Dallas

Tennessee Man Drove to Dallas to Kill Ex-Girlfriend's Husband, Affidavit Says

Dallas police investigate the location where James Faith was shot and called on Waverly Drive on Oct. 9, 2020.
Texas Sky Ranger

A Tennessee man drove to Dallas to murder a man who was his ex-girlfriend's husband, according to court documents.

Darrin Lopez faces a murder charge in the October shooting of 49-year-old James Faith, whose wife, Jennifer Faith, Lopez dated in high school and college, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

The Dallas County court document says Darrin Lopez had a "five-year plan of how" he and Jennifer Faith "would be together."

James Faith was shot multiple times and killed while walking his dog with his wife near their Oak Cliff home just after 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 9.

Dallas police are asking for the public’s help to find the gunman who shot and killed a man early Friday morning in Oak Cliff. NBC 5’s Maria Guerrero reports.

According to the affidavit, after Lopez shot James Faith, he attacked Jennifer Faith. He put duct tape around her hands and struck her with his hands before he attempted, unsuccessfully, to take her jewelry as she screamed for help, the document says.

Jennifer Faith could not identify the shooter because he was wearing a "hooded jacket or sweatshirt and a blue facemask," according to the affidavit.

"I hear the woman screaming for her life. It sounded terrible," neighbor Melinda Mendoza said on Oct. 9. "It sounded like a movie. I see their dog moving, big ol' pretty dog took off running so I knew it was my neighbors."

According to the affidavit, the gunman climbed into a black Nissan truck and fled the scene immediately after the incident. The shooting happened the day after James and Jennifer Faith's 15th wedding anniversary, police said.

During an analysis of Jennifer Faith's cell phone records, investigators found she and her husband were having "marital problems," according to the affidavit. Detectives discovered messages in which Faith described her relationship with Lopez as a "full-blown emotional affair."

Darrin Lopez mug shot
Dickson County Sheriff's Office
Darrin Lopez mug shot

Authorities later learned Lopez owned a black Nissan Titan that matched the description of the vehcile seen at the shooting and obtained a warrant for his phone records, the affidavit says.

An analysis found more than 14,300 calls and text messages between Faith and Lopez in the month of October.

The affidavit says detectives were able to place Lopez on Waverly Drive near the Faith's home before the shooting.

It’s been nearly two months since James Faith was gunned down while out on a morning walk. Now his widow, Jennifer Faith, who witnessed the shooting, is pleading with the public to help find her husband’s killer.

In early December, Jennifer Faith told NBC 5 she believed the murder was an attempted robbery but wasn't sure.

"My hope is that someday perhaps the person will realize the gravity of what they've done and what they taken from myself and my daughter," she said on Dec. 4. "He was just the backbone of our family. It was just devastating."

Lopez is being held in a Tennessee jail.

The court documents did not indicate if Jennifer Faith was suspected of, or charged with, any crimes.

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