for middle-school students, combining or consolidating small campuses and eliminating or reducing longevity pay.

DISD had implemented a number of cost-saving measures over the last few years, such as eliminating nonteaching positions through attrition and renegotiating major contracts.

Trustee Jack Lowe said the $12 million dollar overestimate makes the budget process more difficult, but the board has got to deal with it.

"It was already painful, and it got $12 million more painful," Mr. Lowe said. "That happens."

Trustee Lew Blackburn said the district might have to resort to drawing money from a back-up emergency fund to balance the budget.

"I'd hate to go into it," Dr. Blackburn said of the fund balance. "You don't want to keep tapping into your rainy-day fund."