Dallas

Three Law Enforcement Officers Investigated for Saturday Party Shooting

Deputy Constable and her cousin arrested

It began with the arrest of a Dallas County Constable Deputy and her cousin on Sunday and now two more officers are under investigation after gunfire at a Saturday night party.

The party was in the 2500 Block of Lewiston Avenue in Dallas' Pleasant Grove area at a venue called Rancho Las Dos Potrancas or Ranch of the Two Fillies.

Neighbors who declined to be seen talking about the venue said there are often disruptive parties there but that police hired for security do nothing to protect the community. 

The entire situation might never have come to light if not for three men with gunshot wounds reported to police at Dallas Baylor Medical Center Sunday morning.

Court records obtained by NBC 5 said Deputy Precinct 5 Constable Denisse Escobedo was one of four law enforcement officers hired to work security at the Saturday night party.

But when one of the officers canceled, the records said Escobedo recruited her cousin Ramiro Vielma, who is not a peace officer, to fill in. At the venue gate, Escobedo and Vielma both wore black t-shirts with the word 'Police,' according to the records.

The men at the hospital told investigators that people who they did not believe to be real police stopped them at the gate and took a case of beer from them with threats of writing tickets.

In the records, the men said they were wounded by bullets fired at them as they tried to leave the location but police could not identify who shot the men. Their injuries were minor.

One of the victims, Marco Faz, declined comment on Friday. He still had marks from the gunshot wound he received on his ear.

Escobedo was arrested Sunday for failing to report the shooting, official oppression for taking the beer under threats and impersonating a public servant by wearing a t-shirt with the word 'Police.'

She could not be reached at her home in Cedar Hill where a Constable squad car was parked outside Thursday.

Escobedo was placed on administrative leave Monday. Precinct 5 Constable Michael Orozco said Friday that Escobedo is forbidden from driving the car as the investigation continues.

Vielma was charged with impersonating a public servant. He declined comment at his home Friday.

Court records said Dallas Police Officer Arnulfo Pargas and Parkland Hospital Police Officer Fidel Rosas were also at the Saturday Night party, but did not report the shooting.

Pargas was placed on administrative leave Thursday. A Parkland Hospital spokesperson said Rosas is still on duty but under investigation.

The neighbors who spoke privately Friday were pleased to hear that attention was being paid to the venue.

Manager Janet Hernandez said by phone that the shooting did not occur on the venue property, but she referred additional questions to police and declined further comment.

A Dallas Police spokesperson only confirmed that one officer is on administrative leave pending an investigation.

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