Dallas police have arrested a suspected burglar who targeted the personal vehicles of firefighters at Fire Station 12 on Wednesday, while the station continues to mourn the loss of one of its own.
William Scott Tanksley, who was stationed at Fire Station No. 12, fell to his death Monday night while responding to a crash on icy Spur 408 and Interstate 20.
Dallas police were called to the fire house in the 7500 block of West Wheatland Road just before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday when a Dallas Fire-Rescue employee saw someone burglarizing firefighters' personal vehicles.
The burglar ran away before officers arrived.
Chopper 5 observed crime scene technicians photographing vehicles in the parking lot, one sport utility vehicle had a broken passenger window.
The area where the firefighters vehicles are parked is surrounded by a fence topped with razor wire and access is controlled by automated gates.
Neighbors told NBC 5 they've noticed a number of car burglaries in the area. One man told NBC 5 his neighbor's car was broken into recently and several weeks ago the tailgate to his pickup was stolen.
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Dallas police arrested the suspected burglar on Thursday and identified him as 17-year-old Jarius Fowler.
Witnesses from Fire Station 12 called police after they reported seeing Fowler carrying a flat screen television behind the fire station and recognized him from the vehicle burglaries.
Police said the property that Fowler was carrying has been linked to a home burglary.
Fowler is in jail. He has been charged with burglary of a habitation and a motor vehicle burglary charge is forthcoming, according to police.
