Crime Time

Man apparently jumps to his death from Richland Hills cell tower

A man in his early 20s died Tuesday afternoon after apparently jumping from a cell tower in the 3900 block of Booth Calloway Road, Richland Hills police said.

Police were called about 1:45 p.m. after the property owner entered the tower site and found the man's body. Police originally believed the man may have fallen through a hole in the roof of the building during a copper theft.

But investigators later determined that the man had jumped "to commit suicide," Detective Tye Bell said in a news release. 

Police were continuing to investigate Tuesday, and the Tarrant County medical examiner was notifying next of kin.

-- Kathy Vetter, editor

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Lawsuit accuses former Nolan religion teacher of sexual abuse

A Tarrant County man claims in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was sexually abused as a minor by a priest who taught religion at Nolan High School and served as an assistant pastor at All Saints Catholic Church in Fort Worth. In the lawsuit, a John Doe says that from about 1982 to 1987, when he was a minor, he was sexually abused by Father William Paiz of the Claretian Order in the rectories of All Saints Catholic Church, St. George Church and other places. The lawsuit also alleges that the Fort Worth Catholic Diocese conspired with others to conceal Paiz's abuse of minors. The plaintiff's attorney is Tahira Kham Merritt of Dallas, who has handled a number of such lawsuits. The suit was filed in state district court in Tarrant County.

--Lois Norder

Jury deliberating in Hurst shootout case

2 p.m. update: At 1 p.m., James Michael Tesi's fate was handed over to seven women and five men. 
Tesi has been on trial for aggravated assault on a public servant with a deadly weapon. The charge came after a July 21 shootout between Tesi and Colleyville Police Officer John Fossett. 
Tesi was shot in the leg and face while Fossett was uninjured.

Joint prosecutors Jim Hudson and Dawn Ferguson presented the state's final argument. Tesi's attorney, Ronald Hardin, spoke for the defense. 

In his remarks to the jury, Hardin said Fossett gave three different versions of the shootout. "None of them match," Hardin said. "How many times does it take to tell the truth to know the truth?"

Hardin urged the jurors to concentrate on the physical evidence. The location of the shell casings from Fossett's weapon do not put him inside the garage, Hardin said.

"Physical evidence doesn't lie to you," he said. "It doesn't have an opinion."

He also asked jurors to believe the only eye witness other than Tesi and Fossett. Martha Sanders had testified that she could see Fossett go up Tesi's driveway from a front room of her house across the street.

She said that she heard two gunshots before Fossett got to Tesi's garage. Fossett testified he did not fire until he was in the garage.

--Steve Norder

 

11 a.m.  The defense in the James Michael Tesi case rested Wednesday morning, followed by the state, without another witness being called. State District Judge Everett Young recessed the jury until 11 a.m., when arguing arguments will begin. Tesi's attorney, Ronald Hardin, was spending the recess time working on his closing argument. He was reviewing the physical evidence as well as the multitude of photographs taken after the shootout between Tesi and Colleyville Police Officer John Fossett at Tesi's north Hurst home last July. Tesi is on trial for aggravated assault on a public servant. The maximum penalty is life in prison. 

 Young is giving Hardin and prosecutor Jim Hudson 30 minutes each for their closing arguments before the seven women and five men of the jury. Testimony has lasted five days, and Tesi did not take the stand in his own defense. However, Fossett did testify as well as a number of Keller, Hurst and Colleyville police officers and paramedics. Those officials arrived on the scene after the shooting had ended. 

The shootout occurred July 21 in Tesi's garage and outside on his driveway of his north Hurst home. In the exchange of at least 15 bullets, Tesi was shot in the leg and face. Fossett was not injured.

Following closing arguments, Judge Young is expected to present the jury with "charge," or instructions. The jury will then begin deliberations. - Steve Norder

Weatherford police searching for fire starters

WEATHERFORD -- Police are searching for people who have information about a house fire that occurred on Sunday. A vacant house in the 800 block of West Columbia Street caught fire about 2 p.m. and was destroyed. Witnesses told police that two or three teens were seen in the vicinity of the house shortly before the fire was reported. No one was injured in the fire, police said. Investigators are encouraging anyone who saw or knows anything about this incident to call the Weatherford fire department at 817-598-4287 or 817-614-4945. Tipsters can also call Parker County Crime Stoppers at 817-599-5555. Tipsters may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 and they can remain anonymous. -- Mitch Mitchell

Arlington police make the grade

The Arlington Police Department takes high standards seriously. On Monday, department leaders unveiled a plaque to prove it.

Not only was the department reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies for the seventh consecutive time since 1989, but it also received the organization’s new endorsement of excellence.

To put it in perspective, only about 5 percent of police departments nationwide seek voluntary accreditation. Of those that earn it, only about 5 percent do so with excellence, said Police Chief Theron Bowman, who serves as a commissioner for the organization.

The commission grades participating departments on 486 standards. The goal is to help them become more efficient and provide better service.

“We have a huge number of people all over the agency dedicated to making sure that we not only have high standards but that we maintain them,” Bowman said after a short ceremony Monday. “Accreditation has to become part of an organization’s culture. It’s a rigorous process.”

Sgt. Amanda Moss, the department’s accreditation manager, said evaluators took note of the department’s employee social media policy, which is not yet a commission standard. They also noticed the recent changes to the Citizens on Patrol program, including making official city vehicles available to the volunteers to increase their approachability and professionalism.

“It shows we’re going above and beyond,” she said.

-Patrick M. Walker

Defense questions validity of warrants for Hurst man accused in shootout

1:30 Monday update: Colleyville Judge James Ames said the city warrants for James Michael Tesi's were valid when Officer John Fossett tried to stop Tesi. Fossett, who is a Colleyville warrant officer, saw Tesi while driving on Precinct Line Road on July 21. He decided to make a stop, but Tesi evaded Fossett and instead drove to his home in north Hurst. Fossett followed him there. They subsequently exchanged as many as 15 gunshots resulting in Tesi being shot in the leg and face. Fossett was not hurt.

Tesi is on trial in state District Court for aggravated assault on a public servant. The maximum penalty is life in prison.

This morning, Tesi's attorney, Ronald Hardin, questioned municipal court Judge Ames on whether or not an appeal to the federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals would suspend the validity of the city's arrest warrants.

Tesi, skipping the state court, had attempted to get the federal District Court to take up his dispute with the city. Instead, the federal court sent it back to the city.

Ames said that making an appeal to an appellate court is not the same as having a judgment on that appeal.

"Until notice of action by the appellate court, I will work under the [federal] judge's remanded ruling," Ames said.

Tesi first appeared in Ames' courtroom on Feb. 3 to make pleas on two traffic citations. In December, he had been stopped by Colleyville police for speeding. He also was cited for not having a driver's license.

When Tesi refused to enter a plea, Ames entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. When Ames asked Test to sign the pleading, he also wrote "under duress."

Ames had set Feb. 25 for an pre-trial hearing. However, Tesi failed to appear. Ames then issued the warrants. - Steve Norder

 

 

 

 

In testimony this morning in the trial of "sovereign citizen" James Tesi, more details came out about how a speeding ticket issued to him in Colleyville may have led to July's shootout. Tesi was supposed to show up for a pre-trial hearing last February on the speeding ticket. Instead, Tesi went to Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 for a judgment against the city, according to documents presented in court this morning. Because Tesi did not show up in municipal court for his scheduled hearing, Municipal Judge James Ames issued warrants for Tesi's arrest. Those warrants eventually led to a shootout between Tesi and Colleyville warrant officer John Fossett on July 21, when Fossett tried to arrest Tesi.

Tesi's attorney, Ronald Hardin, introduced a document from JP court 3 stating a finding against Colleyville and a wrecker service for towing and booting Tesi's car after the traffic stop.
However, Judge Ames said from the stand this morning that he was unaware of that judgement at the time he issued the warrants. - Steve Norder

Austin police: Suspect in attacks on women is dead

North of the University of Texas in Central Austin, the man dubbed the King Street killer was suspected in several assaults on women in the past six months and the New Year's Day murder of a 29-year-old woman. Austin police said last week that the man who may have been responsible for those attacks committed suicide. Police say DNA linked James Loren Brown to the series of attacks. His roommate found his body earlier this month, according to the Austin Chronicle. Cases are still under investigation by Austin police, other news sources say.  

Communications, training hindered firefighters in 2011 US wildfire season

Communication problems, driving troubles and the fitness of firefighters were some of the major lessons learned in the 2011 wildfire season, according to a national firefighters magazine.
The magazine, FIRERESCUE, noted that record wildfires were reported in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico last year and fire officials predicted that there will be bigger and more intense fires in the future.
In FIRERESCUE, the magazine noted that firefighters were injured or killed last year because of poor communications. Several were killed because they didn’t receive messages that they were supposed to get in the field.
A few firefighters died because of driving miscues. Tankers and other vehicles overturned at scenes as a few firefighters did not have enough training on those vehicles, the magazine noted.
The magazine also pointed out that out of shape firefighters led to several having heart attacks while they were out fighting wildfires last year.
Improving communications, getting departments to implement fitness programs and more driver training are the goals for fire officials this year in fighting wildfires, according to the magazine.

—Domingo Ramirez Jr.

Pregnant Graham woman, 20, missing since December

GRAHAM — Authorities say they have no evidence to indicate foul play in the case of a missing young pregnant woman, but are asking the public’s help in locating her.

Candice Shields, 20, was last seen Dec. 10 at her grandparents’ home in Graham, Lt. James Reeves of the Graham Police Department said Friday.

Her family reported her missing on Dec. 15.

"We have no indication that her disappearance was anything other than voluntary," Reeves said.

Family members told investigators that Shields was three months pregnant at the time of her disappearance.

Reeves said Shields had no known mode of transportation.

Shields’ parents have distributed hundreds of fliers in the hopes of generating tips. Reeves said they have received numerous reports of her whereabouts, but have not been able to substantiate any of them.

Police have described Shields as 5 feet 3 and weighing approximately 130 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police department at 940-549-1212. – Marty Sabota

 

Arlington public safety hockey game on Saturday to benefit Batten disease sufferer

ARLINGTON — Proceeds from the Ninth Annual Gun’s N’ Hoses Hockey Benefit at 7 p.m. Saturday
will benefit the Killinger family.

Arlington Police Lt. David Killinger died due to medical reasons in 2010 and not long after, his son was diagnosed with Juvenile Batten Disease.

Juvenile Batten Disease is a fatal neurological disorder that affects vision, speech and motor skills. Arlington police officers and firefighters, along with family and friends, will be on hand to celebrate Killinger’s life.

Killinger’s APD hockey jersey will be retired during the game’s intermission at the Euless Dr. Pepper StarCenter, 1400 South Pipeline Road. The game begins at 7 p.m. and admission is $5. — Mitch Mitchell