Crime Time

Two indicted on federal drug charges, one for allegedly supplying drugs that killed Grapevine girl

Misael "Irving" Perla, 24, of Dallas (left) is one of two men named this week in a nine-count federal indictment covering a slew of drug charges.

Specifically, he is accused of providing the drugs believed to have killed Cassidy Seward, 18, of Grapevine. She died Aug. 28 at a Grapevine hospital of "mixed drug toxicity" involving heroin and methamphetamine, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's office.

The other man, Hugo "Juice" Sanchez, 23, (right) was indicted on one count of possessing a firearm illegally because he is a convicted felon and another count of having a gun while trafficking drugs.

Bill Miller has more in this report.

 

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/12/19/4497861/pair-indicted-in-two-drug-deaths.html#storylink=cpy

Cartel Watch: former Mexican mayor stood up to drug lords and died

María Santos Gorrostieta, former mayor of a small Mexican community, spoke out against the drug cartels -- and they reportedly tried to kill her, twice.

A third attempt on her life succeeded.

Her body was identified recently by Mexican police after the half-nude, tortured and mutilated remains were found on a rural road in the state of Michoacán.

She was last seen Nov.12 while dropping her daughter off at school in the state capital of Morelia.

According to reports, gunmen pulled in front of her car and grabbed her as she pleaded for them to leave her child alone.

Read more in this report from Fox News (Latino).

 

Affidavit says murder suspects wanted to rob Robert Dodson before killing him

An oil executive found slain in a burning vehicle last month in Godley had smoked marijuana with his two alleged killers inside the home of one of the suspects shortly before he was robbed, hog-tied and strangled with an electrical cord, according to court documents.

Dean Allen Walden (below) confessed to investigators that he and Joseph "Joey" Dodson (right) then loaded the body of 44-year-old Robert "Dodd" Dodson into the victim's own Dodge Nitro and later burned the vehicle and body at a remote gas well site, according to state arrest warrant affidavits obtained by the Star-Telegram.

The affidavit states the victim's arms and legs had been bound with a metal cable. The affidavits do not clarify how Robert Dodson was acquainted with the suspects.

But the document does state that Joseph Dodson is an Aryan Brotherhood member who goes by the street name of "Short Sight."

Deanna Boyd received the affidavit and filed this report.

Note: Investigators said last week that Robert Dodson and Joseph Dodson are not related, even though they have the same last name.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/11/14/4413497/man-found-burned-in-suv-had-been.html#storylink=cpy

Fort Worth police believe they've caught suspects in recent Ryan Place burglaries

We’re hoping to get some more information on this, but for now we can tell you that Fort Worth police believe they’ve cracked a series of burglaries in the historic south-side neighborhood, Ryan Place.

According to the department’s Facebook page, officers on Thursday responded to a break-in at a College Avenue home that also was burgled last week.

"When the officers split up to canvass the area, one officer heard a dog barking aggressively at a vehicle, with two male occupants, parked in a driveway nearby," police said in the Facebook post.

One man was arrested for possession of heroin, some codeine liquid and "a large amount of drug paraphernalia," police said.

"That suspect later confessed to at least one burglary on College," police said in the post. "It is believed that he and his partner are actors in the rest of the Ryan Place burglaries."

We’ll forward more information when it’s available.

-- Bill Miller

Cartel Watch: Mexican troops pursue 'Knights Templar' -- a Robin Hood-style drug gang

A three-truck convoy of Mexican army troops recently pulled out to patrol the rugged, mountainous region of the western state of Michoacan, when a raspy voice burst out of an unencrypted radio inside one of the cabs: "Three R's, 53." (Three army vehicles, headed your way.)

It wasn't a soldier's voice. The radio had picked up a call from the Knights Templar, a quasi-religious drug cartel that controls the area and most of the state.

The gang also monitors the movements of the military and police.

Its members not only live off methamphetamine and marijuana smuggling and extortion, they maintain country roads, control the local economy and act as private debt collectors for citizens frustrated with the courts, soldiers say.

Read more here.

 

Dallas school nurse accused of switching kids' meds

A nurse at K.B. Polk Vanguard Elementary School in Dallas allegedly replaced Ritalin for one child with a painkiller that can be dangerous, according to a report by Lindsay Wilcox of NBCdfw.com.

School officials uncovered the switch after the student's mom said her child had been acting oddly.

Police got a warrant to search the nurse's home and found pill bottles, controlled substances and dangerous drugs, according to NBCdfw.com.

Click here to see the whole report.

 

Airport workers busted, accused of smuggling heroin in Houston

Two Houston airport employees are charged with taking money to try to smuggle heroin and fraudulent documents through security.

The U.S. attorney's office for Houston says Rolin Eli Escober and Elidia Molina used their knowledge of Bush Intercontinental Airport security to smuggle items for cash from an undercover officer posing as a drug trafficker.

Read more in this report by The Associated Press.

 

Updated: Injured Arlington motorcycle officer is back home recovering

A 44-year-old Tarrant County man was in custody late Wednesday afternoon after a chase in which an Arlington motorcycle officer was injured.

Officer Jason Heisel, an eight-year veteran, suffered a foot injury and was treated at Medical Center Arlington. He was released Wednesday night and is at home recovering today, according to a Facebook post by Arlington police.

Tarrant County Jail records show that the suspect faces charges of delivery or manufacture of a controlled substance, evading arrest and aggravated assault on a public servant.

The man, whose last known address was in Fort Worth, has a record of multiple felony drug convictions and was wanted for questioning in an ongoing investigation, Sheriff’s Department spokesman Terry Grisham said in a news release.

Arlington police said the chase began at about 4:15 p.m. after an officer saw the suspect commit a traffic violation in the 6000 block of West Pioneer Parkway. The suspect, who was driving a red SUV, led officers on a chase for several blocks that went into a residential area of Dalworthington Gardens.

On Estates Drive, a cul-de-sac, the suspect made a U-turn and headed for Heisel, who took evasive action and went down, police said.

The suspect turned onto Sieber Drive, another cul-de-sac, drove through a fence and fled, but officers soon had him in custody, police said.

-- Bill Miller and Patrick M. Walker

Sam Hurd's cousin pleads guilty in case against former Cowboy

A second co-conspirator of former NFL receiver Sam Hurd has formally pleaded guilty in a drug investigation that charges Hurd with trying to set up a drug ring.

Jesse Tyrone Chavful pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Dallas to one count of conspiracy to possess five kilograms or more of cocaine with intent to distribute, according to The Associated Press.

The 45-year-old Chavful admitted to trying to buy cocaine and marijuana at Hurd's request earlier this year. Chavful - who is Hurd's cousin - also admitted he tried to set up a purchase of 10 kilograms of cocaine last year.

Another person charged in the investigation, Toby Lujan, has also pleaded guilty.
Hurd has pleaded not guilty.

Hurd's attorney, Jay Ethington, said Wednesday that he's continuing to prepare for trial, scheduled for Dec. 3.

ESPN also has a report on this; read it here.

Springtown schools in the news again, this time teacher busted for meth, station reports

The Springtown Independent School District has been in the news quite a bit this week. On Monday, the district made national headlines over a corporal punishment issue at Springtown High School.

And on Thursday night KDFW Fox 4 reported that a teacher at an elementary school was arrested for having drugs on campus.

Vicki Bruce, who teaches third grade at Reno Elementary School, "kept meth wrapped in tin foil in  a photo album in her purse," according to investigators mentioned in the Fox 4 report.

Fox 4 also reported that an arrest warrant affidavit stated Bruce told Texas Rangers "she utilized methamphetamines before going to work for the last seven years on and off."

Read more in the Fox 4 report.

-- Bill Miller