Daily Police Blotter

Here's a daily list of recent activities drawing the attention of North Texas law enforcement. List compiled on Aug. 10, 2009.

BURGLARS' VIOLENT NORTH DALLAS RAMPAGE STOKES FEAR
Dallas police met with more than 100 people Monday to calm fears after a violent crime spree last week near Marsh and Forest lanes. Burglars forced their way into two homes and tried kicking their way into at least four others during a four-hour period early Friday in Dallas' Northhaven neighborhood. Investigators said the break-ins appeared to be random. Police have added decoy cars and have beefed up patrols in the neighborhood. Click here to read more on NBCDFW.com.

PLANO TEACHER ACCUSED OF HAVING SEX WITH STUDENT
A 39-year-old special education teacher was arrested late Friday night on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy. Mariane Kieffer, a teacher at Carpenter Middle School, turned herself in to Collin County authorities and was released on bond. Police said the victim said they first had sex after getting drunk together, the Dallas Morning News reported. Kieffer faces charges of sexual assault and improper relationship between an educator and student. A Plano school district spokeswoman said Kieffer is on administrative leave.

TESTIMONY BEGINS IN SLAYINGS OF CHRISTIAN MUSIC PRODUCERS
Testimony will resume Tuesday morning in the death penalty trial of a man accused in the slayings of two Christian music producers. James Broadnax, 20, is the first of two men who have been charged in the killings to go on trial. Reporters who interviewed Broadnax after his arrest were ordered to testify about their jailhouse interviews. In several separate interviews, Broadnax admitted to killing 26-year-old Stephen Swan and 28-year-old Matthew Butler outside their Garland recording studio in June 2008. If convicted, Broadnax could face the death penalty. Click here to read more on NBCDFW.com.

MOM OF KIDS IN BATHROOM, BOYFRIEND, FACE ADDITIONAL CHARGES
New charges were filed Saturday against a couple accused of keeping the woman's three starving children in a Dallas motel bathroom for at least nine months, The Associated Press reported Monday. Abneris Santiago, the mother, now faces three charges of injury to a child and is being held on an increased bond of $150,000. Her boyfriend, Alfred Santiago, now faces three counts of injury to a child in addition to the previous filed charges of one count of aggravated sexual assault and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child. His bond increased to $275,000.

GUNMAN OPENS FIRE ON FAMILY ON HIGHWAY
Police said someone along Spur 408 opened fire on a family of three near Interstate 20 early Monday morning. The victim's car was struck by the gunfire. They exited 408 and sought help at I-20 and Beltline in Grand Prairie. An off-duty Dallas officer witnessed the shooting first-hand. Police said the officer followed the suspect's vehicle and saw it leave the freeway at a high rate of speed. The driver apparently lost control and wrecked the car on Clark Road just south of I-20. Police took five people from that car into custody. The family in the other car, a mother, father and their teenage son, are OK. They told police they had never seen the suspects before and do not know why they were attacked. The vehicle was a former police car. It is a Ford Crown Victoria with a "police interceptor" label on the back.

POLICE BELIEVE SECOND JUVENILE SPENT TIME IN JAIL
A second juvenile girl is believed to have spent time in a Dallas County Jail after being arrested on shoplifting charges last month, The Dallas Morning News reports. The girl told police that she was 20-year-old Patrice Washington when she was arrested on July 10. Police now know that the girl is actually 14 years old with a different last name. Jasmine Lewis, 13, who was also arrested and put into a Dallas County Jail, provided police with the girl’s real identity.

MAN SOUGHT IN 7-ELEVEN HOLDUP
Arlington police are searching for a man who robbed a 7-Eleven convenience store on July 22, The Dallas Morning News reports.  The man walked into the store at 4225 Park Springs Boulevard about 3:30 a.m. and told the clerk that he had a gun. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash. He is described as about 6 feet tall and 195 pounds. He wore a maroon Virginia Tech ball cap, a New York Yankees shirt and blue jeans. Anyone with information is asked to call Arlington police Det. Anthony Wright at 817-459-5637 or Crime Stoppers at 817-469-8477.

EULESS PLANS TO TAKE ‘ANIMAL SACRIFICE’ MAN BACK TO COURT
The city of Euless plans to take a local man, who was given permission to slaughter four-legged animals such as goats and lambs, back to court, The Dallas Morning News reports. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals made the decision last week to allow animal sacrifice in Euless as part of a religious practice under the Texas Religious Freedom and Restoration Act. Associate city attorney William McKamie said he will file a motion for rehearing by the full court.

ONE DEAD, THREE INJURED IN TWO-CAR WRECK
One woman died and three others were injured in a collision in Fort Worth early Sunday.  A woman passenger was killed when a car traveling 53 mph in a 40 mph zone collided with a car that was stopped at the intersection of 800 University Drive and West Seventh Street. While at the scene, the driver of the speeding vehicle exhibited signs of intoxication and was arrested for suspicion of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault.

FIVE CHILDREN INJURED IN CRASH
Five children are recovering after a car crash late Sunday night.  The crash took place at about 9:30 p.m. at Westmoreland and Illinois in Dallas.  The children were all transported to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.  Officers said a man on the scene was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Contact Us