► LOCAL NEWS ARCHIVE
December 2008-January 2009
Tips to Waco Crime Stoppers rise to start 2009 (Jan 24, 2009)
Police arrest 2 Waco men in string of car burglaries (Jan 24, 2009)
Waco teen sentenced to 40 years for role in armed robberies (Jan 23, 2009)
3 arrested in car vandalism (Jan 17, 2009)
Man shot after his truck was rear-ended (Jan 14, 2009)
Teen charged with Waco capital murder also charged in aggravated kidnapping (Jan 11, 2009)
Man found fatally wounded on roadside (Jan 8, 2009)
Cars in Waco, Woodway used for target practice (Jan 6, 2009)
Two stabbed during fight at Waco restaurant (Jan 4, 2009)
3 men at large after apartment complex assault in Waco (Jan 3, 2009)
Waco man arrested on DWI charge after collision with police car (Jan 2, 2009)
Burglars steal cash, trash parts of HOT Fair complex (Dec. 30, 2008)
Waco police look for convenience store robber (Dec. 29, 2008)
Update: Homicide victim identified (Dec 23, 2008)
Update on man shot at Waco bar (Dec. 22, 2008)
Waco police still seeking suspects in holdup (Dec 22, 2008)
Police seek man who robbed home (Dec. 15, 2008)
Man arrested after robbery (Dec. 15, 2008)
Police arrest 2 in store robbery (Dec. 15, 2008)
Police: Five armed robberies around Waco last night (Dec 11, 2008)
Waco jury hears evidence in shooting trial (Dec 9, 2008)
Waco police arrest two in vehicle burglary (Dec 2, 2008)
Tips to Waco Crime Stoppers rise to start 2009
By Regina Dennis, Waco Tribune-Herald, Jan. 24, 2009
Local law enforcement agencies are getting some extra help solving crime: from you.
Waco Crime Stoppers has received more than 350 calls in the past month, surpassing the monthly average of 200 calls, said officer Steve Dieterich, coordinator of the program.
Most recently, callers delivered tips about a string of car vandalism earlier this month in which the windows of more than 90 vehicles in Waco and Woodway were shot out with a BB gun over a weekend. Three 18-year-olds, Christopher Lee Garcia, Iris Castillo, and Esteban Rivas, were arrested and charged with felony criminal mischief.
“The tips were helpful, but much of that was due to some great detective work,” Dieterich said. “What we give the investigators is anonymous information, but instead of having 100,000 suspects you just have one. So it points the detectives in the right direction, and they can starting building their case and gathering evidence.”
In a typical month, Crime Stoppers pays out five to seven rewards. So far, more than 12 rewards are scheduled to be dispersed for January. The maximum award is $2,000, with most payouts averaging $400.
Dieterich said the increase in calls may be because more people are pressed for cash and are turning to Crime Stoppers to supplement their incomes.
“Back when gas was real high, the calls went up a lot, and when gas got a little bit cheaper the calls went back to normal again,” Dieterich said. “Now that it’s really picking up again, I think — and this is just my guessing — that it’s because people are trying to get more money after the Christmas season.”
Not everyone who calls can bank on a big payday, Dieterich said. Of the 3,170 calls Crime Stoppers received last year, only 447 produced actual tips, and just 77 callers were rewarded for providing crucial information to a police investigation, Dieterich said.
There has also been a noticeable increase in the number of high school students who use the service, since the department rolled out its “Tippin’ Ain’t Snitchin’ ” campaign last year.
Still, Dieterich said, some people call in with information simply to curb increases in crime. Last year, callers’ tips led to 85 arrests and the recovery of more than $50,000 in stolen property or narcotics, he said.
“Some people don’t even pick up their reward at all,” Dieterich said. “Some people may get a reward, a very significant reward worth a lot of money, but they don’t pick it up because for them it’s all about the anonymity.”
Dieterich said the department goes to great lengths to protect tipsters’ identities. There is no caller ID technology tracking phone calls into Crime Stoppers, and callers are not required to give a name or contact information.
Tipsters with information useful to an investigation are given a code number. They are told to call back to see if they qualify for an award. The Crime Stoppers’ board determines the amount.
Dieterich said he is grateful for the people who do call in to the hot line, whether just for the money or not, because the calls have helped crime fighting efforts tremendously. The Waco Crime Stoppers won its fifth consecutive award for clearing the most cases in its division at the state Crime Stoppers convention last May.
“Fighting crime has been good in ’09,” Dieterich said, laughing. Back to top
Police arrest 2 Waco men in string of car burglaries
By Tim Woods, Waco Tribune-Herald, Jan 24, 2009
The Waco Police Department has arrested two Waco men in connection with a string of car burglaries Saturday.
Juan Antonio Delgado, 19, and Mauricio Delgado, 18, were arrested Thursday at their home and charged with the burglaries, which took place around the 1000 block of South Ninth Street on Saturday, police spokesman Steve Anderson said.
Detectives investigating the break-ins developed the brothers as suspects and found the men in possession of some of the stolen goods when they were arrested at their home on the 1400 block of Princeton Street.
They were arrested without incident, Anderson said.
Both Delgado brothers were charged with burglary of a vehicle and engaging in organized crime, Anderson said Mauricio Delgado was also charged with possession of marijuana, which he had in his pocket when police arrested him.
Both men bonded out of the McLennan County Jail by Friday night, with Mauricio Delgado posting a $4,000 bond and Juan Delgado posting a $5,000 bond, a jail spokeswoman said. Back to top
Waco teen sentenced to 40 years for role in armed robberies
By Tommy Witherspoon, Waco Tribune-Herald, Jan 23, 2009
A Waco teen who has a long history of behavioral problems and a string of juvenile arrests was sentenced to 40 years in prison Thursday for robbing four Baylor University students at gunpoint last year.
After hearing a report from a Waco psychologist, 19th State District Judge Ralph Strother sentenced Jonathan Daniel Ochoa, 19, to four concurrent 40-year prison terms in the January 2008 robbery of four Baylor students outside George’s restaurant on Speight Avenue.
Ochoa fired two shots during the robbery, terrifying the students and breaking a window in a truck with the second shot.
“In layman’s terms, doctor, is there any chance of fixing this young man?” Strother asked Waco psychologist Lee Carter at the end of Carter’s testimony Thursday morning.
“Not really, your honor,” Carter said.
Carter, who examined Ochoa in jail, told prosecutors Melanie Walker and Edward Vallejo that Ochoa’s 59 IQ puts him on the mild range of retardation, adding that he suffers from depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, has abused drugs, including inhaling paint fumes, and has poor impulse control and a lack of empathy for others.
Ochoa, who faced up to life in prison, pleaded guilty Monday and elected to have Strother assess his punishment.
Ochoa’s family members, including his mother, half-brother and godmother, acknowledged Thursday that he has had his problems in school and with the law over the years. But they said he has a good heart, is kind and is a joy to be around, adding that he gave his toy one Christmas to an autistic relative.
Ochoa’s younger brother, Steven Ochoa, told Strother that his brother was not the same after he served a stint in a Texas Youth Commission facility near El Paso in 2006 for breaking into a house and stealing a gun. He added that Ochoa was more aggressive, angry and more willing to get into trouble.
After sentencing, some of Ochoa’s family members cried while Steven Ochoa and another young man with him began shouting at the judge. After admonishing them to stop yelling and staring menacingly at him, Strother told the pair that Ochoa caught a break, predicting that a jury would have given him a life sentence.
Ochoa’s attorney, Walter M. Reaves Jr., said he thinks that Ochoa can change, given his age, adding that he hopes he takes advantage of some educational and psychological classes offered to him in prison.
“If he doesn’t change, he will be in prison for a long time,” Reaves said.
Ochoa must serve at least 20 years before becoming eligible for parole. Back to top
3 arrested in car vandalism
Waco Tribune-Herald, Jan 17, 2009
Waco police investigators have arrested three people in connection with a rash of car vandalism earlier this month.
Christopher Lee Garcia, Iris Castillo and Esteban Rivas, all 18 years old and from Waco, were arrested Friday and charged with criminal mischief, a third-degree felony, for their alleged role in the vandalism, Waco police spokesman Steve Anderson said.
Beginning early on the morning of Jan. 3, Waco police responded to numerous calls regarding windows being shot out of cars with either a BB gun or pellet gun, Anderson said.
Over a two-day span, police investigated more than 90 such calls, with damage totaling more than $34,000, Anderson said.
After the vandalism was publicized, calls started pouring in to the police, with several of the callers naming Garcia, Castillo and Rivas as the ones responsible.
Because investigators were able to show that the cases were one continuous criminal episode, the crimes were upgraded to third-degree felonies.
All three are currently being held in the McLennan County Jail on $20,000 bond. Back to top
Man shot after his truck was rear-ended
By Erin Quinn, Waco Tribune-Herald, Jan 14, 2009
A 41-year-old Waco man told police that he was shot in the stomach after the vehicle he was driving was rear-ended Tuesday morning.
Darcey Rendell Hutch-eson’s 1998 Chevrolet S-10 pickup was struck by a black sedan traveling behind him in the 2800 block of Grim Avenue, Waco police spokesman Steve Anderson said.
Hutcheson told police he exited his truck and was immediately shot in the stomach by one of two men who walked out of the sedan, Anderson said. The men drove away.
Hutcheson drove away and later was taken by ambulance to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, where he was being treated Tuesday for his injuries. No information on Hutcheson’s condition was available.
Officers are investigating whether the men rammed Hutcheson’s vehicle to rob him or whether it was a traffic crash and Hutcheson was shot for no other reason, Anderson said.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Waco police at
757-7500 or CrimeStoppers at 753-HELP. Back to top
Teen charged with Waco capital murder also charged in aggravated kidnapping
By Van Darden, Waco Tribune-Herald, Jan 11, 2009
A 15-year-old boy arrested Friday night in the Tuesday shooting death of Gregory Lewis also has been charged with kidnapping a woman and her child in December, authorities say.
Because he is a juvenile, his name is not being released, police say.
The teen was arrested about 11:45 p.m. Friday after he ran from officers in the 1100 block of North 10th Street to a residence in that block, Waco police spokesman Steve Anderson said.
He was taken to the Bill Logue Juvenile Center and is charged with capital murder and two counts of aggravated kidnapping, Anderson said.
Gregory Lewis was found alive but unresponsive about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 800 block of North Ninth Street after a caller reported hearing gunshots.
Police found that Lewis had been shot several times in the lower torso and was taken to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, where he later died.
During the investigation of Lewis’ killing, police determined that the teen took money from Lewis, making the crime a capital offense, Anderson said.
Linked to 2nd crime
Also during the investigation, information came to light that linked the teen to the Dec. 29 aggravated kidnapping of a 24-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter, Anderson said.
Anderson said the mother and daughter had just pulled in to the Kate Ross apartment complex in the 1100 block of South 11th Street when a man approached her car, flashed a pistol and told her to get in the back seat of the car, Anderson said.
As the victim got into the back seat, three other men ran up and got in the car. Anderson said one of the three men also had a pistol.
The men took the woman’s purse and, after removing its contents, drove the woman to an ATM, telling her that if she didn’t withdraw more money, they would kill her and her child, Anderson said.
The woman could not withdraw any cash, however, because the account was empty. Anderson said the men dropped off the woman and child at the intersection of 23rd Street and Sanger Avenue before ditching the car at Sherman Street and East Live Oak Avenue.
2nd suspect arrested
A 20-year-old man also was arrested Friday in connection with the kidnapping, Anderson said.
Clifton Yudell Dobbins was arrested at an apartment complex in the 1200 block of North Ninth Street and taken to the McLennan County Jail. He was charged with two counts of aggravated kidnapping, Anderson said.
A jail spokeswoman said Dobbins is being held in lieu of $20,000 bond — $10,000 for each count.
Bond information for the juvenile was unavailable Saturday. Back to top
Man found fatally wounded on roadside
By Erin Quinn and Van Darden, Waco Tribune-Herald, Jan 8, 2009
Police were looking Wednesday for suspects in the death of a 48-year-old Waco man who was found late Tuesday lying shot on the side of the road.
Gregory Lewis was found at 11:30 p.m. at the intersection of Ninth Street and Bosque Boulevard, suffering from several gunshot wounds to his lower torso, Waco police spokesman Steve Anderson said in a statement.
Officers had responded to the area after receiving a call about multiple gunshots.
Lewis was pronounced dead about an hour later at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center by Justice of the Peace Kristi DeCluitt.
Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call the Waco Police Department at 750-7500 or Waco Crime Stoppers at 753-HELP. Back to top
Cars in Waco, Woodway used for target practice
By Erin Quinn, Waco Tribune-Herald, Jan 6, 2009
It was miserable and cold Monday just before 5 a.m. when Anita Farrish walked to her North Waco driveway and noticed the back window of her 2007 Dodge Caravan had been shot out.
“At first, I thought it was ice, and then I saw all the glass,” said Farrish, who works at the veterans medical center in Temple. “I guess it rains on the just as well as the unjust.”
Indeed, it did. Since Saturday, police say the windows of about 80 vehicles in Waco and Woodway have been shot out, inconveniencing everyone but auto-glass-repair businesses.
Waco Police spokesman Steve Anderson said the department has no suspects but that there is a “high probability” that the same person is responsible for all the damage. “It seems to me like someone has gotten a BB gun or pellet gun for Christmas and has been tearing up the town with it ever since,” he said.
Anderson said the windows of about 30 vehicles were shot out in the early morning hours Saturday in North Waco. Overnight Sunday, another 30 were vandalized in the area of Colcord Avenue and Grim Avenue, he said. Residents awoke Monday to find about 15 vehicles damaged in the area of Bosque Boulevard and New Road. Some vehicles also were vandalized in Woodway, authorities said.
Rodney Duron, co-owner of Freddy’s Auto Glass & Mirror Inc., 3605 Franklin Ave., said victims have been coming in since early Saturday.
“Business has been real slow, so this is a welcome change for us,” he said. “We’re just glad we can help.”
Brian Mees, the owner of Waco Auto Glass Center, 1100 Franklin Ave., identified with Duron’s statement Monday.
Mees said his staff fielded 12 calls in the first hour they were open Monday.
During the day, his staff repaired vehicles’ side and back windows, which cost anywhere from $100 to a $1,500 rear window on a brand-new GMC Envoy, he said.
Insurance typically covers such vandalism, but most people still had to pay out of pocket until their deductible was met, he said.
Anderson asks anyone with information about the vandalism to call the Waco Police Department at 750-7500. Back to top
Two stabbed during fight at Waco restaurant
By Mike Anderson, Waco Tribune-Herald, Jan 4, 2009
Two men were apparently stabbed during a fight at a Waco Whataburger early this morning, police said.
Police were called to the restaurant, at 1526 Hewitt Drive, about several people fighting about 4:30 a.m., Waco police spokesman Steve Anderson said in a press release. When officers arrived, those involved in the fight had already left, Anderson said.
A short time later, Juan Castillo, 23, and Adrian Chaires, 17, showed up at Providence Health Center with stab wounds to the chest, Anderson said. The injuries did not appear to be life threatening, police said, although the hospital did not release further information today. Both were later transferred to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center.
Witnesses reported the fight started when a group of people wearing school shirts from McGregor got into a confrontation with another group, then they went outside and began fighting, Anderson said.
The witnesses identified Castillo and Chaires as being at the fight, Anderson said. Witnesses also told police others were injured in the fight but no information was released today about others being taken to the hospital. Back to top
3 men at large after apartment complex assault in Waco
Waco Tribune-Herald, Jan 3, 2009
Three men wanted by Waco police in connection with an attack at an apartment complex were still at large late Friday.
A bout 12:30 a.m. Friday, Oscar Ortega answered a man’s knock at the door of his 724 N. 12th St. apartment, police said.
When he went outside to see what the man wanted, two other men jumped out and attacked him, police said.
One of the men pulled out a silver handgun and pointed it at Ortega’s face, and Ortega began wrestling with the men over the weapon, police said. Another man at the apartment, Eric Marquez, 29, heard the commotion and stepped outside to break up the attack, police said. One of the attackers struck Marquez in the head with the gun, police said.
A third man in the apartment, Victor Rojas, 28. came outside and pulled Marquez and Ortega out of the struggle.
As the men retreated into the apartment, one of the attackers fired a shot at Marquez that narrowly flew over his head, hitting the door, police said.
The suspects then ran to the rear of the apartment and fired several shots into Ortega’s white 1995 Chevrolet Camaro, police said.
An ambulance was called to the scene to treat Marquez, but he refused treatment. Back to top
Waco man arrested on DWI charge after collision with police car
By Mike Anderson, Waco Tribune-Herald, Jan 2, 2009
Talk about the wrong place at the wrong time: A Waco man was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated early Thursday after his car hit the back of a police car, police said.
Martin Flores Jr., 23, became the first person arrested in Waco on New Year’s Day after the early morning accident, said Waco police spokesman Steve Anderson.
Flores was driving a 1997 Pontiac Grand Am west on Waco Drive when the car struck the back of a Waco patrol car stopped in traffic at the intersection with Valley Mills Drive, Anderson said. Neither vehicle was seriously damaged, and no one was injured in the wreck, he said.
However, the officer arrested Flores and took him to the McLennan County Jail, where he was released Thursday afternoon on $2,000 bond, a jail spokeswoman said. Back to top
Burglars steal cash, trash parts of HOT Fair complex
By Regina Dennis, Waco Tribune-Herald, Dec 30, 2008
The break-in happened sometime between 4:30 p.m. Saturday, when staff members left the complex, and Monday morning, according to Wes Allison, president and CEO of the fair.
Allison said the burglars entered the complex through a side door in the Dodge Show Pavilion and made their way toward the offices in the coliseum. The burglars broke into two ATM machines — one in the show pavilion and another near the ticket booth at the front of the building — and took $3,000.
The burglars also damaged several doors and broke the windows of the ticket offices, causing up to $20,000 in damages. Allison said the fair complex staff is working on some repairs and to replace broken doors with spare stored at the facility.
Allison said there is not an alarm system in the complex. A sledgehammer on the property was used to break about five cameras stationed around the front offices and ticket booth, Allison said.
The complex was last broken into in 2002, Allison said. He said that incident turned out to be an inside job. Back to top
Waco police look for convenience store robber
By Regina Dennis, Waco Tribune-Herald, Dec 29, 2008
Police are looking for a man who robbed a convenience store late Sunday.
Around 10 p.m., officers arrived at the Cefco convenience store at 2000 N. Valley Mills Drive after an attendant reported being robbed, according to a press release from the Waco Police Spokesman Steve Anderson.
The worker told police that a man wearing a blue bandana over his face entered the store and flashed a silver gun, demanding money from the cash register. The man left the store with an unknown amount of money.
Anyone with information about this robbery should contact the police department at 750-7500 or Waco Crime Stoppers at 753-HELP. Back to top
Update: Homicide victim identified
By WacoTrib.com staff, Dec 23, 2008
Waco police are investigating the shooting death of a 22-year-old man Monday night in a North Waco home.
Devin Jerome Adkinson was found inside the residence just after 7 p.m., according to Waco police officer Steve Anderson.
At 7:19 p.m. officers responded to 2017 Ethel Ave. Apartment A after a neighbor reported hearing several shots coming from next door, Anderson said. The caller also reported seeing two men with guns on the front porch.
When officers arrived, Adkinson was found lying in the front room of the apartment suffering from several gunshot wounds. He was not breathing and was later pronounced dead by Justice of the Peace Billy Martin, who ordered the body be sent to Dallas for autopsy.
Sgt. Steve Graeter said investigating officers could find no sign of forced entry.
A woman, who police did not identify, was in the house when the shooting began, Graeter said. He said the woman heard the gunfire and hid in a closet, where she was found when police entered the residence. The woman was taken to a local hospital because she was feeling ill, Graeter said.
Witnesses told police they saw a third person leave the house through a side window, Graeter said. The person was helped to a nearby car by two men, but police could find no evidence of a second shooting victim, Graeter said.
No other injuries were reported.
Investigators found evidence that guns were fired into and out of the house, Graeter said. Shell casings from a .40-caliber handgun and a 9-millimeter handgun were found inside and outside the house, he said. A neighbor’s red truck appeared to have been hit once from a stray bullet.
No arrests have been made, Anderson said. The Waco Police Department is asking that if anyone has information about this murder to call the department at 750-7500 or Crime Stoppers at 753-HELP. Back to top
Update on man shot at Waco bar
By Ken Sury, Waco Tribune-Herald, Dec 22, 2008
The Waco Police Department has released the name of the 22-year-old man shot early Sunday at a Waco nightclub.
Armando Esteba Contreras-Diaz of Waco was shot at Club Alazan, 6512 W. Waco Drive, at about 2 a.m. Sunday, according to Waco police officer Steve Anderson. Contreras-Diaz was taken to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center where he was treated for his injury.
As of this morning, he is still in the hospital, Anderson said.
The shooting occurred outside the club just after 2 a.m. as the club was closing. The suspect and Contreras-Diaz were involved in an argument just prior to the shooting. Back to top
Waco police still seeking suspects in holdup
By Erin Quinn, Waco Tribune-Herand, Dec 22, 2008
Waco police today say two men who held up a Mexican bus ticket broker last week are still on the loose.
Just before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, police say two men wearing jeans, white T-shirts and ski masks kicked in a locked door to Transportes Juventino Rosas, 1711 Circle Road.
One of the men, armed with a semiautomatic pistol, surprised a woman who was working alone in the business at the time.
The woman managed to escape, and ran to her nearby home to call for help.
The men got away with a computer and briefcase full of cash. Police are not releasing the amount of money taken. Back to top
Police seek man who robbed home
By Van Darden, Waco Tribune-Herald, Dec. 15, 2008
Waco police were looking Sunday for a man who they say broke into a Waco home Saturday night and beat and robbed the elderly couple living there.
A Waco police spokeswoman said the suspect broke into a home of an 86-year-old man and his 85-year-old wife in the 5400 block of Lake Lindenwood Drive about 8:30 p.m. and assaulted the man .
The suspect beat the man on his legs and feet and took a wallet, a purse and an unknown amount of money before fleeing, the spokeswoman said.
The man’s injuries were minor, and he was treated at the scene. His wife was uninjured, the spokeswoman said.
The suspect is described as being between 20 and 25 years old, about 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds.
Police ask anyone with information about this incident to call 750-7500. Back to top
Man arrested after robbery
Waco Tribune-Herald, Dec 15, 2008
Waco police arrested a man Sunday in the robbery of a person making a deposit at a local bank.
Demarion Taylor, 29, was arrested about noon after police say he pulled a gun on a Murphy Oil employee at a bank depository in the 500 block of Austin Avenue and demanded the bank deposit bag, said Waco police spokesman Steve Anderson.
A city of Waco traffic worker saw the incident and tried to follow Taylor, but Taylor pointed the gun at the worker and continued to run, Anderson said.
Police caught Taylor in the alley of the 700 block of Austin Ave., where he was arrested without incident, Anderson said.
Taylor was taken to the McLennan County Jail, charged with aggravated robbery. A jail spokeswoman said bond was not yet set Sunday night. Back to top
Police arrest 2 in store robbery
Waco Tribune-Herald, Dec. 15, 2008
Two people were arrested Sunday morning in the robbery of a Waco convenience store.
Roland Leyva, 39, and Linda Whited, 36, are charged with aggravated robbery after police say they robbed the Skinny’s at 4200
W. Waco Drive about 12:30 a.m., said Waco police spokesman Steve Anderson.
The store clerk was trying to close and lock the front door when a man forced his way inside the store, threatened the clerk with a baseball bat and demanded money from the register, Anderson said.
The man removed an unknown amount of cash and got into a waiting vehicle, Anderson said. The clerk described the vehicle to police, he said. Leyva and Whited were stopped in a vehicle matching that description on 18th Street and arrested without incident, he said.
Both were taken to the McLennan County Jail, and bond for each was set at $15,000, a jail spokeswoman said. Back to top
Police: Five armed robberies around Waco last night
By Ken Sury, Waco Tribune-Herald, Dec 11, 2008
Waco police are investigating five armed robberies reported around downtown Waco during a two-and-a-half-hour stretch last night.
According to a release from Waco police officer Steve Anderson, the first robbery was reported at 9 p.m. from the intersection of Ninth Street and Jefferson Avenue. The victims had left the convenience store at Ninth and Waco Drive when they were approached by two black men. Both suspects were described as being 6-foot tall and weighing 190 pounds. One of the suspects pointed a pistol at one of the victims and demanded his wallet. That suspect was described as wearing a black jersey with the number 34 on the front in white letters. The 47-year-old victim refused and grabbed the suspect with the gun and wrestled him to the ground. The second suspect kicked the victim twice in the face. The victim grabbed him by the leg and pulled him to the ground. Both suspects fled the scene in what was described as a dark blue four-door car without getting anything from the victim.
The second robbery was reported at 9:07 from 1352 S. 12th St. where the victim was walking through the Lou Ann Condos parking lot when he was approached by man who pointed a gun and took his wallet. The suspect was last seen getting in a green car and leaving the area.
The third robbery was reported at 10:30 from the Tennyson Arms apartments, 5101 Tennyson Ave. The victim told officers she had been to the store and as she was getting her groceries out of her car when a man came up behind her, placed something behind her head and demanded her wallet. The suspect was described as a black man, 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, wearing a sports jersey with some type of lettering on the front. He had a short-length goatee and was wearing some type of toboggan. The suspect was seen leaving in either a Ford Crown Victoria or a Mercury Grand Marquis.
The fourth robbery occurred at 2122 Burnett just after 11 p.m. The victim was unloading his groceries when a black man, 5-9, 150-180 pounds and wearing a black hoodie with some type of writing on it, approached. He told the victim that he had a gun and to lie on the ground. The suspect removed cash from the victim’s pockets and was last seen leaving in what was believed to be a 1997-1999 Ford Crown Victoria of unknown color.
The last robbery reported for the evening was from the 800 block of South Sixth Street just before 11:30. The victim had returned home from work and was approached by a black man in his driveway. The black male looked to be around 5-10 to 6 feet tall, 180 pounds, wearing a black beanie and a black winter jacket. The suspect pushed the victim against his vehicle and pulled a gun from behind his back As the suspect started going through the victim’s pockets the victim grabbed for the gun. The suspect struck the victim in the face with the gun, they ran and got into what looked like an older, large-bodied car. The suspect was last seen around Sixth Street and Interstate 35.
Anyone with any information about any of these robberies is asked to contact the Waco Police Department at 750-7500 or Waco Crime Stoppers at 753-HELP. Back to top
Waco jury hears evidence in shooting trial
By Tommy Witherspoon, Waco Tribune-Herald, Dec 9, 2008
Shooting victim Bobby Bradshaw Jr., 41, testified in Waco’s 54th State District Court this morning about an argument with Bill Collins that led to Bradshaw being shot multiple times on Aug. 1, 2007.
Bradshaw, who is a correctional officer at the Texas Youth Commission facility in Mart, said he and Collins, 56, exchanged words because Bradshaw was living with a woman that Collins previously dated. Bradshaw said Collins told him he needed to leave his woman alone.
Bradshaw testified that he and the woman were heading to their house in the 2100 block of North 21st Street about 10 p.m. July 31, 2007, when they saw Collins walking near their house.
Bradshaw said he asked Collins what he wanted, and that Collins told him to shut up. He said that Collins advanced toward him and was making gestures like he wanted to choke him.
Bradshaw said he picked Collins off the ground, stuck his knees in Collins’ chest two or three times and told him this needed to stop the confrontation or someone would get hurt.
Collins picked up his hat and left, Bradshaw said. But Bradshaw said he and the woman were concerned because they knew Collins sometimes carried a gun. Bradshaw said he and the woman drove around for a while and considered getting a hotel instead of going home.
But Bradshaw said he and the woman returned home about 1 a.m. When he exited the car, Bradshaw said he heard a gunshot. He then heard a second gunshot which hit him in the right leg. A third gunshot was fired that hit him in the left leg.
Bradshaw said he tried to crawl behind a tree for cover, and that Collins told Bradshaw he never should have put his hands on him.
Bradshaw said he told Collins the argument never should have escalated to that point.
Collins told him to shut up, Bradshaw said, and then he shot Bradshaw twice more, hitting him in the stomach, Bradshaw testified.
Bradshaw said he was able to knock Collins down, and that while Collins was on the ground, he tried to fire two more shots but was out of bullets.
“You’ve done everything you can to me,” Bradshaw said he told Collins. “You shot me.”
He said Collins again told him to shut up and hit him in the back of the head with his gun.
Bradshaw said Collins then walked off toward Herring Street.
Following a break, testimony will continue. Back to top
Three indicted in Waco killing
By Tommy Witherspoon, Waco Tribune-Herald, Dec 3, 2008
A McLennan County grand jury has indicted three Waco men in the Aug. 23 shooting death of Robert Nevarez during an alleged robbery attempt.
Steve Kelly, 18, Keith Wayne Caufield, 19, and Larry Valn Waits, 20, all were indicted today on one count of capital murder, one count of murder and one count of aggravated assault in the death of the 21-year-old Nevarez.
Nevarez’s body was found about 4 a.m. in the 2500 block of Cole Avenue. He suffered a single gunshot wound to the head, authorities have said. Nevarez was rushed to a local hospital, where he later died.
Prosecutor Susan Shafer said the state will not seek the death penalty. They face life without parole if convicted of capital murder.
Shafer declined to say which of the three is alleged to have shot Nevarez, adding that they are alleged to have acted as parties during the reported robbery/slaying.
Kelly also was arrested for retaliation in relation to the case, however, he has not been indicted on that charge.
Investigators have charged Kelly with threatening several people who cooperated with the police investigation into Nevarez’s death.
Kelly remains in the McLennan County Jail in lieu of $550,000 bond. Waits also remains jailed under bonds totaling $750,000 and for an alleged parole violation, while Caufield remains jailed in lieu of $100,000 bond, according to county records. Back to top
Waco police arrest two in vehicle burglary
By Ken Sury, Waco Tribune-Herald, Dec 2, 2008
Waco police officers arrested two 20-year-olds early this morning after they were seen breaking into a vehicle at the Colony Apartments located at 8014 W. Woodway Drive.
According to a police report, Idi Busby and Danielle Neuenschwander were charged with burglary of a vehicle and taken to the McLennan County Jail. Busby also was charged with outstanding traffic warrants.
Officers were called to the Colony Apartments around 12:30 a.m. after a resident there observed a man, wearing a black hoodie, take a silver briefcase and backpack out of a truck parked in the parking lot.
The suspect was seen running across the parking lot and got into what looked like a Chevrolet Impala with tinted windows.
After the description of the vehicle was given to officers, checks of other apartment complexes in the West Waco area where made. While checking the Baxter Crossing Apartments, 415 Owen Lane, officers located a light-colored Chevrolet Impala with tinted windows.
The driver of the vehicle was identified as Neuenschwander and the passenger was Busby. Officers could see a silver briefcase and backpack inside the vehicle, the report says. While officers were questioning the two individuals a man came up and told the officers that his vehicle had just been broken into and his stereo stolen.
The stereo taken in that burglary also was found inside the suspect vehicle, the report states. Back to top