February 2010
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DPS seeking to hire more state troopers Police report in theft of cheerleaders' belongings at Dallas Convention Center competition Report: No Florida rape charges against ex-Cowboy Michael Irvin Dallas Commissioner John Wiley Price defends nonprofit Kwanzaa Fest event Two decades old Dallas County jail death makes it to trial finally False rumors spread swiftly across Dallas County about constable arrests UPDATE: Victim in fiery LBJ Freeway crash denies police finding of distracted driving Controversy brewing over training records of Senior Cpl. Victor Lozada Dallas Crime Watch: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 Lawsuit filed by family of Dallas officer who died while escorting Hillary Rodham Clinton Recent Comments
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February 25, 2010
For the first time in its 75-year-history, the Department of Public Safety will hold an advanced 8-week school for current Texas and eligible out-of-state law enforcement officers who are interested in becoming Highway Patrol Troopers. The first advanced recruit school will begin May 16 in Austin. Click here for more information.
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The entry "DPS seeking to hire more state troopers" is tagged: Highway Patrol Troopers
This police incident report lists some of what was stolen from out-of-state teenage cheerleaders during a national competition at the Dallas Convention Center over the weekend.
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The entry "Police report in theft of cheerleaders' belongings at Dallas Convention Center competition" is tagged: cheerleaders , Dallas Convention Center February 24, 2010
MIAMI -- South Florida prosecutors said Wednesday they will not file rape charges against former Dallas Cowboys star Michael Irvin.
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The entry "Report: No Florida rape charges against ex-Cowboy Michael Irvin" is tagged: Michael Irvin , rape , South Florida
Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price went on the offensive this morning, holding a press conference to decry a county investigation of constables that has raised questions about his free annual Kwanzaa Fest event. County Judge Jim Foster yesterday released a report by the county's special investigator, Danny Defenbaugh, that says deputy constables received compensation from Dallas County for working security at Kwanzaa Fest. Price accused Foster of trying to "besmirch" his annual event. He said he's never had trouble getting volunteers from law enforcement for security in the past. Price said his nonprofit organization, Kwanzaa Fest Inc., has no money set aside for security and could not afford to pay off-duty officers or deputies to provide security like other organizations do. Price said complaints about being coerced into working for free are coming from disgruntled employees. The following is from a news release issued by Kwanzaa Fest's president: "KwanzaaFest is proud of its 20 year record of bringing Emancipation, Education and Enterprise to this community and refutes the baseless and politically motivated charges that have surfaced at the hands of Dallas County Judge Jim Foster and others who seek to besmirch its reputation. KwanzaaFest is a fully compliant 501 c3 that has become one of the most successful cultural institutions in Dallas and the largest of its kind in the Southwest United States.
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The entry "Dallas Commissioner John Wiley Price defends nonprofit Kwanzaa Fest event" is tagged: Danny Defenbaugh , Jim Foster , John Wiley Price , Kwanzaa Fest
A trial involving the death of a Dallas County jail inmate two decades ago is underway. Charles Ray Sempe died in the crowded jail tank shown here in 1990 after another inmate punched him, causing his head to hit a steel door frame. Those are mattresses on the floor. At the time, the county jail was extremely overcrowded, and inmates were sleeping anywhere there was space. Sempe's children were not old enough to sue at the time. When they became adults they filed the lawsuit, and after various delays it has begun at the George Allen courthouse downtown. Opening arguments began yesterday. County lawyers say they think the trial will last between 2-3 days.
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The entry "Two decades old Dallas County jail death makes it to trial finally" is tagged: Charles Ray Sempe , jail overcrowding , wrongful death lawsuit
For the second time, a bogus rumor about a supposedly impending constable arrest has shot through Dallas County political and law enforcement circles with lightning speed. The source of the rumors has not been determined. As we know, the Dallas County district attorney's office is investigating constable activities. And county commissioners, who didn't want to wait for those results, initiated their own investigation of two constables -- Jaime Cortes and Derick Evans. So far, a grand jury has indicted one deputy -- Lt. Harold Watson -- from Cortes' Precinct 5 office. Watson is accused of nine felonies, including using warrants to get sex from women. Yesterday, the rumor mill was buzzing. People in county government and the Sheriff's Department were saying Cortes' second-in-command, Kenneth Hines, was going to be picked up and taken to the jail. I must have gotten 20 phone calls about it. Hines has not been arrested. On Feb. 2, someone spread another lie: that Deputy Nosheska Garcia, also from Precinct 5, was going to be arrested and taken to the jail.
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The entry "False rumors spread swiftly across Dallas County about constable arrests" is tagged: Danny Defenbaugh , Derick Evans , Jaime Cortes , Kenneth Hines , Nosheska Garcia
Vickie Roberson blames her fiery crash Monday morning on the driver of the big rig she collided with, but Dallas police have determined otherwise. "From what witnesses saw, she swerved off the road like she wasn't paying attention," said Senior Cpl. Kevin Janse, adding that using a cellphone is often behind such distracted driving. But Roberson denies being distracted by her phone. "That's not true," she said this morning from her room at Baylor University Medical Center. "I would never use a cellphone while driving." Whatever the case, Roberson expressed her thanks to her "courageous" rescuers. "Seeing people coming to help me -- it was heartwarming," she said. Original entry (posted at 4:32 a.m. Wednesday): Dallas police believe the woman who was pulled from a fiery highway car crash may have been texting or talking on her cell phone before losing control of her vehicle Monday morning.
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The entry "UPDATE: Victim in fiery LBJ Freeway crash denies police finding of distracted driving" is tagged: Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas , cell phone , distracted driving , texting , Vickie Roberson
Today, I told you about the lawsuit filed by the family of a motorcycle unit police officer who died while escorting a motorcade for then-presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. That story detailed the dueling versions of training records for Senior Cpl. Victor Lozada. One signed and dated copy of a Jan. 25, 2008, report that I obtained through open records shortly after Lozada's death indicated that he had done well and had passed training. Another report, also signed and dated the same day, was provided to me by the family's attorney, David Schiller. That report indicates that Lozada had signficant problems, had failed that phase of training and needed additional training. I am posting both versions. The first report is the one that came through open records. The second one came from Schiller. As I detailed in today's story, Senior Cpl. Dale Erves, the trainer who penned both reports, told me yesterday that he wrote the one indicating that Lozada had failed as a "joke." Tell me what you think?
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The entry "Controversy brewing over training records of Senior Cpl. Victor Lozada" is tagged: Dale Erves , Dallas police , David Schiller , Hillary Rodham Clinton , Tanya Eiserer , Victor Lozada
A sampling of crime and public safety news in and around Dallas: • Law enforcement experts say the case of Kimberly Al-Homsi demonstrates the fine line they must walk between dealing with erratic behavior and serious threats. • Dallas County deputy constables may regain civil protections that allow them to sue the county. Commissioners are rethinking a 2003 policy change after recent revelations that some deputies have been subjected to unfair firings, threats and intimidation. Facebook CrimeBlog DallasNews! Tweet with DallasCrime on Twitter. Have a crime news tip? E-mail us.
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The entry "Dallas Crime Watch: Wednesday, February 24, 2010" is tagged: Crime watch , Dallas crime watch
Here is the lawsuit filed this week by the family of Dallas motorcycle Officer Victor Lozada, who died two years ago while escorting Hillary Rodham Clinton.
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The entry "Lawsuit filed by family of Dallas officer who died while escorting Hillary Rodham Clinton" is tagged: Hillary Rodham Clinton , lawsuit , motorcycle , Victor Lozada February 23, 2010
The man who is getting most of the credit for rescuing a woman from a burning car along LBJ Freeway yesterday morning has said several times that there were other people who aided in the effort. One of those people was Sherrie Wilson, Dallas' first female firefighter and a 33-year veteran of Dallas-Fire Rescue. Wilson was off-duty at the time of the wreck and just happened to be driving by. This is her unedited account of the wreck and the heroes who worked together to save a stranger:
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The entry "Dallas' first female firefighter helped rescue woman from burning car on LBJ Freeway" is tagged: LBJ Freeway , Sherrie Wilson
Felipe Dejesus Alonso (right) called 911 on Friday about 2:10 p.m. "Send the police," he said, according to police documents. "I have killed my wife." When Dallas police officers arrived at the Pleasant Grove home, Alonso, 49, answered the door "with blood all over his clothing, face and hands," the documents said. The cops found Alma Alonso, 48, dead in an upstairs bedroom of the home in the 10200 block of Shelburne Drive near North Masters Drive and Bruton Road. A large butcher knife was in her left eye, police said.
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The entry "Dallas homicide: Alma Alonso, 48, stabbing" is tagged: Alma Alonso , Felipe Dejesus Alonso , stabbing
The police beat can be very depressing. So it was a nice change of pace to tell a story of true heroism in today's newspaper. Addissu Andabo (right) said he didn't hesitate when he saw a woman's car crash and burn along a Dallas highway yesterday morning. He ran straight into the fire, smashed her windshield with his bare hands and risked his own life to save a stranger. And then the 22-year-old wiped off his bloodied hands and went back to work repairing cars in Plano. (PHOTO: VERNON BRYANT/Staff Photographer)
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The entry "Dallas man a true hero for saving woman from burning car along LBJ Freeway" is tagged: Addissu Andabo , car accident , fire , hero , LBJ Freeway
A sampling of crime and public safety news in and around Dallas: • Little about their pasts would appear to predict that Daniel George McAllister, 21, and Jason Robert Bourque, 19, would one day be accused of serial arson. McAllister, of Ben Wheeler, and Bourque, of Lindale, were each arraigned Monday on a felony count of arson involving a place of worship, but they are the only suspects in 10 fires and three church break-ins. State District Judge Christi Kennedy ordered each to remain jailed in lieu of $10 million bail. • As flames burst from an overturned car Monday along LBJ Freeway in northeast Dallas, Addissu Andabo punched and tore out the windshield with his bare hands. He pulled an injured woman he'd never met from her burning vehicle just before fire engulfed the car. And then Andabo, 22, wiped off his bloodied hands and drove back to work repairing cars in Plano. • Chaining school doors has become "fairly common," as schools weigh security issues against fire safety concerns, said Kurt Harris, an administrator in the State Fire Marshal's office and past president of the Texas Fire Marshal's Association.
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The entry "Dallas Crime Watch: Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010" is tagged: Addissu Andabo , Ashford "Monique" Sneed , Austin , chaining doors , church fires , East Texas , fire marshal , IRS February 22, 2010
DMN reporter Lee Hancock writes that church arson suspects Daniel George McCallister, 21, and Jason Robert Borque, 19, were childhood friends without any known criminal past. Here are the affidavits for arrest warrants in the case.
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The entry "Affidavits for arrest warrants in the East Texas church fires case" is tagged: church fires , Daniel George McCallister , East Texas , Jason Robert Borque , Lee Hancock
A man who killed his girlfriend when he tried to steal her TV pleaded guilty to murder today in exchange for a life sentence. Danny Hollis and Mary Cleveland had been together for 13 years and Cleveland, 65, wanted to end the relationship, said Dallas County prosecutor Liz Rogers. Hollis, 49, had taken her money and had stolen several televisions throughout their relationship. But on Feb. 26, 2009, Cleveland wasn't going to let Hollis take any more. "Danny Hollis was in her life for 13 years and after 13 years she'd had enough," Rogers said. "She couldn't take it anymore."
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The entry "Man who killed girlfriend for television pleads guilty, gets life sentence" is tagged: Dallas County District Attorney's office , Danny Hollis , domestic violence , Liz Rogers , Mary Cleveland , plea bargain
Jury selection was supposed to begin in a Dallas County courtroom today for Norris Richardson's aggravated robbery trial. But after potential jurors were brought into State District Judge Larry Mitchell's courtroom, Norris, 35, began yelling and swearing. Among his choice words: "Suck my [expletive]." Those called for jury duty were dismissed because they may have been influenced by the outburst. Jury selection is scheduled to begin again tomorrow with new potential jurors. I'm told that Norris apologized later.
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The entry "Jury selection delayed after defendant yells, curses before potential jurors" is tagged: criminal court , Dallas County , Larry Mitchell , news of the weird , Norris Richardson
A sampling of crime and public safety news in and around Dallas: • John Michael Harvey traveled, bought a house, wrote a book and invested money - much of it from more than $600,000 Texas gave him because he spent a dozen years in prison for the sexual assault of a 3-year-old girl - a crime he didn't commit. The Internal Revenue Service told him the money would be tax-free, he said. And then came the letter in which the agency told him he might need to pay taxes on the money after all. "They want, like, a third of it back," said an incredulous Harvey. • Two shot along I-30 in Dallas. Police aren't sure if the shooting was road rage.
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The entry "Dallas Crime Watch: Monday, February 22, 2010" is tagged: Dallas Crime Watch
At the behest of prosecutors, a judge last week dismissed a felony charge of injury to a child against a Dallas police senior corporal. Police Senior Cpl. Rex Jones, who had been on administrative leave since last spring, has returned to full duty. "Based on the facts of the case, it was dismissed completely and we plan on having it expunged off his record," said Jones' attorney, Mark Robinius. Jones had been accused of beating his 13-year-old son with an extension cord and a belt at the family's DeSoto home during a late February incident. Robinius declined to discuss the specifics of the case, but said Jones denied abusing the boy. "In my opinion, it got filed because he was a police officer," Robinius said. "If it was a normal situation, it probably wouldn't have gotten filed."
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The entry "Felony charge dismissed against Dallas police senior corporal" is tagged: Dallas police , Mark Robinius , Rex Jones , Tanya Eiserer February 19, 2010
Assistant Chief Deputy Michael Hinojosa is Dallas County Constable Jaime Cortes' third-in-command. This week, Hinojosa found himself embroiled in a controversy that's been swirling around his boss for the past six months. Hinojosa was named in a 92-page report that accuses Cortes of systematic corruption, including bribery. Specifically, an unnamed witness reported seeing Hinojosa taking an envelope stuffed with cash from Cortes' towing contractor, Milad "Chris" Nasrallah Sr., in 2007 near Mountain View College. Hinojosa's attorney, Peter Schulte, said his client's only recourse is to sue County Judge Jim Foster and Commissioners Maurine Dickey and Kenneth Mayfield, who ordered the civil investigation last year. He said his client also may sue Danny Defenbaugh, the special investigator hired to produce the report. "That report is all heresay," Schulte said. "He's [Hinojosa] done nothing wrong."
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The entry "Dallas County constable contemplating lawsuit against commissioners to try to clear name" is tagged: Jaime Cortes , Jim Foster , Kenneth Mayfield , Maurine Dickey , Michael Hinojosa , Milad Nasrallah |
I don't think Kwanzaa Fest orgainzers d
According to some of my friends who wor
I'm no supporter or opponent of JWP, bu
As I understand the situation - the pri
Constable Cortes is the one and only jo
Bring back Old Testament punishments fo
the second letter is obviously a joke!
They are all a joke. Similar complaint
John Wiley Price - At least one of your
Price has ALWAYS been a CRIMINAL and a