Here's a daily list of random crimes across North Texas compiled on Dec. 8, 2008.
WOMAN KIDNAPPED FROM HOME, POLICE SAY
Police said kidnappers grabbed a woman from her home in Denton County on Monday morning. The kidnappers demanded $100,000 in cash for her release, police said. Police arrested three people in connection with the kidnapping. Police said the woman was not hurt. (NBC DFW)
WOMAN ARRESTED IN HIT-AND-RUN HAS 45 OUTSTANDING TICKETS
Denton police said a woman arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash also has 45 outstanding tickets totaling more than $16,000. Police said Haley Flint, 19, has tickets for offenses ranging from curfew violations to drug paraphernalia.
FORMER TEACHER ACCUSED OF TRYING TO CONTACT STUDENT
Denton police re-arrested Monday a former Denton teacher accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student. Police said Lauren Cosgrove sent a text message to the boy she is accused of assaulting and asked if his parents would drop charges in exchange for money. Police said it was the second time she has tried to contact the child.
ANTI-JEWISH GRAFFITI PAINTED AT FLOWER MOUND SYNAGOGUE
Flower Mound police opened a hate crime investigation after someone painted graffiti over the weekend on a playground at a Jewish synagogue. The writing at the Kol Ami Synagogue on Timber Creek Road included at least one anti-Jewish slogan. Police said the graffiti appears to be the work of children, but officers will investigate and step up patrols in the area.
CHILDREN SPOTTED WALKING ALONG I-35E
A motorist called police Saturday morning after seeing two young children walking along Interstate 35E without any coats. The oldest child, a 7-year-old boy, told police he woke up in his apartment and couldn't find his mother. The boy then decided to pack a diaper bag and take his 1-year-old brother to his grandmother's house. Child Protective Services took the boys into custody after police were unable to locate their mother. (Denton Record Chronicle)
JUVENILE SHOT IN BEDFORD
A juvenile was shot through an apartment door late Sunday night in Bedford. The victim, whose name and age has not been released, was struck in the torso after the bullet passed through his arm. Investigators said several shots had been fired at the residence on the 800 block of Central Drive. The victim was treated at the scene by paramedics and then transported to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. Investigators said they believe the victim was one of several targets or the sole target inside the residence -- however the actual motive is still under investigation. So far, no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting though police said they are following up on two males seen leaving the scene.
MAN POSES AS OFFICER IN HOME INVASION
Dallas police are looking for a man posing as a police officer. Investigators said a man with a badge knocked on the door of a home on Leaside Drive just before 1 a.m. Monday. The man attacked the homeowner after he opened the door and then took off with cash, jewelry and other items. The homeowner is expected to be OK.
DRIVER TRIES TO RUN DOWN DALLAS OFFICER
Dallas police continue to search for a man they say tried to run down one of their officers. Police were responding to a second family violence call at an apartment in the 4700 block of Ledbetter when the driver of the car swerved at police. An officer opened fire on the car, which crashed a short time later. The driver of the car got away. (NBCDFW)
CAR CATCHES FIRE AFTER CRASH, POLICE CHASE
A suspected DUI stop in Fort Worth led police on an chase overnight Sunday. Officers tried to pull over the drive rnear Lancaster Road and East Loop 820. Officers later used a spike strip to disable the driver's tires but the driver kept going. With flat tires, the driver later lost control and crashed -- where the car caught on fire. The driver escaped the vehicle without injury and was arrested.
MAN FATALLY SHOT IN DALLAS
A 30-year-old man was fatally shot in Dallas early Monday morning. The man, whose name has not yet been released by the Dallas County medical examiner, was pronounced dead at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas. The shooting took place on the 3800 block of Colonial Drive near Interstate 45 and U.S. Highway 175.
TEACHER FACES DRUG CHARGES
A teacher at a Mi Escuelita preschool in Cockrell Hill was arrested Sunday evening, accused of possessing crack cocaine. Officers said they pulled over Josefa Isabel Ybarra about 7 p.m. in the 1700 block of Fort Worth Avenue in West Dallas for failing to maintain a single lane of traffic. She seemed nervous, according to a police report. "Officer, I don't want to go to jail. I got this for a friend," she said when asked by the officer whether there was anything in the car, according to the report. She handed him a rock of cocaine, the report said.School officials say Ms.Ybarra has been placed on unpaid leave.
