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[TexasStooge]

Police: Burglar Kills 89-Year-Old During Home Invasion

Family: Man Lived In Fear After Robbery 5 Months Ago

FORT WORTH, Texas (KXAS TV) -- Police say a burglar killed an 89-year-old man during a home invasion in Fort Worth.

Eldon Tomlin was found Wednesday afternoon murdered in the 3000 block of Mims, where he had lived for more than a half-century.

"I'm surprised that it happened so ugly-like..." sister Dorothy Smith said.

"Everybody loved him. He was a good person, he was very independent, a very strong-willed person," the victim's daughter, Patricia Griffin, said.

Family members say he lived in fear after he was robbed five months ago.

"He was afraid to leave the house and he was cautious about everything," Dorothy said.

Neighbors said it was the man who lived next door to Tomlin who robbed him. Police said the man was arrested and charged with the crime. His trial is pending.

Detectives questioned the robbery suspect about the murder, but released him after a few hours, which leaves family members wondering who would kill the retired Bell Helicopter worker, and why.

"He lived every day. He drove to Colorado a few months ago and came back and got ... another new car. There'll never be another one like him. Never," Griffin said.

[TexasStooge]

Apartment Fire Displaces Two Families

DALLAS, Texas (KXAS TV) -- Two Dallas families are in temporary housing after an early morning fire damaged their apartment Friday.

Firefighters say the fire started around 2:30 a.m. at the Richland Village Apartments on the 9900 block of Walnut Street.

The fire damaged two units in the apartment complex. The displaced families are moving into empty apartments in the same building.

No one was hurt in the fire.

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the blaze.

[TexasStooge]

Texas Spends More On Inmates Than Students

State Ranks 33rd Nationwide For School Spending

DALLAS, Texas (KXAS TV) -- As state lawmakers in Austin haggle over funding for school children, an NBC 5 investigation discovered that Texas spends far more on convicts than students, and far less than most other states.

Our discovery was not news to Stanley Kendall, who has been teaching for more 20 years, mostly in Texas but also in his native Indiana.

Comparing the two states, Kendall said it's obvious to him that Texas spends less on education.

"They're cutting teachers, they're making our class sizes bigger, they're wanting us to cut out programs to help kids at risk," he said.

In fact, NBC 5 verified that's true. Texas ranks 33rd in the nation for spending per pupil. Indiana ranks 18th.

NBC 5 also learned that Texas spends far more on the average prison inmate than the average school child.

The state spends $16,063 per inmate and $7,088 per student.

According to teachers like Aimee Bolender, president of the Alliance AFT teacher's union, that spending practice is backwards.

"Students would have a better education and the chance of them becoming prison inmates would be much less," Bolender said.

State Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, maintains that the prison comparison is unfair, but agrees that schools need more money.

"I know they would not like to see one of those prisoners who's killed somebody come out of prison because we didn't have the $16,000 to keep them behind bars," Shapiro said.

According to lawmakers, they're looking for funding during the current special session.

"We shouldn't just talk the talk, we should be walking the walk," state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said. "We've got to fix public education. We don't need to put a bandage on it, we need to fix it."

The talk at the capitol includes reducing local property taxes, spreading franchise taxes to businesses that don't pay now and broadening the sales tax.

Teachers remain skeptical. "I expect it to be a shell game. I expect money to be moved, but not actually enhanced," Bolender said.

Shapiro favors the governor's plan for teacher pay performance incentives based on students' tests.

However, Bolender and others oppose that idea.

"That's ridiculous. Teachers do not support that. It's not viewed as fair," she said.

"We teachers, if they would talk to us, we could give them some ideas," Kendall said.

Meanwhile, the District of Columbia spends the most per pupil per year, around $13, 000, followed by Connecticut and New York.

[TexasStooge]

Police Arrest Man In Denton Double Shooting

DALLAS, Texas (KXAS TV) -- Denton police have a man in custody who is accused of shooting two men -- one of them fatally.

It happened at an apartment complex about a block north of the University of North Texas campus.

Police got a call Saturday night that someone had been shot. When they arrived, they found the suspect, the dead man and another shooting victim, who was still alive.

The suspect was arrested and the victim was flown to a Fort Worth hospital. There was no word on his condition.

Police have not released any names in the case.

[TexasStooge]

Changes in wiring laws opposed

By Mike Lee, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - The city fire marshal adamantly opposed a plan Tuesday to allow residential-type wiring in high-rise buildings, saying the city shouldn't allow the change until it can be proven safe.

"The Fire Department cannot support" allowing expanded use of the wiring, known as nonmetallic cable, Fire Marshal Ken Freeman said Tuesday, adding that he had the backing of Fire Chief Charles Gaines.

"The burden of proof from a fire perspective is, you have to substantiate and you have to substantiate it conclusively," Freeman said.

[TexasStooge]

City code watchers are hitting the street

By Anna M. Tinsley, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - Garage sale scofflaws: Beware.

In coming weeks, 58 residents trained as the city's first Fort Worth Code Rangers will start patrolling the streets looking for code violations.

Chief among the problems they'll be seeking are households that hold more than the two garage sales allowed each year. Violations will be reported to the city's Code Compliance Department for further action.

"If a particular residence is having too many garage sales, over and over, Code Rangers can report that to us," said Carl Smart, the city's code compliance director.

"This puts more eyes and ears on the street, helping find problems that need to be resolved," Smart said.

[TexasStooge]

Foster-care advocates rally for support

By John Gutierrez-Mier, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - Renee Kinzey remembers the first time she was told she was going to live with a foster family.

"I thought I was being taken to a home where the people were named Foster," said Kinzey, a junior at L.D. Bell High School in Hurst. "As a foster child, I've embraced my journey. It's almost like spending a night at a friend's house, but they're your foster parents."

Kinzey shared her memories Tuesday morning with others who had gathered at the Tarrant County Courthouse during a rally to draw attention to the need for foster parents.

[TexasStooge]

Former Swim Coach Accused Of Molesting Girls Gets Life Sentence

Sources: Club Did Not Perform Background Checks

DALLAS, Texas (KXAS TV) -- A former Dallas swim coach who pleaded guilty to molesting several young girls was sentenced to life in prison Thursday.

Scot Thompson admitted to the crimes that happened during his five years on the job at the Brookhaven Country Club.

Several sources told NBC 5 the club did not perform background checks before Thompson was hired.

The club released the following a statement regarding Thompson's sentencing: "Our satisfaction in seeing this individual brought to justice in no way diminishes our continuing concern for the victims and the families."

Brookhaven Country Club is being sued over the issue.

[TexasStooge]

Missing Haltom City Girl With Uncle In Mexico

FORT WORTH, Texas (KXAS TV) -- A Haltom City girl missing for two weeks is with her uncle in Mexico.

Mexican authorities recognized Palmira Rios, 12, (pictured, left) and Jorge Baez, 19, (pictured, far left) when they tried to re-enter the United States.

Baez is in jail.

An Amber Alert was issued last month when Rios didn't come home from school.

[TexasStooge]

Arrests made in sex sting at Bachman-area restaurant

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA-TV

City of Dallas officials worked for years to close three topless clubs along Northwest Highway.

The closing of Baby Dolls and two other businesses last summer was considered a giant step toward clearing the Bachman Lake corridor of an unwanted sex trade.

Now, News 8 has learned one of those clubs has been replaced by a new restaurant with something disturbing on the menu.

Two months ago, the Dallas city attorney's office reacted swiftly to outrage over a provocative image displayed on the sign for a new business, Planet Venus.

Now, city attorney Madeleine Johnson is reacting to what News 8 found out is evidently going on inside.

Two months ago a new business called Planet Venus, licensed as a restaurant, moved in. There were signs, later removed, suggesting that something more than food might be on the menu - so News 8 and neighborhood activist Gary Turner decided to ask an employee what, exactly, was being served.

"I don't know, they haven't told me yet," the employee said. "Chili cheese hot-dogs."

No sex on the menu, then?

"Nope," said the employee.

A few days earlier, however, a News 8 producer visited Planet Venus. A worker offered him not food, but sex in one of three VIP rooms in exchange for $150.

On an online adult services review, News 8 also found comments from people who said they had similar experiences at Planet Venus.

One site visitor said, "I told her I wanted (oral sex). She smiled and softly said, '$75 for (oral sex) and $125 for full service.'"

Another wrote, "she was really in need of some money, so we agreed on a 'gift' for a quick (oral sex) performance."

Yet another site visitor wondered, "How is this legal?"

Turner said city officials should be answering that question.

"After spending years and years in court and spending all of the millions of dollars in legal fees ... here they dropped the ball and this opens up," Turner said. "It's absurd."

Johnson said she has fought too hard, for too long, to allow this to happen.

"It's disgusting, it's appalling, it's illegal and it needs to stop immediately," Johnson said. "I'm going to get with the vice department, I'm going to call them today. I'm going to make sure they check out what's going on there immediately; this is totally unacceptable."

Just hours later, Johnson made good on her promise. According to vice squad officials, they made arrests Monday night.

"Two of the employees agreed to perform sexual activities for a price," said Dallas Police Lt. John Dagen.

News 8 tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to reach the owner of Planet Venus.

Planet Venus' owner is an individual whose name should have set off all kinds of alarms to law enforcement when he opened the establishment. News 8 will soon report more on that story.

[TexasStooge]

Landlords, city work to cut apartment crime

By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News

They weren't all happy about it. But Dallas' apartment owners and managers came out in droves Tuesday to support safe housing for tenants, despite new code enforcement policies they call nitpicky and inflexible.

The 1,200 landlords gathered at the Dallas Convention Center for the city's first Safe Complex Symposium, where they studied new registration and inspection measures and discussed ways to improve tenant security. City figures show that last year, a quarter of the major offenses factoring into the city's crime rate occurred at apartment complexes.

"These changes are good for us and good for business," said Arturo Sepulveda, a property manager for Courtyard Condominiums in North Dallas. "I wasn't convinced when I arrived this morning. But I'm really positive coming out of this."

The conference came on the heels of code amendments the City Council passed in March that overhaul Dallas' apartment licensing program. In addition to increases in inspection fees and new registration costs, the amendment requires that:

Apartment managers post building-code inspection scores and after-hours telephone numbers for emergencies and that they attend neighborhood crime-watch meetings three times a year.

All multitenant properties register with the city annually, at a cost of $2 per unit. The registration certificate will not be issued if the applicant has outstanding fees.

Properties receive a graded inspection every three years. If a property scores 85 or higher out of 100, no fees will be assessed. Those receiving an 84 or lower will be charged – $10 per unit for missing registration forms, or $20 per unit for structural or zoning problems and hazardous conditions. Reinspection of failing units will cost an additional $30 per apartment until the violation is corrected.

Starting next year, the Safe Complex Symposium is attended by a complex representative.

"We are really serious about getting the crime rate down," Dallas Mayor Laura Miller said. "We know it's not just apartment complexes. We're trying to fight crime all across this city."

Kathy Davis, the city's director of code compliance, said 60 percent of Dallas residents live in apartment complexes. She said the changes that go into effect in September should improve the renting experience.

"Their quality of life is important to all of us. My hope is that [the city and apartment owners] can build a stronger partnership," she said.

Concern over cost
Property managers said they are concerned that the inspection fees are too high.

"There's so much we have to pay for already. The fines could get steep," said Melanie Stocker, whose English Oaks Apartments in Dallas has 128 units.

And, they said, they aren't sure the city's code enforcement officers will be fair in their assessment of complexes.

"We need code enforcement officers who are fair and top-notch," said Sherry Farrar, a manager at Fairway Greens in North Dallas.

Gerry Henigsman, executive vice president of the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas, said a subjective decision by a code enforcement officer could cost a property owner thousands of dollars.

"If a complex got an 84 percent because an inspector didn't like the way their parking lot was striped, a 400-unit apartment would pay $8,000 dollars," Mr. Henigsman said. "There should be a cushion period to allow for repairs and an appeals process."

In March, the association cited frustration with increased fees and providing inspection scores to prospective tenants as reasons to not join with the city in announcing the new policies.

While the association attended Tuesday's meeting, distributing hundreds of CD-ROMs on crime awareness, Mr. Henigsman said these concerns have not gone away.

"We hope that over the months to come, we're going to be able to look at these policies and see that they are fair and target the properties that need to be targeted," he said. "There is no sense in providing a program that blankets an entire industry for problems they are experiencing in only a few properties."

Plan isn't punishment
Ms. Miller said the city isn't trying to punish property owners.

"We are not here to make your lives harder," she said. "You are going to be rewarded by the public for running a nice, clean, safe apartment complex."

Rick Henry, owner of a South Dallas courtesy guard company, said lowering the crime rate is the best way for owners to improve a property's image.

"If everyone gets involved, we can help make residents more comfortable," he said. "Low crime rates attract more and more people. It will be a great help overall."

[TexasStooge]

Marine Injured In Alleged Arson Attempt

DALLAS, Texas (KXAS TV) -- A North Texas Marine was recovering Thursday night after an alleged attempted to set a vehicle on fire.

Daniel Sierra was in serious condition at Parkland Hospital after suffering second-degree burns over 35 percent of his body early Thursday morning in the 900 block of Tyler Street.

Eyewitnesses and arson investigators said Sierra poured gasoline on two cars at around 3 a.m. and set them on fire.

Lina Coronado and her sister were inside one of the cars when the alleged incident happened.

"There was actually another Malibu in front of [the one we were in]. He put gasoline on both of them and my sister got out of the car and told him, 'You're caught. The police are on their way.' And he still turned on the match and set both cars on fire," Coronado said. "And then he got caught on fire, too."

Coronado said Sierra then began running around, tearing off clothes and rolling on the ground.

Once the flames were out, he reportedly got into his car and drove himself to Harris Methodist Hospital before being transferred to Parkland.

According to Coronado, Sierra was a family friend, but said he had been acting strangely ever since her husband, Sierra's good friend and former baseball teammate, died.

In fact, Coronado claimed that Sierra recently assaulted her in a nightclub.

"We were at the club, my sisters and I and a bunch of friends, and he beat me up at the club," she said. "I was dancing with some guy and he said that I was disrespecting my husband's memory."

Coronado also alleges that Sierra has a romantic interest in her, but that they have never been involved romantically.

Meanwhile, fire investigators said they expected to charge Sierra with arson and possibly other charges.

Sierra's family members said they have no idea why he would have tried to harm people whom he's known for years and considered friends.

Sierra has been a Marine since 1999 and was scheduled for deployment to Iraq in two weeks.