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Search warrant: Allen man seen with missing Plano woman made false statements after her disappearance

 

Plano police obtained a search warrant in late September for the car owned by the man last seen with Christina Marie Morris, 23, of Fort worth, who disappeared from a parking garage at The Shops at Legacy on Aug. 30.

She hasn’t been seen since.

The affidavit for the search warrant notes that the man, Enrique Gutierrez Arochi of Allen — a high school friend of the missing woman — made false statements about where he parked his car in the garage, and about details of the last time he was with Morris.

During his interview with police, Arochi said he had parked in a lot near the Blue Martini, and insisted he wasn’t with Morris when she entered the lot where her car had been parked, by Henry’s Tavern. After being shown a photo of a man and a woman entering the lot, he admitted he had been with her. But he maintained that he left her in the lot to go to his car.

When detectives showed Arochi a photo of his Camaro leaving the parking lot near Henry’s, he acknowledged the car was his. “I must have parked there,” he said.

During that same interview, Arochi told detectives he had taken an Adderall — a psychostimulant used to treat ADHD — at about noon, and consumed 10 shots of Captain Morgan Rum at an apartment party with high school friends at about 10:30 p.m. He also drank three to five beers at two bars the friends visited.

He also told police that Morris had never been in his 2010 Chevrolet Camaro.

On Sept. 4, two days after Morris was reported missing, Arochi agreed to allow police to search his car. During the search, police noticed that Arochi had bruises on his right forearm and abrasions on his right hand. A co-worker later told detectives that he saw the same wounds when Arochi came to work at a Sprint store in Wylie on Aug. 30. Arochi walked with a limp and said his back hurt, Juan Ponce told detectives.

Arochi told Ponce he’d been in a fight the night before at The Shops at Legacy, the affidavit states.

Surveillance video from a Kroger in Allen showed Arochi driving up to a gas pump shortly after 10 a.m. on Aug. 30, then walking to the back of his 2010 Chevrolet Camaro to inspect the rear trunk area. After filling the car with gas, Arochi took a squeegee to scrub the back of the Camaro. He also appeared to wipe something from the passenger door.

“Arochi has made numerous false statements and omitted pertinent information to Affiant during the course of the investigation into Morris’ disappearance,” Plano Detective Cathy Stamm wrote in the affidavit for the search warrant. “Affiant believes Arochi has intentionally made false statements which have hindered detectives in locating Morris. …

“Affiant believes that the most likely way Morris could have left the parking garage undetected was in Arochi’s vehicle,” Stamm wrote. ” … Affiant knows and understands that a person, even through casual contact, may leave trace evidence in or on a vehicle which may include bodily fluids, hair, or DNA.”

During the first inspection of the car on Sept. 4, Stamm “noticed the vehicle’s interior appeared to be extremely clean and to have been recently vacuumed.

“Additionally, Affiant noticed what appeared to be fresh damage to the front right fender of his Camaro,” she wrote.

When detectives asked about the bruising on his right arm and abrasions on his right hand, Arochi told them he sustained the injuries on Aug. 29, before going to The Shops at Legacy. He hurt himself while working on the tires of his car when a wheel fell on his hand, he said, according to the affidavit.

“He became angry and damaged his front right fender by punching it with his right fist and striking it with his right forearm,” the affidavit states.

When a detective showed photos of the damage to a collision specialist, he was told the damage was inconsistent with Arochi’s explanation. But police said many vehicles have sensors that record data in an event that might cause damage.

Morris disappeared shortly after the surveillance photo was taken in the parking garage. Extensive searches and a $25,000 reward for information on her disappearance have turned up little.

The affidavit for the search warrant was submitted to the 380th District Court in Collin County on Sept. 26. The warrant was issued by Magistrate Benjamin N. Smith at 6:08 p.m. and was executed by Plano Police that night, when they seized Arochi’s Camaro.

Plano police have said little about the on-going investigation.

When asked what investigators found from their detailed search of Arochi’s car, public information officer David Tilley replied, “I don’t know.”

“Quite honestly, as far as the affidavit is concerned, it’s clearly a statement from our detectives working the case,” Tilley said.

“But since this is an open investigation, we’re not discussing anything related to this case.”

Police haven’t named Arochi or anyone as a suspect in what they call a missing person case.

Record heat possible Saturday

The meteorological setup couldn’t be better — a broad ridge of high pressure, clear skies and a southerly breeze — a trifecta that could push temperatures to 90 degrees in the Dallas area on Saturday.

The current record at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is 89 degrees, first set in 1927 and repeated in 1950 and 1992. In this morning’s forecast discussion, the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth, said 90 on Saturday “is certainly attainable.”

Farther south, Waco will be about as warm, but several degrees off the record high for the date, the weather service said, since the record there is 94.

Temperatures will fall slightly on Sunday before a system currently over the Pacific Ocean moves in, bringing a cold front late Monday, and chances for much-needed rain late Tuesday through much of the day on Wednesday.

Toll road developer announces “informal meetings”

Texas Turnpike Corp., developer of a proposed toll road linking eastern Dallas County with Greenville, has announced a series of 10 informal meetings over the next two weeks across the Blacklands Corridor.

K. Neal Barker, spokesperson for Texas Turnpike Corp., said the developer wants to talk with as many people as possible, particularly property owners in areas that might be on the toll road route. He stressed that the final route is yet to be determined, but said the TTC wants to meet to “help us understand community dynamics, economic development strategies … and perhaps most importantly, the constraints to the various routes we are considering.”

“These meetings are informal, one-on-one gatherings,” he said. “We will not have any formal presentations, but rather plenty of time to dialogue.”

Here are the times and locations of the meetings:

7 to 9 a.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at the Hampton Inn, 1549 Laguna Dr., Rockwall;.

7 to 9 a.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Hampton Inn, 3001 Kari Lane, Greenville;

7 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the Holiday Inn Express, 1001 Pullen St., Royse City;

7 to 9 a.m and 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Comfort Suites Lake Ray Hubbard, 8701 E. IH-30, Rowlett;

7 to 9 a.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the Best Western Plus, 2011 Texas Highway 78, Wylie;

7 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8 at the Holiday Inn Express, 1001 Pullen St., Royse City.

The Regional Transportation Council of the North Central Texas Council of Governments could decide at its Oct. 9 meeting whether to include the proposed Northeast Gateway toll road its 2035 Metropolitan Transportation Plan.

NCTCOG reschedules Blacklands Corridor meeting

The North Central Texas Council of Government’s public hearing on transportation plans for the Blacklands Corridor of Collin and Hunt counties — with a presentation by the Texas Turnpike Corp. — will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 22 at the Rockwall Performing Arts Center, officials said Tuesday.

The hearing follows a much curtailed presentation last week in Lavon, when an estimated 600-700 residents jammed an elementary school cafeteria and adjacent gym to hear details of the plan, in particular the TTC’s proposed toll road.

The road would link the President George Bush Turnpike to Wylie to Greenville in Hunt County. But at last week’s abbreviated meeting, closed down by the fire marshal because of crowding, many in the audience appeared dead-set against the toll road.

The NCTCOG included the toll road idea in its draft recommendations for the area’s future transportation needs, but many in the crowd had concerns about eminent domain, the path the road would take, and the possible costs to taxpayers.

The Texas Turnpike Corp., a private firm based in Dallas, is working on a detailed environmental study required by the state that could determine the final route of the road. Company officials estimated the cost of the project at less than $500 million.

Sprinklers, hot weather increase district’s water use

One day two weeks ago, the North Texas Municipal Water District delivered 160 million gallons of water to serve its 1.6 million customers – a total more typical of winter, and a reflection of strict conservation measures in the district.

But on Friday, the NTMWD produced 440 million gallons at its Wylie treatment facility, 20 million gallons from Lake Tawakoni and was blending water from Lake Texoma, an additional 62 million gallons.

That’s far more than customers needed at the peak of summer – Aug. 28, when 373 million gallons were used, according to the water district.

Blame it on the weather, which has been warm even by North Texas standards in recent days. And factor in the potential for twice as much sprinkler use now that the district has gone to once-a-week watering rather than the every two week cycle in place through most of the summer.

The new watering standard took effect on Sept. 1, and additional water being produced reflects anticipated needs. During August, when property owners could use sprinklers only once every two weeks, the district produced on average 275 million gallons a day.

“The increase [in production] allows for the once-per-week watering,” district spokeswoman Denise Hickey said Friday, “and it reflects the increase in temperatures [over the first few days of September]. Water usage tracks weather patterns – when it’s hot and dry, usage increases, and when it’s raining or overcast, decreasing usage occurs.”

And stringent conservation measures, intended to keep lake levels high enough to meet emergency needs, kept usage down.

“Our drought measures have reduced demands significantly from what usage would be if we were not limiting landscape watering,” Hickey said.

The latest forecast from the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth bring chances for more seasonal and even below-normal temperatures over the next week, which could reduce water usage.

A pair of cold fronts – one over the weekend, the other later next week – could drop daytime temperatures to the low 80s by next weekend, with lows in the 60s.

This weekend’s cool front could hold afternoon temperatures below 90 on Sunday. David Finfrock, chief meteorologist at NBC 5, expects a high temperature of 89 on Sunday, and said some areas could see seeing low temperatures in the upper 60s.

North Texas Municipal Water District could ease lawn sprinkler restrictions

The North Texas Municpal Water Disrict could ease watering restrictions at its meeting Thursday to allow residents in its 13 member cities to use their sprinklers once a week rather than once every two weeks.

The North Texas Municpal Water Disrict could ease watering restrictions at its meeting Thursday. (File 2014/Staff Photo)

The North Texas Municipal Water District will decide this afternoon whether to ease what have been the toughest water use limits in the region and allow once-a-week sprinkler use beginning Sept. 1.

Sprinkler use had been limited to once every two weeks as part of a district-wide conservation effort aimed at maintaining high enough lake levels to meet emergency needs.

Executive Director Tom Kula asked the district’s 13 member cities to cut water usage by 15-20 percent earlier this year. The response was so strong that water officials began worrying that water quality could suffer. Several cities held “water holidays” to allow extra lawn irrigation, and some have had to open hydrants to drain “stale” water from the system.

The problem, officials say, is that if water is held too long in tanks and pipes, its chlorine residuals can sink below optimal levels.

Water levels at Lavon Lake, the district’s primary reservoir, sit at 50.2 percent of capacity, and Jim Chapman Lake is below 45 percent of capacity. But levels have remained fairly consistent through the heat of summer. And fall brings cooler temperatures and generally more rain.

Weekend storms did little for NTMWD lakes

Downpours on Sunday morning dumped 3 inches or more of rain on some parts of the Dallas area, but didn’t do much to fill the hard-hit reservoirs that provide water to 1.6 million customers served by the North Texas Municipal Water District.

Lavon Lake remains more than 11 feet below conservation level, district officials said, lakes Jim Chapman and Tawakoni are 9 feet low and Lake Texoma is 5 feet below conservation level. Overall, the district’s lakes are in considerably worse shape than a year ago.

Utility districts measure water supply in acre-feet, and an acre-foot is a whole lot of water — more than 325,000 gallons, enough to serve the yearly needs of four typical families.

Lavon Lake, the NTMWD’s major reservoir, holds 795 fewer acre-feet of water than it did a year ago — about 260 million gallons. Jim Chapman lost 113 million gallons in the last month, and Tawakoni 124 million in a month and almost 800 million gallons in a year.

Texoma, which can provide up to 28 percent of the water district’s supply, stood at 100 percent of capacity a year ago, and about 86 percent today. That translates to almost 12,000 acre-feet lost — 3.896 billion gallons.

The NTMWD imposed some of the toughest water restrictions in the region this year, and member cities and customer cities have responded, said Tom Kula, the district’s executive director.

“Conservation is important, and it’s working,” Kula said. Usage in most cities is down by double-digits, preserving enough water to keep the district out of Stage 4 restrictions, which would ban all outdoor watering.

Texas drought eases

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report, released Thursday, shows continued improvements across Texas, but areas of “extreme drought” — the second most severe category — remain in Dallas, Collin, Denton and Tarrant counties.

Heavy rains in late July provided enough moisture along the U.S. 380 corridor in northern Denton and Collin counties to put those areas in moderate and severe drought, which despite how they sound, were significant improvements over past readings.

Most of Tarrant remains in extreme drought, as does the western half of Dallas County. Pockets of “exceptional drought,” the worst designation used, remain in the Panhandle, in some of the Red River counties and on the western fringes of Dallas-Fort Worth.

Overall, more than 17 percent of Texas is drought-free — compared with just 5 percent three months ago. Only about 3 percent of the state is now in exceptional drought. Three months ago, more than 21 percent of Texas was in the most severe drought category.

Collin’s kinder, gentler resolution on migrant children

The Collin County Commissioners Court will decide this afternoon whether to approve a resolution that takes a couple of shots at the federal government for failing to defend the nation’s borders, but otherwise offers a much milder take on dealing with unaccompanied minors entering the U.S.

The bottom line is about the same as an earlier version proposed by Commissioner Mark Reid, though — “County agencies are hereby directed to deny requests and directives to process or house these children, except for the core functions of law enforcement, health care services, and child protective services.”

And it “is not a core function of county government” to house minor children, “whether designated as a ‘refuge’ or otherwise,” the resolution maintains.

But the insistence that these children pose a widespread health risk, and come carrying diseases endemic to their home countries, has been removed. The new version does direct county health officials “to screen and isolate these minor children as medically necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of both the children and the citizens of Collin County.”

The new version of the resolution “applauds efforts by private charitable and faith based organizations to provide food, shelter, clothing, education and other care” while the minors await decisions by federal immigration authorities.

The resolution drew a sharply divided crowd to last week’s commissioners’ meeting, with supporters significantly outnumbering opponents.

The commissioners court meets at 1:30 p.m. today at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney.

Zebra mussel restrictions expanding across Texas

Boaters operating on any public freshwater lake or river in Texas will be required to drain all water from their boats beginning July 1 to help prevent the spread of zebra mussels and other invasive species, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission announced. Those requirements are already in place for 47 counties in North and Central Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth region.
Brian Van Zee, regional director for TPWD’s inland fisheries section, said that since mussels were found in Lake Belton, “you knew we were going in this direction based on the expansion and movement of the zebra mussel.”
The need was made clear in a recent survey of Texas boats that showed how far they’ll travel for boating activities and how many different lakes they frequent.
“That certainly led to this becoming a statewide restriction,” Van Zee said.
He acknowledged that Texas doesn’t have enough enforcement personnel to cover every marina on every lake — “That’s just not a possibility,” he said — but over time, people have realized the risk and hopefully will take a few minutes to pull the plugs on their boats and let all the water drain.
“I can’t assure you that everyone is doing it,” Van Zee said, “but we do have a lot of game wardens in the state.”
Marina operators have been a big help, he said, citing one in Lake Conroe who recently quarantined a boat and jet ski from Arizona that carried quagga mussels, a close relative of zebra mussels and perhaps even more troublesome.
“We don’t have quagga mussels in any of our lakes that we’re aware of,” Van Zee said, “and we hope that through these public education efforts, that will keep them out of Texas lakes.”