Daily Police Blotter

Here's a daily list of recent activities drawing the attention of North Texas law enforcement. List compiled on August 12, 2009.

PEOPLE DUBBED "SCARECROW BANDITS" CONVICTED IN BANK ROBBERIES
A jury found five people accused of wearing floppy hats and plaid shirts to rob North Texas banks guilty Wednesday. Investigators dubbed the thieves the "Scarecrow Bandits." Prosecutors said Corey Deyon Duffey, Tony R. Hewitt, Jarvis Dupree Ross, Charles Runnels and Antonyo Reece robbed 21 banks in 2007 and 2008. Two people pleaded guilty and testified against the five defendants. The judge in the case will set a date for sentencing.

SPRAY-PAINTING VANDALS TERRORIZE NEIGHBORHOOD
More than 10 vehicles were vandalized with profanity in the Kessler Plaza neighborhood in North Oak Cliff on Monday night. Residents said vehicles, portions of the sidewalk, front doors and even fences were tagged with red spray paint. Some of the images include swastikas and curse words. Dallas police are investigating the incident, but said it is not a hate crime because all of the victims are from different ethnic backgrounds. Police said juveniles could be to blame for the vandalism. Click here to read more and see images of the vandalism.

MAN FOUND GUILTY IN SLAYINGS OF CHRISTIAN MUSIC PRODUCERS
A jury found James Broadnax, 20, guilty of capital murder Wednesday in the killings of two Christian music producers. Stephen Swan, 26, and Matthew Butler, 28, were killed outside their Garland recording studio in June 2008. The jury deliberated for about 40 minutes, the Dallas Morning News reported. Broadnax admitted to the slayings in jailhouse interviews with reporters. The sentencing phase will start Thursday morning, the newspaper reported. Prosecutors have asked for the death penalty in the case.

POLICE SUSPECT WRONG-WAY DRIVER WAS INTOXICATED
A man was arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated Wednesday after he was traveling southbound on northbound Interstate 35 near state Highway 121 Business at about 2:30 a.m. The man was driving the wrong way on the freeway when his Honda hit a northbound cement truck. The impact peeled the sheet metal from the driver’s side of the car but the truck suffered minor damage, police said. There were no injuries.

MAN ARRESTED FOR ABUSING, ASSAULTING DISABLED WOMAN
Harvey Ray Moss, 50, was arrested and placed in Dallas County Jail Tuesday after he was accused of locking 21-year-old Latisha Morris, a disabled woman, in the back of a moving truck in south Dallas. Read more here.

POLICE SEARCHING FOR MAN WHO FLASHES TEENS
McKinney police are searching for a man who allegedly drives up next to young teenagers and positions his vehicle so that the victims can see him performing lewd sexual acts, McKinney News reported. The man is described as white, between 20 and 30 years old, with a skinny build, a medium complexion, short brown spiked hair and no facial hair. His vehicle is described as a white minivan with a luggage rack, rusty wheels, a dent on the drivers-side quarter panel and two stickers on the lower right side of rear window. The first sticker is pink with unknown numbers, and the second sticker is black with white lettering and reads, “Abortion is Mean." Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Ray Clark at 972-547-2700.

MORE THAN 500 DOGS SEIZED AT PUPPY MILL
The Humane Society and Mabank authorities seized more than 500 dogs and 15 cats Tuesday from a property in Mabank suspected of being a puppy mill. The neglected chihuahuas and poodles were found with infected wounds and skin and eye irritations, authorities said. The Humane Society is caring for the animals.

DAD ACCUSED OF BEATING 5-WEEK-OLD BABY TO DEATH
Shelton Alexander is in jail on suspicion of beating his 5-week-old son to death. The baby died Monday after he was taken to the hospital Sunday with rib fractures, severe bruising and internal injuries. Bail for Alexander was set at $1 million.

HIGH-SPEED CHASE THROUGH IRVING, DALLAS ENDS WITH WRECK
A high-speed chase through Dallas ended with a wreck Tuesday afternoon. Irving police spotted the stolen Escalade on state Highway 183 but when they tried to pull the driver over, he took off. Police chased the man into Dallas where he rear ended another vehicle then got out and ran. Officers used police dogs to find him in a nearby neighborhood.

MOTORCYCLIST DIES OF INJURIES
Billy Stroud, 56, died Tuesday at John Peter Smith Hospital after he was seriously injured in a car wreck with a suspected drunken driver earlier that day, the Star-Telegram reports. The crash happened in the 5800 block of Belknap Street near Denton Highway. The charges against the driver of the car have been amended from intoxication manslaughter to murder, police said.

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