PHONY ROLEX, REAL BULLETS

Transcription

wanted
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THE POLICE NEWS
VOLUME VI, NUMBER 9
Texas' Largest Police News Publication
Phony Rolex, Real Bullets
By Marie Beth Jones
T
he old saying about there
being no honor among
thieves apparently applied to
those involved in illegal drug
trafficking when 26-year-old
Delancey Jay (D.J.) Ambren
was gunned down in the small
Brazoria County town of Damon
on Nov. 24, 2004.
A few days before his death,
Michael Almaraz
Dester Chapa
D.J. and a friend, Wes Scott, had
come to Damon from Longview
with several stolen Rolex watches D.J. hoped to sell or exchange for drugs.
His sales efforts apparently failed, however, and on Nov. 23, he and Scott accompanied by two friends, Charles Miller and Matt Jackson, returned to Damon with
four of the watches.
Jackson had family living in Damon, and the group visited them, as well as stopping to see Dexter Chapa, 18, and his mother.
They then went to the residence of Michael Almaraz, 25, where D.J. arranged to
exchange the watches for a pound of hydroponics weed plus $6,000 in cash.
Once the deal was agreed upon, the men rode to Houston in two vehicles to
get the dope, but from that point on, the "buyers" and "sellers" followed different
agendas.
The Longview men rode in one car and those from Damon in another. Michael
and his companions arrived in Houston first. When the Longview men joined
them, Michael told them he had the drugs and the cash, and they would make the
exchange at a nearby convenience store.
But when they all arrived at the store, either Michael or Chapa said they believed
one of the other cars parked there was a police car, so they all went back to Damon
to complete the deal.
They need not worry about delivering the Rolex watches to Houston that day,
Michael and Chapa told D.J. and his friends, explaining that the Damon men would
deliver the watches the next day.
September 2009
The ‘Young, Beautiful Woman’ Lived
Her Name and Performed Her Duties
as HPD’s First Hispanic Policewoman,
Overcoming the Early Prejudices with
Unforgettable Style and Grace
By Tom Kennedy
I
t was around 1951when a young, very attractive
fresh-out-of-high-school Hispanic woman came
to HPD as a clerk.
The native Houstonian and graduate of Sam
Houston High School soon became well known
for her intelligence and articulate manner – attributes that made her the “go to” clerk when officers
needed a Spanish translator.
The need became so frequent that officers gave
Belle Ortega some sage advice: “If you are going to
translate for the reports, why don’t you try out for
the academy?”
Belle Ortega
‘A Young Beautiful Woman’
Belle Ortega applied and was accepted into HPD Police Cadet Class No. 15,
which contained five women when there were only five policewomen throughout the entire department. Two years earlier under Police Chief Jack Heard four
women went through the academy at the same time, the first academy-trained
Houston policewomen in history.
Belle smiled when she named the four since two of them, Mercy Mercedes
Singleton and Emily Vasquez were Hispanics.
“Two years later I went through Class 15,” she recalled in an interview for the
HPD history several years ago. “We were sworn in Jan. 1, 1957. I was the third
Hispanic woman who was a Houston police officer.”
Yes but:
Both of the first two were products of a mixed heritage. One had a Norwegian
father, the other an English father.
“I was the first true Hispanic female officer in the department,” Belle explained
for history’s sake.
Phony Rolex...Cont. on pg 3
Young Beautiful...Cont. on pg 5
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So the group headed back to Damon,
where Michael's brother, James
Almaraz, would weigh the drugs. The
others waited at the Jackson residence,
standing around outside for a time, then
moving to their vehicles so they could
sit while they waited.
When D.J. followed Michael back
toward the Almaraz residence, gunshots
rang out, D.J. fell to the ground, and
witnesses saw "a short, stocky man"
they believed to be Michael, and possibly another man, running from the
scene.
That was the information witnesses
gave to Brazoria County Sheriff's deputies, who found Michael's body, a baseball cap, and a green box lying where he
fell.
His wallet was missing, and the box,
which Michael's friends said had contained four stolen Rolex watches, had
only two watches when officers picked
it up.
The case was assigned to Paige
Newsom, a BCSO investigator, with
several other officers helping to take
statements from about a dozen witnesses. Those who said they were near
the scene implicated Michael Almaraz
as the shooter.
Corey LaRoche told deputies that
during the trip back to Damon from
Houston, Michael Almaraz and Dexter
Chapa talked at some length about
"hijacking" D.J.'s watches and cash.
According to LaRoche's statement,
Michael told Chapa that if "that other
one" gave any trouble, "you pop him."
LaRoche said he told Michael it would
be stupid to shoot someone, because
"just showing them a gun" would be
sufficient.
In his statement to Newsom, Jackson
said that after he heard the gunshots and
saw two men running away, he ran to
D.J. He found no pulse, LaRoche said,
and his attempt to administer CPR was
unsuccessful.
During the next several weeks
Phony Rolex..Cont. from pg 1
Newsom and other Brazoria County
deputies continued to interview witnesses, evaluate evidence, and obtain
the results of the autopsy on D.J.'s
body.
On March 1, 2005, a warrant was
served in Rosenberg, charging Michael
Almaraz with murder.
Michael was taken to the Rosenberg
Police Station, where he gave a statement to BCSO Investigators J. Miller
and Jack Langdon, admitting that he
had fired the shots that killed D.J.
Ambren.
On March 5, Captain Chris Kincheloe
and Investigator Miller took Michael
to the Brazoria County Jail, where he
made another statement.
He said that on Nov. 23, 2004, after
working with his father and brother, he
met with Dexter Chapa, the men from
Longview, and Corey LaRoche.
Chapa had already set up a deal to
provide drugs in exchange for the Rolex
watches, Michael said.
He told the deputies that as they drove
to Houston, Chapa told him about his
plan to kill the Longview men and take
their Rolex watches.
He said Chapa gave him a .380 handgun to use, and also gave LaRoche
money to buy bullets for that gun from
an Academy store in Houston.
According to Michael's statement,
Chapa then loaded the magazine with
the bullets and gave it back to him, even
though both he and his brother, James
Almaraz, continued to tell Chapa that
the plan was stupid and he should not
carry through with it.
When they talked to the drug dealer in
Houston, he did not want the watches,
Michael said. Even though they did not
buy drugs there, they planned to tell D.J.
that they had the drugs and then to rob
and kill him and others in the Longview
contingent and take the watches.
Using the ruse of a possible police
presence at the convenience store where
they were supposed to deliver the drugs,
they returned to Damon.
En route, Michael said, Chapa con-
tinued to encourage him to go ahead
with the plan and kill D.J., who had the
watches in his possession.
Michael's brother, James Almaraz,
who rode back from Houston with them,
also tried to discourage Chapa about the
plan. When they reached Damon James
went into the house and did not come
back outside because he wanted no part
of the plot.
After telling the others that James was
in the house dividing the drugs, Michael
went down the street with them, and
they smoked some marijuana, he said.
He then decided to go home and go to
bed, and was walking toward his house
when D.J. said he wanted to talk to
him.
According to Michael's statement,
D.J.'s conversation was about Michael's
tattoos, which D.J. said were marks of
the Texas Syndicate. D.J. told him he
was a member of Arian Brotherhood or
Arian Circle, Michael said.
Apparently this concerned Michael,
who told officers he had run-ins with
members of that gang while in prison.
He said when he saw D.J. reach into his
pocket and pull out something shiny, he
thought it was a gun. Instead, it was a
knife, he said. Michael told the officers
he pulled his gun, pointed it at D.J., and
pulled the trigger.
He said he did not know how many
times the weapon fired, but added that
he had "held the trigger down." When
D.J. fell, Michael dropped the gun and
Robert Gamboa grabbed him and told
him to run.
They both ran to Chapa's house then
Michael ran to the school, where he
caught a ride to Rosenberg with an
unidentified man in a pickup truck.
Michael said he did not know what
happened to the Rolex watches, but that
he did not pick them up. He indicated
that Chapa might have done so, saying
that the next day, Chapa came to see
him in Rosenberg and showed him a pill
bottle that belonged to D.J.
He said Chapa told him he had taken
that and some cash from D.J.'s body.
After receiving Michael's statement,
a probable cause affidavit for murder
was prepared on March 4, 2005, naming
Dexter Chapa, who was located at the
BP Amoco plant and arrested.
Michael Almaraz pled guilty to a
charge of murder and was sentenced on
April 11, 2007, to 45 years' confinement
in the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice.
The original charge of murder against
Dexter Leon Chapa was apparently reduced to Conspiracy to Commit
Aggravated Robbery, to which he pled
guilty and was sentenced to 12 years.
Even before the charges were filed, it
became evident that the robbery attempt
would have been unsuccessful, even
had no one died as a result.
At about 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 30, 2004,
BCSO Investigator I.J. Bevers went to
Nowlin Jewelry in Lake Jackson.
He asked the store's owner, John
Nowlin, to examine the two watches
found in the green box beside D.J.'s
body and give an estimate of their
value.
After pulling the wrist band, Nowlin
noted that no serial number was etched
on the side of the watch. He also stated
that the back plates of the watches did
not contain the proper engraving, and
that the watches' weight was "not right"
for the Rolex brand.
It was confirmation that a man had
died and two others would face prison
terms over a drug deal that had gone
bad and a couple of fake watches.
Marie Beth Jones is a published
author and freelance writer
based in Angleton, Texas. She
is Chairwoman of the Brazoria
County Historical Commission and
longtime feature writer for The
Police News.
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Young Beautiful...Cont. from pg 1
Her full name was Velia Lopez
Ortega, she said, her smile widening
when she continued the details of her
name. “Velia sounded like bell and they
started calling me ‘Belle,’ which means
‘a young beautiful woman.’ ”
Belle’s HPD career spanned 42 years.
She became a positive role model – “an
icon,” according to many current officers – especially at Eastside, where officers of all backgrounds grew to highly
respect her.
As for the early stage of her career,
there were only two places HPD policewomen in the 1950s and 1960s were
assigned on a regular basis – Juvenile
or the Jail.
Throwing a Block
“At that time,” Belle recalled, “we
had police matrons. As those retired,
quit or died, they were replaced by
policewomen. After 10 years I went
to the women’s jail and was there off
and on. Then, during that period in the
seventies when they put women on the
streets, I was in my thirties and said,
‘I’ll leave that to the younger ones; let
them go and be brave.’
“I went back to Juvenile. I alternated.
The jail was not as bad as they used to
think it was. Punishment was the Jail or
the dispatcher’s office. But it wasn’t that
bad. I had a fellow female go to Crime
Analysis. I went over there and I was in
crime analysis another 11 years.”
In her early HPD days, she said, “Way
back then there was prejudice about
Hispanics. You took it in stride.”
Ortega softly expressed her opinions
about the days when Hispanic officers
often endured prejudiced comments just
like African-Americans who wore the
blue. She recalled one instance involving a high-ranking individual who
stepped over the line.
This man was teaching at the academy and at one point in a lecture asked,
“Does anyone here speak Mexican?”
Belle stayed silent until the break.
“I thought this was an educated man,”
she said. “I went up to him and said,
‘We speak Spanish, not Mexican.’ For
that man to have said that disappointed
me.”
When she was a rookie, she learned
that “the men were told if these women
have trouble with a drunk or a female
prisoner, you go in there and help
them.
“But the men said, ‘If you want to
take the money we make, you fight your
own battles.’ Then, later, the men used
to help us out if we had trouble. I was
told that about fighting my own battles
and I resented that for a while.”
One time she was injured in the line
of duty while battling a male prisoner.
She was coming from the cafeteria at
61 Riesner, carrying a Coke, when the
prisoner was trying to run away. Belle
thought she could block him and when
she tried it “he took me by the wrist and
turned me around like I was nothing.”
On this occasion the male officers
answered the call. Specifically, Officer
Raul Martinez, another pioneer and
future Precinct 6 constable in HPD’s
Hispanic history, shouted, “Don’t shoot
him! Don’t shoot him!”
It was a police bluff.
“Nobody had guns,” Belle remembered. “Raul wanted to fool him. He
was being held for robbery. We (she
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and the prisoner) just bumped. The next
morning I could hardly move my arm.
My ‘block’ was real bad. I was sore. He
was caught on Lubbock.”
The ‘Lie Detector’
The young officer was friendly and
outgoing and remembered getting
acquainted with a young television
reporter in the 1960s when she worked
in Juvenile. “I remember seeing Dan
Rather in the cafeteria,” she said. “I
thought now that he’s become so well
known that this man is shorter than
what you picture him to be on the news.
You picture him being six feet tall, but
he’s not that tall.”
Her most embarrassing moment came
in Juvenile in the early 1960s. Rather
didn’t do the story; the Houston Press
did, complete with pictures.
Belle recalled the moment as if it
were yesterday. Her daughter Roxanna
(born in 1958) was four years old.
“I had a babysitter. I had exchanged
my stuff from one purse to another and
left my handcuffs in the first one. This
girl and my daughter were playing with
them and the babysitter got them on her
wrist.
“The Press called me and said they
wanted a picture of my daughter. They
thought it was funny. It wasn’t funny to
me, you know. They ended up taking
her picture and so did Channel 2. The
babysitter never came out. They thought
it was funny that a four-year-old would
use the handcuffs.
“I was embarrassed that I had left my
handcuff case in the other purse. I went
home and unlocked them. They thought
it was a funny story and told me they
were going to make my daughter the
‘villain.’ Then when they took the shots,
they never asked for the handcuffs.”
The details of her recollection prompted Belle to laugh even more. Roxanna
thought she was going to jail, at one
point saying, “I’m not going to jail; I’m
not telling them anything!”
Today, Roxanna Garza laughed and
said she took a bum rap from the newspaper.
“She (the babysitter) was cleaning out
my mother’s closet and being nosy,”
Roxanna said. “She saw the handcuffs
and I don’t know what happened. She
ended up with them on and we couldn’t
find the key.
“For some reason the news people
thought it would be funnier if the fouryear-old daughter handcuffed the babysitter. I didn’t handcuff her. She was
being nosy.”
In her career in Juvenile, Belle did
“mostly runaways” but actually got
experience in all areas of police investigation, handling the auto thefts, burglaries, robberies, forgeries, rapes and
murders involving juveniles. In special
cases, she was “borrowed” by specific
divisions where special circumstances
required a policewoman. This was common HPD practice in the fifties and sixties.
Dealing with youngsters prompted
various pranks. Belle recalled one used
on particular Juvenile suspects.
“Officers used to get that copy
machine,” she said, referring to the
early vintage Xerox machines with big
bright lights and slow scans, “but it only
worked on little kids. They would place
a hand on the Xerox machine and were
showed how the light would flash if
they lied. They’d tell you the truth every
time.”
She laughed.
Hispanic policewomen, much like
their African-American counterparts,
seldom got day shift assignments. Belle
worked 18 years before she got off
nights and 20 years before her scheduled allowed her to work extra jobs.
Opinionated
It was especially difficult being a
woman with a badge under Police Chief
Herman Short, whose tenure was 1964
through 1973. Short didn’t care for
women outside of Juvenile and the Jail.
An oft-told story involves an officer in
the sixties named Pat Lykos, who finished No. 1 on the sergeant’s exam but
never got promoted.
Young Beautiful...Cont. on pg 12
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Smith, Margaret
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WF DOB 01121959 5’6”/185 BRO/BRO
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909 Molina Angleton, TX
612 Elm St. Freeport, TX
WRRT# 54886
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BM DOB 05/091/971
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5’11”/190 BLK/BRO
612 Elm St. Freeport, TX
7701 Drouet Houston, TX
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Galveston County
Galveston County Sheriff’s Office
409-766-2322 or 1-866-248-8477
SANTA FE
Archery
TOM ESTEP
Concealed Handgun Training
David Leining Sr.
Photos & Fingerprints
included
Ammo Available
13238 FM 1764
Santa Fe, Texas 77510
Woods, Henry III
BM Born 07/09/1990
5’11”/195 BLK/BRO
401 Lakeview Dr. Clute , TX
MTR/Agg Sexual Assault of a Child
Lemons, Rodrick
BM Born 01/25/1982
5’8”/160 BLK/BRO
225 S. 13th St. #13 West Columbia, TX
Man Del CS (2 counts)
Burt, Walter
WM Born 09/21/1972
6’0”/165 BLN/HAZ
3900 CR 48 199S Rosharon , TX
Theft of Firearm
SIMS,JABRON JACOB
B M 05231985
508 180 BLK BRO
LKA BACLIFF
WARRANT-SEXUAL ASSAULT CHILD
2 COUNTS
RIPPETOE, TERRY DEAN
W M 02211965
508 170 BRO BLU
SC NOSE
LKA DICKINSON
FELONY DWI MTRP
MORALES, CAESAR GENARO
W M 06031968
600 180 BRO BRO
SC RIGHT THIGH
LKA LEAGUE CITY
BF FELONY CRIMINAL MISCHIEF
$95
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409-939-4081 Mobil
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(409) 945-6636
Cell (281) 455-0846
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M.L. Murley
House
Raising,Moving
Moving,
M.L.
Murley
House
Foundation
Repair
and Leveling
RAIsInG
& LeveLInG
3rd Generation In Houston & Galveston Area
– Licensed & Bonded –
LAIRD, JAMES PHILLIP
AKA LAIRD, JAMES PHILLIP ANDREW
W M 05041979
601 190 BLN BLU
TAT BOTH ARMS MOLE CHEEK
LKA LEAGUE CITY
WARRANT BURG HABITATION
HOLLINS,ROBERT LEE III
B/M 08/24/1985
511/165 BLK/BRO
LKA LEAGUE CITY
FELONY EVADING ARREST
NOTE: HOLLINS IS AN ESCAPE RISK
DICKERSON,JAMES ALBERT
AKA ANDERSON,JAMES
AKA DICKERSON,MICHAEL
W M 03071970
511 185 BRO BLU
LKA LEAGUE CITY
WARRANT-FELONY THEFT of PERSON
DEFOREST, KEITH MARTIN
W M 05281962
602 280 BRO BLU
TAT R FOREARM
TAT UPPER R ARM
LKA SAN LEON
FELONY DWI MTRP
– $40,000
Will$30’s
meet
or beat
any
estimate
Includes
Raising
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New Stringers If Needed
New Concrete Slab
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Engineer Drawing
All Permits Needed for Job
We Also Do Roofing, Remodeling & Foundation Repair
Call MurleyCall Murley
Felix
Or
936-648-6845
936-648-6845
409-502-0297
The Police News - Page Koch
home helpers
Our Capable Care
Gives You
Peace of Mind
In Home
assIstance
Mackenzie T. Koch,
Director
409-939-0435
teal_2001@yahoo.com
mackenzietkoch@yahoo.com
Hot Pursuit
A senior citizen drove his brand new Corvette convertible out of the dealership. Taking off down the road, he
floored it to 80 mph, enjoying the wind blowing through what little hair he had left.
‘Amazing,’ he thought as he flew down the Gulf Freeway, pushing the pedal even more.
Looking in his rear view mirror, he saw a State Trooper behind him, lights flashing and siren blaring. He floored
it to 100 mph, then 110, then 120.
Suddenly he thought, “What am I doing? I’m too old for this,” and pulled over to await the trooper’s arrival.
Pulling in behind him, the trooper walked up to the Corvette, looked at his watch and said, “Sir, my shift ends
in 30 minutes. Today is Friday. If you can give me a reason for speeding that I’ve never heard before, I’ll let you
go.”
The old gentleman paused. Then said, “Years ago, my wife ran off with a State Trooper. I thought you were
bringing her back.”
“’Have a good day, sir,”’ replied the trooper.
H & R Grocery
& Meat Market
1428 35th St.
Galveston
• Custom Meat Orders
• Italian Sausages
• Marine & Restaurant
Open 7 am to 8 pm Mon. – Sat.
8 am to 8 pm Sunday
Since 1984
409-762-4510
Meat Market 409-762-3765
OLSON'S
PILING SERVICE
Boat Houses • House Pilings
Water Pilings • Pile Replacement • Bulk Heads
Cell: 409-682-9040
Office: 409-737-5074
6075 Sea Isle, Galveston TX 77554
Information about
Alcoholics Anonymous
……for your community, schools,
churches, law enforcement training
and judicial system call the Public
Information Committee hotline. In
Galveston and Brazoria counties
call 409-877-1674 or 832-4315639. Members will bring information to your organization so that
you might recognize someone with
a drinking problem.
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Toll Free: 866-740-1622
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VISIT US ON the WEB:
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Steve Spicer – Owner
9355 Jamaica Beach
Galveston, TX 77554
Third DWI Brings Murder
Charge in Woman’s Death
GALVESTON - John Richard Anderson, 36, a twice convicted drunk driver, got drunk again and drove his car
again and killed Vivian Bass, a Jamaica
Beach wife and mother. He smashed
into her car as she turned off FM-3005
at Campeche Cove at the end of the
Galveston Seawall.
Galveston County District Attorney
Kurt Sistrunk has charged him with
murder based on his third DWI offense.
He is being held in Galveston County
Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.
John Richard Anderson
Family Friend Jailed
For Sex With Child
BRAZORIA - Ricky Lee Alston, 37,
was jailed in Brazoria County, after a
teen girl reported to family members
she had been his sex slave for the past
five years. The girl, now 14, said Alston
forced her to watch porno movies and
have sex with him.
Alston a so-called “family friend” was
being held in lieu of $150,000 bail. (Story on policenewsonline.com)
Ricky Alston
Boss Pepper Sprays Drunk Employee
JAMAICA BEACH - Police say Robert De la Cruz, 47, got mad at his employer, went to his home and became
confrontational with him. The employer
promptly sprayed him in the face with
pepper spray and called the police.
When police arrived they found De la
Cruz in the canal which fronts the employers home.
“He must have treaded water for 20 or
30 minutes,” said Jamaica Beach Police
Chief Andy McLane. “He was in there
quite awhile and we could tell he was
wearing down, but he wasn’t coming
out.”
Assistant Fire Chief Troy Beasley went
into the water with a life ring but according to McLane the man was too weak
to hold onto it.
Beasley then
secured him in
a life jacket,
swam him to
the bulkhead
where he was
pulled ashore
by police, fire
and rescue personnel.
Robert De La Cruz
De la Cruz,
once out of the
water began threatening the officer who
placed him under arrest for Public Intoxication. That brought another charge
of Threatening Retaliation against the
officer.
Career Crook Jailed in Drive-by Shooting
CLEAR LAKE - Deputies from Bill
Bailey’s Constable Office in Harris
county and Jerry Fisher’s Constable Office in Galveston County, took this character down as he left an apartment in
Clear Lake with a woman and an infant
child with whom he had been living and
hiding since May when he shot a man in
La Marque.
Police say Patrick Lee Campbell, Jr.
drove along side 30-year old Antho-
ny King and
opened fire on
him. He hit him
but he didn’t kill
him.
Campbell, considered a career crook, was
jailed in lieu of
$300 thousand
Patrick Lee Campbell,
bail.
Jr.
Police Chief Recognizes Officers, Civilians
In 2009 Galveston Police Chief
Charles Wiley initiated a challenge coin
program to recognize officers whose actions personify the Community Oriented
Policing philosophy and the Hurricane
Ike Challenge Coin to recognize officers
and civilians who worked tirelessly for
months to protect the lives and property
of the citizens of Galveston .
In a ceremony at police headquarter, Wiley recently presented challenge
coins to these officers and civilians.
Detective Fred Paige, Scott Pena and Michelle
Sollenberger tracked and arrested the man who
raped and murdered two women in Galveston.
Sgt. Gilbert Gomez, a quality leader of the
Vice and Narcotics Division
Officers Stacey Papillion & Lorraine Franco
Chief Wiley, Jul Kamen, Florence Henderson, Diana Henderson, Jacquelyn Stanowski, David
Stanowski and Brenda Donaloio Lee. Jacquelyn, David and Brena were recipients of the recognition. Florence and Diana were active participants in the neighborhood’s efforts. Jul is a
San Jacinto neighborhood resident who came to lend her support.
Officers Daniel Erickson & Joneka Loyd
The Police News - Page Low Life Beats Down, Robs Good Samaritan Councilman Ponies Up Money for Mounted Patrol
HITCHCOCK - When a homeowner
came out of his home at one o’clock
in the morning to help two men and a
woman who had run out of gas in front
of his house, this creep, also known as
Johnnie Ray Burns, 24, attacked him
with a steel flashlight. That was after
he gave them some gas to get them to
the nearest gas station, and after he gave
them a few bucks to buy gas. Burns beat
him down with the flashlight and robbed
him of $47.
Police from Santa Fe and Hitchcock,
a K-9 and Sheriff’s deputies caught up
with him and jailed him for Aggravated
Robbery. Two others, with him at the
time, were released without charges.
Here’s one for the books. In Houston, city councilman James Rodriquez
took money, almost $5000 to be exact,
from his office budget, and gave it to
the Houston Police Mounted Patrol for
sorely needed equipment.
The unit presented him with a framed
picture of it’s officers as a memento of
appreciation during a brief ceremony at
the Mounted Patrol Facility.
For information on how you can help
the Houston Police Mounted Patrol call
713-651-3122 of visit their website at
www.houstonpolicefoundation.com.
Johnnie Ray Burns
Citizen Police Alumni Wins Galveston Weekend
SAN MARCOS, Texas - Mitsie Benton of the San Marcos CPAAA won
the drawing at the Texas Citizen Police
Academy Alumni and Law Enforcement
Annual Training held in San Marcos
July 30-Aug 1, 2009. The prize was a
two night stay in the Hawthorn Suite at
The Victorian Resort on the Galveston
Seawall, courtesy of Police News Publishing Company, publisher of The Police News newspaper and PoliceNewsOnline.Com
Pictured are (L-R)
Howard Williams (San Marcos Chief of Police), Sandi Miller (Pearland CPAAA), Amelia Collins (Galveston CPAAA), Mitsie Benton (winner of the drawing from San Marcos CPAAA), and
Greg Wurzbach (President of the San Marcos CPAAA).
Guard and Reserve Honor Police Lieutenant
GALVESTON - The Seven Seals Award
was presented by the ESGR (Employer Support of Guard and Reserve) to
Galveston Police Lt. DJ Alvarez for
meritorious leadership and initiative
in support of the men and women who
serve America in the National Guard and
Reserves. Lt. Alvarez and other employers were awarded plaques at a luncheon
at the Joint Reserve Training Facility at
Ellington Field.
The Nation has done a pretty good
job of supporting and recognizing the
family’s sacrifice of Guardsmen and
Reservists. ESGR was created to recognize employers who support the Guard
and Reserves and all also share some of
that sacrifice.
After September 11th, members of
the Galveston Police Department that
were National Guard or Reservists began to be recalled to active duty. Lt.
Alvarez provided outstanding support
of these personnel by maintaining frequent contact with them and providing
updates to the department. He inquired
and maintained contact with families
and addressed their needs and he organized regular care package drives for
deployed service members.
Sgt. John Courtney, deployed with the
Kitchen Gallery
Granite,
Cabinets
409354-8766
2724-1 61st St.
Galveston
STOP BY OUR SHOWROOM
Page 10 - The Police News
Councilman Rodriquez speaks to the officers
as Lt. Randall Wallace who made the presentation looks on.
U.S. Navy in Iraq said, “when I was in
Iraq, I never needed anything. Food,
cigarettes, reading material, you name
it. On one occasion I needed Teflon to a
make some plumbing repairs and three
weeks later I got it.”
Lt. Alvarez is a veteran Galveston police officer assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division and is also the department’s Public Information Officer.
Galveston Police Lt. DJ Alvarez
Joe
Carpet
Cleaning
out of your carpet!”
• Upholstery & Drapery Cleaning
• Stripping & Waxing
• 24 Hour Water Extractions
Bonded & Insured - Galveston’s Finest
SHAMPOO &
$
STEAM CLEANING
LIVING ROOM,
89.95 FORDINING
& HALL
Additional Rooms $18.95
409-256-1569
Dickinson’s Valdez, Officer of The Year Dickinson Officers Awarded ‘Medal of Valor’
From left to right: Ben Hernandez (President of the TCPAAA), Officer Tony Valdez (recipient
of the Ray Ramon award), Dorris Murdock (4th VP- Conventions, TCPAAA).
SAN MARCOS, Texas - Officer Tony Valdez of the Dickinson Police Department
was awarded the Ray Ramon Award, also known as the Peace Officer of the Year, at
the Texas Citizen Police Academy Alumni and Law Enforcement Annual Training
held in San Marcos.
This award is one of four presented on Aug 1, and is in honor of the officer who
hosted the first Convention in 1993. The award is presented to the Texas peace officer deemed to have contributed the most to the development of the CPA program
during 2008-2009.
Crooks Jailed, Outnumbered By Posse
SANTA FE, Texas - These five crooks burst into a Santa Fe home occupied by a
man and two teen girls. At gunpoint they took guns and money and fled in two
vehicles.
That brought a swarm of officers from the Santa Fe Police
Department, Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force, deputies from Constable’s Jimmy Fullen and Jerry Fisher’s offices,
Galveston County Auto Crimes Task Force, Alvin Police Department, Santa Fe ISD Police Department , Texas City Police
Department and Galveston County Sheriff’s Office.
Following a massive police operation by these combined Quentin Lamar Robagencies, these five were captured, jailed and charged with inson, 20, of La
Marque. Bond $40,
multiple criminal offenses. One crook was still at large.
000
Robert Antonio Brown, Evan Jerrod Booker, Quinton
Dechon Jarvis Nortell Carter,
25, of Houston. Bond 20, of Houston. Bond Thomas, 23, of Hous- 23, of Houston. Bond
$100, 000
$60, 000
ton. Bond $80, 000 $150,000
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The largest structural relocation company on the Texas Gulf Coast
DICKINSON, Texas - Three Dickin- and valor in the line of duty.
son police officers have been given the
During the July 28th city council meetdepartment’s highest decoration for ing, Chief Morales presented all three
their valiant attempt to save a Texas officers the Medal of Valor, the first time
City couple from their burning SUV last the medal has ever been awarded by the
April 6th. Jessica Ann Ayala, 27, and Dickinson Police Department. Morales
husband Guillermo Ayala, Jr., 28, died also awarded them a medal for Bravery.
when their vehicle left the Highway 3
Mayor Julie Masters presented the
roadway, crashed into a tree
and burst into flames.
When officers Jack Ferrell, Johnny Smith and Sgt.
Mike Anzualda arrived at
the scene the vehicle was
in flames and the Ayala’s
were still inside. Anzualda (L-R) Police Chief Ron Morales, Sgt. Mike Ansualda, Officers
said when he arrived at the Johnny Smith and Jack Ferrell
scene Smith was pulling the
driver, Guillermo Ayala, from the car as three officers with a Certificate of Apflames shot from inside. Ferrell went to preciation on behalf of the city council
the passenger side and could see Jessica and the citizens of Dickinson.
Ayala inside. The air bag was covering
In presenting the medals Chief Mothe window so Ferrell cut through it with rales remarked, “It is our opinion that
his pocket knife. As he did, the dash- Sgt. Mike Anzualda, Officer Johnny
board collapsed on her. He cut her free Smith and Officer Jack Ferrell’s brave
of her seatbelt, forced the door open, and and unselfish actions granted both viche and Anzualda dragged her out. She tims, who later succumbed to their inwas pronounced dead at the scene. Her juries, a chance to at least fight for their
husband later died in the hospital.
lives. These officers all took an oath
Ferrell and Smith suffered cuts and to serve and protect the citizens of our
burns during the rescue effort. Anzual- community and they acted with great
da was uninjured, however, he later rec- honor and bravery. We hereby award
ommended to Police Chief Ron Morales them the Medal of Valor, an honor that
that Ferrell and Smith be awarded the is the first to be awarded to an officer of
departments highest honor for bravery this agency.”
Meter
Maids
This is a picture
of Galveston’s first
meter maids taken
over 40 years ago.
We know who all but
one of them are and
are hopeful a reader
will recognize the
unidentified lady and
let us know.
Pictured left to right
are: Mattie Lou White, Peggy McCauley, unknown but we think she may be
Margaret Mickens, and Helen Cravey
and Thelma Brown.
If you can identify the third lady from
the left, call, write or email us: 409632-0042, PO Box 5879, Galveston, Tx
77554 or editor@thepolicenews.net.
Photo courtesy of Molly O’Neil, former
Galveston police dispatcher.
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The Police News - Page 11
Young Beautiful...Cont. from pg 5
Lykos, now in her first term as Harris
County district attorney, said Short told
her she would work nights with no
weekends off if she pushed the fact that
she ranked No. 1. In turn, he urged her
to take the detective’s exam.
“The only thing about Short was he
really didn’t care about women being
on the force,” Belle recalled. “You
couldn’t help but get that feeling. And
what he did to Pat Lykos. He would
not let her be a sergeant. Now you got
female sergeants left and right.
“I never had any direct dealings with
Chief Short. He could not call me by
name. Word got around about what
he did to Pat and they (policewomen)
didn’t speak of him in the highest
regard.
“When Pat made detective, we were
all happy for her and even happier when
she decided to quit and become an attorney. If you had to go to Short for help,
I don’t think any woman would have.
With men it was different.
“There were no women who have
ever got into trouble with Chief Short.
I doubt very seriously he would have
(punished) a woman. The only thing
that I liked about him was when the
government offered us grants he said
no. That way the government couldn’t
tell us what to do. For that I admired
him. That man would do it his way. And
his way meant he could do whatever he
wanted without the aid of the government or interference of any kind.”
Her favorite chief was Harry Caldwell
(1977-1980), who made giant strides
in the department’s relationship with
Houston’s Hispanic community in the
wake of the Joe Campos Torres incident. Belle said several years ago:
“He was my favorite, I guess, because
I knew him. I knew him in Juvenile as
an officer and then as my captain in the
Jail.
“He almost gave me some days off.
We would give women towels if they
wanted to bathe. He talked to the prisoners and they told him that Belle
wouldn’t provide towels.
“He said people stink when they perspire and officers get days off for this.
What hurt me was he would think of
giving me days off by believing them
over me. My feelings were really hurt.”
Ultimately, however, the captain
and future chief went with his officer.
“Caldwell was my friend. He sent me
to a class in Austin to the University
of Texas about alcoholism since I dealt
with drunks. He was more favorable to
women and Hispanics.”
Caldwell and Belle both attended a
retirement party several years ago. “He
was there,” daughter Roxanna said,
“and when he saw my mother he almost
jumped over a chair to get to her. She
was so excited to see him. They were
always good friends.”
Much Admired
In the interview for the HPD history, Belle beamed when she expressed
admiration for policewomen who succeeded to the top of the HPD organization. “I was very proud of Betsy
Watson,” she said of HPD’s first female
chief. “I worked with Betsy in the jail.
And Martha Montalvo – she’s a threestar deputy chief. I’m always glad to
hear about women getting up there in
the ranks.”
She was a founding member of the
Organization of Spanish-Speaking
Officers (OSSO) and a role model for
numerous Hispanic officers, both male
and female, who greatly admired her
for her feisty and spunky attitude and
expressing her opinion when she felt
she was right.
In the 1980s Belle was the first to
receive female Hispanic Officer of the
Year honors. She retired as an officer
on Oct. 27, 1989 but continued to serve
the citizens of Houston by becoming
a police service officer in HPD at the
Eastside Magnolia Park Police substation. She served there for 10 years and
retired Dec. 2, 1999.
She described her PSO duties as
including taking reports at the front
counter, writing accident reports and
answering phones. “They do everything
but work out in the streets,” she said.
“That’s what I became when I retired as
a police officer.”
A tragic event led to a stroke in 1999.
Roxanna said doctors believed she suffered the paralyzing event in the wake
of the shooting death of her grandson,
Joe Frank Garza, who was 17 when
he was killed earlier that year during a
home invasion.
Belle lived about nine more years. But
memories of “the beautiful young woman” will go on around the eastside and
HPD for many years to come.
Many Friends with Badges Helped In Belle Ortega Murder Investigation
By TOM KENNEDY
B
elle Ortega suffered the cruelest
fate of all. She spent more than
four decades with the Houston Police
Department and at age 78 was experiencing a quiet retirement with her daughter
and her family on the east side.
Belle was watching a soap opera on
her daughter’s TV on Monday, July 21.
She was wheelchair-bound, having been
a stroke victim.
Suddenly and without warning, shots
from an AK-47 assault rifle rang out
through the apartment dwelling. In all,
attackers fired more than 30 shots from
this weapon as well as a pistol. One bullet struck Belle, breaking several ribs,
ripping open her diaphragm and putting
a hole in her kidney.
Blue Cranks Up Fast
Paramedics rushed her to Ben Taub
General Hospital where she was treated
by the best doctors available. She died
several weeks later, the victim of a violent attack led by a young man demanding the return of tires and rims on a
Cadillac sold to Ortega's grandson Albert
a year ago. As Ortega's brother, Jimmy
Lopez put it, “I'm angry that it happened
- senseless - over material things.” And
as would be expected, the Houston blue
immediately put on the full court press to
find the killers.
Capt. Mark Curran, then chief of staff
under Chief Harold Hurtt, knew the
determined individuals whose knowlPage 12 - The Police News
edge and non-stop determination would
lead to the arrest of the killer and his two
accomplices. “I picked up the phone,” Curran
recalled, “and called Paul Ogden and
said, ‘Didja hear what happened to
Belle?’ Then I said for him to go find
those X@#$%&*s. And I called Robert
Ruiz (Eastside Division Gang Unit) and
said, ‘I’m not your captain and I’m
not your boss but I know you can find
them.’
“The rest is history. Once you get Paul
Ogden and someone like Robert Ruiz,
you got the best.”
Sgt. Ogden, last year’s Patrol Supervisor
of the Year didn’t let him down. Neither
did Ruiz and a host of HPD blue.
Ogden was born and raised in the
east end of Houston and has spent all
but two of his 33 HPD years as a
police officer working this area, gaining
a well deserved reputation as a respected
authority on eastside criminals. The sergeant well knew Belle just as countless
other officers, both current and retired. Homicide Division assigned Sgt. Will
Gonzales and Investigator Jesse Sosa to
be the case agents. They were assisted
by Investigator Rick Moreno, Sergeant
Bobby Roberts and many others. Sgt.
Ruiz coordinated efforts of Eastside personnel (Gang Unit, Tactical Unit and
Patrol) in assisting Homicide with this
case.
“A whole lot of people were involved
in this, doing a whole lot of good work,”
Ogden recalled. The veteran, as usual,
emphasized team work although he was
nominated to be the “Top Cop” designated by the National Association of Police
Organizations for his work.
Every state furnishes a nominee for
the honor and this year Ogden earned
Honorable Mention designation. Ogden’s job was to assist in locating the
vehicle involved in the shooting, a sport
utility vehicle seen racing away from the
scene. The reports of the license number
were confusing, an all-too-familiar situation for officers.
Real Team Effort
“The witnesses to the suspect vehicle
gave us a plate that was not correct,”
Ogden said. “I worked through a number
of combinations and came up with a possibility that wound up being the plate.”
The shooters were from the Manchester
area. Officers from the Eastside Tactical
Unit spotted the SUV later on the day of
the event and arrested the driver.
“Homicide figured out who the other
two suspects were,” said Ogden, who
then put information he got from a tip
attributed to one of many of his informants in and around Manchester.
Ruiz and other officers involved in the
intense investigation knew Belle personally and had that extra incentive and rush
of adrenalin that comes when one of
their own is a violent crime victim.
“Belle was a great person, full of life
and just real spirited and feisty,” Ruiz
said. “We took this personal that someone hurt one of our Eastside family. Lo
and behold, it was someone who had
retired and didn’t deserve what she got.
You expect to retire and live and die on a
beach with umbrellas or something.”
Dozens of officers and investigators
participated. It’s hard to name them all
but besides Ogden, Ruiz and Jesse Sosa,
there were Robert Segura, Rick Moreno,
Will Gonzales, Richard Pitts, Epifanio
“Eppy” Garza, Al Yanez, Marco Nava,
Elias Zepeda, Stephen Leija, Marco
Santurario, Natividad Vasquez, Aldo
Gonzales, George Morin, J. B. Byrd, P.
K. Breen, Craig Full, Sgt. David Vega,
Sgt. Mark Newcomb and Sgt. Donald
Mouser.
All egos were brushed aside for this
special cause. Altogether, participating
officers came from Homicide, Eastside
TACT, the Eastside Divisional Gang
Unit, the Eastside Gang Task Force, HPD
Gang Unit and Narcotics. Harris County
Precinct 6 constables were involved, as
were Galveston County officers.
“All the stops were pulled out,” Ogden
said. “Everybody was willing to participate and help out."
The initial investigation yielded the
names of the three suspects – Andrew
Garcia Jr., 20, Bruno Aviles, 17, and
Raziel Jesus Munoz, 22.
When Eastside Gant Unit officers got
Many Friends...Cont. on pg 19
TEXAS EXECUTIONS
Scheduled Execution: Sept. 16, 2009
Stephen Lindsey Moody
White man born July 16, 1957
Education level: 10 years
Occupation: Oilfield worker
Native of Harris County, Texas
In late September
of 1991, Stephen
Lindsey Moody and
Calvin Doby drove
from Houston to Dayton, Texas accompanied by Melvin Ellis
and Lloyd Larrieu.
While enroute, Doby Stephen Lindsey
Moody
asked Larrieu from
whom he is getting
his drugs, because Doby wanted to rob
that individual. In response, Larrieu provided Doby with the name and whereabouts of 28-year old Joseph F. Hall in
Houston.
On October 19, 1991, the day of the
murder, Ellis, Doby and Larrieu drove
to Hall's neighborhood where Larrieu
pointed out his house and told him where
he could find Hall's drugs and money
once inside. Larrieu also explained
that Hall lived with his girlfriend, Rene
McKeage and he would know if he
were home if his Chevrolet Camaro was
parked in the driveway.
Doby called Moody on the telephone
and the two of them met at Ellis' house
an hour later then the two of them went
to Halls house.
On the evening of the murder, McKeage and Hall were returning home
from dinner when McKeage noticed
two strange men walking on the street
away from their house.
A few minutes later Rene was sitting
in the bathroom when she heard Hall
talking on the phone and then somebody
come rushing into the house. She heard
Hall yell out her name and then heard
another man's voice screaming, "where's
the money?" She initially thought it was
the police because of the drugs that were
in the house, so she stayed in the bathroom. Then she heard Hall say, "You're
not the cops. Let me see your badges."
She then heard some scuffling and
Moody walked into the bathroom and
told her to stay there and not to move,
pointing a sawed-off shotgun at her.
Rene heard Moody yell at Hall again,
"where's the money?" Hall replied it
was in his pocket and he pleaded with
Moody, "Please don't shoot me."
Rene jumped out of the bathroom window, jumped over the backyard fence,
and ran next-door to the home of Arthur
Jesse Flores. Then she heard a gunshot
come from inside her house. She told
Flores someone had shot Hall and to
call 911. Flores, and two visitors in his
home also heard the shots, then saw two
men walk out of the house and down the
street.
Doby and Moody went back to Ellis'
house and told him they had murdered
Hall. "Man, we had some trouble over
there and we had to kill him," Moody
told him. Ellis replied, "Man, don't
worry. Shit happens." Ellis asked him if
Hall was dead to which Moody replied,
"Yeah, I shot him right in the heart.
Hall, who was crippled, died instantly. The killers got away with $1250.00
from his pockets.
Christopher Coleman
Black man born on Dec. 28, 1971
Eduction level: 11 years
Occupation: Laborer
Native of of Harris County, Texas
On the night of
December 13, 1995,
Christopher Coleman and two other
men were driving
together
around
Houston,
Texas.
They stopped on a
dead-end street and
Christopher
waited.
Soon after,
Coleman
another car arrived
and parked behind the car in which Coleman was riding. This second car carried
four people: the driver, Jose Luis Garcia-Castro; his girlfriend, Elsie Prado;
Prado's brother, Heimar Prado Hurtado;
and Prado's three-year-old son, Danny
Giraldo. Coleman and the two other men
got out of their car and approached the
second vehicle, where one of Coleman's
companions spoke to Hurtado. Then,
standing close to the passenger side of
the car, Coleman opened fire on the occupants of the second vehicle.
When police arrived, they found
Hurtado, Garcia-Castro, and Giraldo
dead and Prado seriously injured. Prado survived her injuries and told police
that she would never forget the shooter's face. She picked Coleman's picture
from a photo spread nine days after the
shooting. A week later, police arrested
Coleman in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.
Two Houston police officers traveled to
Tennessee to transport Coleman back to
Texas. Upon arriving at the Lawrenceburg police station, the Houston officers
read Coleman the warnings required by
Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86
S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), and
Coleman waived his rights. After roughly three hours of being interviewed by
the officers, Coleman gave a recorded
statement in which he admitted being
present when the murders occurred; he
did not admit to being the actual shooter.
In June 1997, a Texas state jury convicted Coleman of capital murder and
sentenced him to death. The Texas Court
of Criminal Appeals affirmed Coleman's
conviction and sentence and denied his
initial state application for a writ of habeas corpus, A second state habeas application was dismissed as an abuse of
the writ. In September 2004, the federal
district court denied Coleman's federal
habeas application and refused to grant
any of Coleman's claims.
Kenneth Mosley
Black man born September 7, 1958
Education level: 12 years
Occupation: Laborer
Native of Flint, Michigan
Kenneth Mosley was convicted of
the fatal shooting of
32-year old police officer Michael Moore
during a bank robbery
on February 15, 1997.
He was scheduled to
be executed via lethal
injection in July, but
the sentence was de- Kenneth Mosley
layed until September.
Officer Moore was fatally wounded
by a bullet that struck above the top
edge of his protective vest. Mosley was
shot in the wrist by another officer waiting outside the bank and was arrested in
the parking lot.
At the time of his arrest, Mosley was
zwanted in the Dallas area for holding
up a fast-food restaurant where he once
worked. When he walked into the Garland bank, an employee recognized him
as the man who robbed the same bank
more than a month earlier.
Moore was among officers to respond
to a 911 call. When he approached Mosley, who was waiting in line, the two
men struggled and fell through a window. Mosley pulled a 9 mm pistol and
opened fire.
At his trial, Mosley's lawyers argued
the shooting was accidental. They said
Mosley was trying to surrender and the
weapon when it went off five times,
with four of the shots hitting Moore. A
witness testified that she saw Mosley
stand over the fallen officer and continue shooting.
Scheduled Exectuion: Sept. 30, 2009
John Lezell Balentine
White male born January 30, 1969
Eduction level: 10 years
Occupation: Auto mechanic, laborer
Native of Jackson County, Arkansas
John Lezell Balentine, 30, was indict-
ed for capital murder in the January 21,
1998 deaths of Steven Brady Watson, 15;
Kai Brooke Geyer, 15; and Mark Edward
Caylor, 17. The incident was the first
triple murder in Amarillo history.
At 2:30 that
morning,
Officer
Timothy Hardin of the
Amarillo Police Department responded
to a call that shots had
John Lezell
been fired in an AmaBalentine
rillo, Texas neighborhood.
While investigating the call, he noticed
Balentine walking from the area where
the shots had been fired.
Believing him to be acting in a suspicious manner, Officer Hardin stopped
him for questioning.
Ballentine gave the officer incorrect
information regarding his identity and
address. A subsequent frisk revealed
a .32 caliber bullet in his possession.
However, no weapon was found and petitioner was not taken into custody.
Later that morning, three young men
were discovered murdered in that same
neighborhood, and in a house where
Ballentin had resided until a few weeks
before the incident when he broke up
with Misty Caylor, his girlfriend who
lived there.
Each of the young men had been shot
in the head with a .32 caliber bullet. One
of the murder victims was Mark Caylor,
who had threatened Balletine because of
his treatment of Misty Caylor, Markís
sister.
The investigation focused on Balletin
and an arrest warrant was issued.
He left the Amarillo area shortly after the murders, but was later arrested
during a July 23rd traffic stop in Houston, Texas. After his arrest in Houston,
Ballentine confessed he had committed
these crimes.
In his confession he told investigators
he targeted Caylor in his home because
he had repeatedly threatened Balentine
and his friends after Balentine had physically abused Caylor's sister, with whom
he previously had a relationship.
Balentine also told officers he was angered that Caylor and his friends used
drugs in the home while a baby also
lived there.
According to his confession presented
during trial, Balentine said he went to
Caylor's home and saw him asleep in
the living room along with Watson and
Geyer.
When his .32-caliber pistol jammed,
he fired the gun in the alley, then crawled
through a window, went to the living
room and shot the teens as they slept.
Line of Duty Deaths
The Police News honors these area law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in the month of August in the years indicated.
Officer Bobby Tyson Paulk
Baytown Police Department
End of Watch: Friday, Sept. 9, 1977
Age: 31
Tour of Duty: 10 months
Badge Number: 41
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: Fri., Sept. 9, 1977
Weapon Used: Automobile; Alcohol involved
Suspect Info: Paroled in 1980
Officer Bobby Paulk was killed when his
police vehicle was struck head on by another vehicle being operated by an intoxicated
driver.
The driver, who was under the influence
of drugs and alcohol, crossed three lanes of
travel on Bayway Drive and collided into Officer Paulk’s vehicle.
The driver was convicted of involuntary
manslaughter and sentenced to seven years
in prison. He served less than half of his sentence and was paroled in 1980.
Officer Paulk had been a member of the
Baytown Police Department for 10 months.
He is survived by his wife, daughter, and
son.
Sheriff Joe H. Snow
Brazoria County Sheriff’s Dept.
End of Watch: Wed, Sept 15, 1920
Age: 38
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Wed, Sept 15, 1920
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Lynched by an angry mob
Sheriff Snow was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a horse thief. Sheriff
Snow had been to the suspect’s farm the
day before the incident to investigate a fire.
While there he noticed a saddle and some
horses that had been stolen from his farm a
few days earlier. The next day Sheriff Snow
returned to arrest the suspect when he was
shot at close range with a shotgun by the
suspect. The suspect was arrested and taken to jail but before he could stand trial an
angry mob lynched him from a tree in front
of the jailhouse.
Sergeant Ed Holcomb Jr.
Conroe Police Dept.
End of Watch: Tues, Sept. 14, 1982
Age: 31
Badge Number: 602
Date of Incident: Tues, Aug. 24, 1982
Weapon Used: Rifle; .30-.06
Suspect Info: Committed suicide
Sergeant Holcomb was shot with a rifle
and killed as he approached a mobile home
during a domestic dispute call. He and three
other officers had responded to the call and
located the suspect’s wife running from the
home. After talking to her the officers learned
that the suspect was inside the mobile home
and possibly armed.
Sergeant Holcomb was going to attempt
to make contact with the suspect and walked
onto the porch. As he walked past a slidingglass door the suspect opened fire, striking
him under his right arm in a spot not protected by his bullet proof vest. The suspect
then lit his home on fire and shot himself.
Sergeant Holcomb was taken to a local
hospital where he succumbed to his wound
three weeks later.
He had served with the Conroe Police Department for 5 years and was survived by his
wife and son.
Deputy Edmond Hardin
Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department
End of Watch: Thurs, Sept 15, 1927
Age: 47
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: Mon, Sept. 15, 1927
Deputy Edmond Hardin was killed while
escorting two prisoners from a local fairgrounds. He accidentally drove into the path
of an ascending airplane which was giving
rides at the fair.
Deputy Hardin was survived by his wife,
five sons, and five daughters.
Police Officer Samuel Eugene Tovrea
Galveston Police Department
End of Watch: Sat, Sept 8, 1900
Age: 34
Cause of Death: Weather/Natural
disaster
Date of Incident: Sat, Sept 8, 1900
Officer Tovrea and three other officers
were killed in the Storm of 1900. The storm
claimed the lives of over 6,000 citizens and
destroyed over 1,500 acres of the city. To
date it is the deadliest natural disaster to
ever occur in the United States .
Officer Tovrea had served with the agency
for 10 years. Officer Tovrea’s wife, four children, and mother-in-law were also killed in
the hurricane. He was survived by his parents and 11 siblings.
Police Officer Adolph Howe
End of Watch: Saturday, Sept. 8, 1900
Age: 46
disaster
Date of Incident: Saturday, Sept. 8, 1900
Officer Howe and three other officers
Officer Howe and his parents were born
in Denmark . His wife and her parents were
born in Germany . He was born August 1854
and she was born February 1864. They had
nine children; four boys and five girls. All
of the children were born in Texas . Officer
Howe was survived by his wife and all of his
children.
Police Officer Frederick L. Richards
Age: 44
disaster
Date of Incident: Sat, Sept. 8, 1900
Officer Richards and three other officers
Officer Richards was born in August 1856
in Germany . His mother and father were
also born in Germany . Officer Richards had
served with the agency for 10 years and was
survived by his wife and son.
Police Officer Charles Wolfe
Age: 48
disaster
Officer Wolfe and three other officers
Officer Wolfe and his parents were born
in Germany as well as his wife and her parents. He was born March 1852 and his
wife Johanna was born October 1852. They
had two sons, Charles born July 1875, and
Edward H. born April 1883. Officer Wolfe
had served with the agency for 7 years and
was survived by his wife.
Constable W. Emory Hicks
Harris County Constable’s Office
End of Watch: Fri, Sept. 14, 1923
Age: 27
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Accidental)
Date of Incident: Thurs, Sept. 13, 1923
Weapon Used: Officer’s handgun
Constable Hicks was shot and killed by a
federal prohibition agent in a case of mistaken identify. Constable Hicks and another
constable thought the two agents were bootleggers. The two federal agents also though
the two constables were bootleggers. A
shootout erupted and Constable Hicks was
fatally wounded.
Deputy Constable Micheal Ray Eakin III
Harris County Constable’s OfficePrecinct 1
Age: 25
Date of Incident: Tues, Sept, 29, 1998
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Commuted to life
Deputy Constable Michael Eakin was shot
and killed after making a traffic stop. As he
was checking the vehicle’s license plates the
passenger exited the car and fled on foot.
Deputy Constable Eakin pursued him and a
scuffle ensued, at which time he was shot in
the neck.
Several other people who were in the vehicle at the time were arrested by other responding deputies. The 17-year-old suspect
was sentenced to death on May 25, 1999.
The killer’s sentence was commuted to life
in prison in March 2005 when the United
States Supreme Court ruled that the execution of criminals who committed their crimes
as a juvenile was unconstitutional.
Deputy Constable Eakin had served with
the Constable’s Office for 3 years. He was
survived by his fiancee, mother, father, and
family who served as his guardian when he
was a teenager.
Deputy Sheriff James A. Reed
Harris County Sheriff’s Department
End of Watch: Wed, Sept 6, 1905
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 4 months
Weapon Used: Handgun
Deputy Reed was shot in the abdomen as
he attempted to serve an arrest warrant on a
burglary suspect. He succumbed to his injuries four days later.
Deputy Reed had been with the agency for
four months and was survived by his wife.
Deputy Sheriff Leo Busby
End of Watch: Thursday, Sept. 10,
1953
Age: 42
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Thurs, Sept, 10, 1953
Deputy Busby was killed in an automobile accident while he and another deputy
were returning to Houston after transporting
a prisoner to Rusk State Hospital . A delivery truck pulled onto Highway 69 in front of
them. The other deputy lost control of the
vehicle and drove into a ditch. Deputy Busby
was ejected from the car and sustained fatal
injuries.
Deputy Busby was one of the first two
Line of Duty..Cont. on next pg
Line of Duty..Cont. from previous pg
black deputies hired by Harris County . He
had been with the agency for just under
three years.
Deputy Sheriff Fred B. Peebles
End of Watch: Thurs, Sept,23, 1965
Age: 30
Badge Number: 25
Weapon Used: Automobile
Deputy Peebles was struck and killed by
a drunk, hit-and-run driver while escorting
a funeral procession. Deputy Peebles was
stopped on the Eastex Freeway when a vehicle attempting to pass the procession at a
high rate of speed struck his motorcycle. The
driver of the car fled but was apprehended
by an off-duty police officer and several citizens.
The suspect was convicted of charges in
connection with Deputy Peebles’ death and
was sentenced to 5 years in jail.
Deputy Peebles was survived by his wife
and three children.
Deputy Sheriff Reginald Floyd Norwood
Age: 27
Cause of Death: Vehicle pursuit
Date of Incident: Tues, Sept. 3, 1985
Weapon Used: Automobile
Suspect Info: Apprehended
Deputy Norwood was struck and killed by
a hit-and-run driver while assisting at the
scene of a major accident. Deputy Norwood
was en route to work when he encountered
the five-car accident. After assisting two victims he began running towards an overturned
tractor trailer. Another vehicle, whose driver
ignored other officers orders, drove around
the accident scene onto the median. As
the vehicle re-entered the roadway it struck
Deputy Norwood. The driver fled the scene
but turned himself in the following day.
Deputy Sheriff Richard Maurice
Blackwell
End of Watch: Wed, Sept. 6, 1989
Age: 25
Cause of Death: Motorcycle accident
Date of Incident: Wed, Sept. 6, 1989
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Deputy Blackwell was killed in a motorcycle accident while escorting a funeral procession. He was travelling on Ella when he
collided with a vehicle on West 27th Street .
Corporal Jeffery Scott Sanford
End of Watch: Sat, Sept. 14, 1991
Age: 31
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Convicted of capital murder
Corporal Sanford was shot and killed as
he tried to stop a robbery in progress. Corporal Sanford was off duty when he witnessed
a suspect holding a gas station attendant at
gunpoint. He entered the business through
a side entrance, identified himself, and ordered the suspect to drop the gun. Unknown
to Corporal Sanford, a second suspect was
in one of the aisles. The second suspect
shot Corporal Sanford from behind, killing
him. The suspect was convicted of capital
murder.
Corporal Sanford was survived by his wife,
son and parents.
Detective Tommy L. Keen
End of Watch: Mon, Sept. 15, 2008
Age: 59
Badge Number: 500
Cause of Death: Accidental
Detective Tommy Keen succumbed to
injuries sustained two days earlier while assisting with recovery efforts following Hurricane Ike.
He had marked on duty and was driving to
the station when he encountered a downed
tree blocking the roadway.
He returned to his home, retrieved a
chainsaw, and then went back to the location to remove the tree. As he cut the tree, a
branch lying against a high-tension wire suddenly shot into the air and struck him in the
head.
He was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital where he died from his wounds two days
later.
Detective Keen was a US Army veteran of
the Vietnam War and had served with the
Harris County Sheriff’s Department for 35
years. He was scheduled to retire at the end
of the following month. He is survived by his
wife and adult son.
Detective E. C. Chavez
Houston Police Department
End of Watch: Thurs, Sept. 17, 1925
Detective Chavez was shot and killed while
at the residence of a suspect. The suspect
came home and shot Detective Chavez.
Detective Chavez was survived by his
wife, son, two sisters and two brothers.
Detective Ed Jones
End of Watch: Fri, Sept. 13, 1929
Date of Incident: Fri, Sept. 13, 1929
Weapon Used: Officer’s handgun
Detective Jones was shot and killed with
his own weapon in front of his home. His
brother-in-law had tried to steal his service
weapon and Detective Jones chased him
outside where he was shot and killed.
Detective Jones was survived by his wife.
Officer Willie Bonner Phares
Weapon Used: Handgun; .45 caliber
Suspect Info: Executed in 1930
Officer Phares and Officer Edward Fitzgerald were shot and killed by one of two men
as they approached their car to question
them about a hold-up which had occurred
minutes earlier at a furniture store. The suspects were captured a short time later.
The gunman was sentenced to death and
executed in the electric chair on November
28, 1930.
Officer Edward D. Fitzgerald
Weapon Used: Handgun; .45 caliber
Suspect Info: Executed in 1930
Officer Fitzgerald and Officer Willie Phares
were shot and killed by one of two men as
they approached their car to question them
about a hold-up which had occurred minutes
earlier at a furniture store. The suspects
were captured a short time later.
The gunman was sentenced to death and
executed in the electric chair on November
28, 1930.
Police Officer David Huerta
Date of Incident: Wed, Sept. 19, 1973
Weapon Used: Shotgun; 12 gauge
Suspect Info: Committed suicide
Officer Huerta was shot and killed while
arresting a man for violating a restraining
order. Officer Huerta was flagged down by
a woman who informed him her husband
was at her apartment in violation of the order. When Officer Huerta told the man he
had to escort him out of the apartment the
man asked to retrieve some belongings
from a room. Officer Huerta allowed him to
do so and use the phone to call headquarters. The man emerged from the room with
a 12-gauge shotgun and killed his wife and
Officer Huerta. The suspect then committed
suicide after barricading himself in the apartment.
Officer William Moss
Houston Airport Police Department
End of Watch: Mon, Sept. 12, 1983
Tour of Duty: 1 year
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Mon, Sept. 12, 1983
Officer Moss was killed in an automobile
accident while en route to assist another officer at an accident. During the response his
cruiser struck a tree.
Officer Moss had been with the agency for
one year.
Police Officer Jerry Keith Stowe
Cause of Death: Assault
Date of Incident: Wed, Aug. 27, 1986
Weapon Used: Blunt object; Lumber
Officer Stowe succumbed to injuries sustained 14 years earlier when he was assaulted and severely beaten over the back and
abdomen with a 2x4 and a piece of rebar.
The assault took place when Officer Stowe,
along with four other officers, responded to a
domestic disturbance.
Following the incident, Officer Stowe underwent several surgeries, including the
removal of his spleen. The surgeries and
medical complications continued until he
succumbed.
Officer Rodney Joseph Johnson
End of Watch: Thursday, September 21, 2006
Age: 40
Badge Number: 5913
Weapon Used: Handgun; 9 mm
Suspect Info: Convicted of capital murder
Officer Rodney Johnson was shot and
killed after taking an illegal alien into custody
during a traffic stop.
Officer Johnson had stopped a large white
pickup truck occupied by a man and woman
on Randolph at Braniff, just south of Hobby
Airport , at about 5:30 pm. He placed the
male driver under arrest after he was unable
to produce a drivers license. After handcuffing the male, he placed him in the backseat
of the patrol car and then returned to the
driver’s seat. The subject in the backseat
was able to move his hands to his front, retrieve a concealed handgun, and then shot
Officer Johnson in the back of the head four
times. Despite being fatally wounded, Officer Johnson was able to push an emergency
button, alerting dispatch to the incident.
When other officers arrived, the male was
still handcuffed and sitting in the patrol car,
and the weapon was recovered. The woman
who was in the vehicle during the traffic stop
had fled but was also located and taken into
custody.
Officer Johnson was taken to Ben Taub
Hospital , where he was pronounced dead.
The suspect was an illegal alien who had
been deported in 1999, but illegally reentered the United States . On May 8, 2008
the suspect was convicted of capital murder.
In addition, a federal grand jury indicted the
owner of a landscaping firm who hired the
suspect, accusing him of harboring an illegal
alien.
Officer Johnson was a 12-year member of
the Houston Police Department and had previously served as a corrections officer with the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and as
a military policeman in the US Army. He is
Line of Duty..Cont. on pg. 17
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WILLARD, CHARLES LEE JR
W/M DOB: 7-5-1982
1905 West Phillips #1,
Alvin, Tx 77511
Agg. Sexual Assault - Child
Victim: Female 11 yoa
Risk level: Moderate
HALLAHAN, WILLIAM
W/M Born: 6-20-1981
20415 CR 647, GUY, TX 77444
Agg. Sexual Assault - Child
FAIRFIELD, JOE ED II
W/M Born: 8-5-1958
7423 FM 1462 W, Rosharon, Tx. 77583
Proh. Sexual Conduct - incest
Risk level: N/A
CRIBBS, CHARLES
W/M Born: 9-13-1974
7910 CR 175D Pearland, Tx 77584
Sexual Assault - Child
Risk level: Low
THOMPSON, STEVE AUSTIN
W/M Born: 3-15-1976
208 Raven, (CR 710B), Richwood, Tx.
77531
Indecency with a child by contact
Risk level: High
PENA, JUAN MANUAL JR
H/M Born: 5-5-1972
4426 CR 244, Brazoria, Tx. 77422
Sexual Assault Child -Attempt to commit
Risk level: N/A
MCAFEE, SHANNON LEE
WM DOB: 2-6-1985
715 Griffin (Demi John) Freeport, Tx
77541
Aggravated Sexual Assault - Child
Risk level: High
COOK, KELLEY JOE
WM Born: 8-12-1958
3576 CR 31 # 1, Angleton, Tx 77515
Aggravated Sexual Assault - Child
CERDA, EDDIE EDWARD
W/M DOB: 2-16-1943
8255 CR 4, Pearland , Tx . 77584
Agg. Sexual Assault
Female 9 yoa
Risk level: Low
COX, FLOYD BARRET III
B/M DOB: 7-16-1981
1040 Royal Ridge (CR 769), Brazoria
Tx 77422
Indecency w/Child – Sexual Contact
Female 13 yoa
Risk level: High
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Mon. - Fri. 8:30 - 5:30
Sat. - 9:00 - 1:00
A-ALTERNATOR &
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• Auto • Truck • Industrial • Marine
• Exhaust Systems
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Rebuilt–Installed
Exchange
6506 Stewart Rd.
900 Grand Ave.
Bacliff TX 77518
Galveston TX 77551
409-744-5127
Danny Hudson
281-339-9099
MAID IN CRYSTAL BEACH
Pamela Goza, Owner
PO Box 2593
Crystal Beach, Texas 77650
Cell:
Office:
E-mail:
409-880-5805
409-684-7122 Crystal Beach
409-740-3561 Galveston
maidincrystalbeach@att.net
Serving all of your Commercial, Rental and Residential needs.
Now serving Galveston Island.
SEX OFFENDERS-Galveston Co.
These are NOT wanted fugitives, but Registered Sex Offenders. If observed
residing at any address other than the one listed below the photo, please
notify the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office 409-766-2320
Pennington, Stephen Allen
W/M Born: 04-06-70
14302 28th Street
Santa Fe 77510
On Line Solicitation of a Minor
Risk Level: Not Classified
Raney, Chad Elliott
W/M Born: 09-12-82
2334 E Bayshore Drive
San Leon 77539
Aggravated Sexual Assault of Child X 2
Victims: Boy & Girl, 7&5 YOA
Martinez,Jose Manuel
W/M Born: 11-20-64
303 Gordy Street #50,
Bacliff 77518
Victim: Female/14
Sexual Assault
Culbreth, Dennis Paul
W/M Born: 10-12-59
8686 FM 2004
Santa Fe 77510
Agg Sex Asst Child/Ind w/Child by Contact
Victims: Females 13 & 3
Risk Level: High
Brandon, Billy Ray Jr.
W/M Born: 11-05-79
818 Childs Street
Alvin 77511
Indecency with a Child by Contact
Victim: Female 4 YOA
Medeiros, Andreas Josef
W/M Born: 08-04-57
18010 Magnolia,
Algoa 7511
Aggravated Sexual Assault
Victim: Female 39 YOA
Risk Level: High
Newman,Tommy Glen
W/M Born: 11-13-84
5210 Highland
Santa Fe 77517
Agg Sex Child//Ind Child Contact
Victims: Boy & Girl, 5 & 15 YOA
Risk Level: High
Nunez,Kendal Joseph
W/M Born: 01-11-92
7245 Avenue M
Santa Fe 77510
Agg Sex Asslt Child/Ind Exp X3
Victims: Boy & Girl 8 & 4 YOA
Risk Level: Moderate
Ortega,Enrique III
W/M Born: 06-13-61
1021 16th Street
San Leon, 77539
Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child
Victim: Female YOA 13
Risk Level: Moderate
Sandoval,Larry Ray
W/M BOrn: 01-06-60
4632 N Railroad Drive
Santa Fe,77510
Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child X2
Victim: Male 7 YOA
Risk Level: High
Line of Duty..Cont. from pg. 15
survived by his wife, also a Houston officer,
their three daughters, two sons, and mother.
Constable Jerry M. Matthews
Matagorda County Constable’s
Office - Precinct 3
End of Watch: Sun, Sept. 25, 1887
Age: 30
Date of Incident: Sun, Sept. 25, 1887
Weapon Used: Unknown weapon
Suspect Info: Never prosecuted
By 1887, African Americans in Matagorda
County had elected a state, representative,
a county commissioner, two justices of the
peace and a constable, Jerry M. Matthews.
John Nuckols and Dan Kennedy, two white
men were living in the Sargent neighborhood,
refused to work on the roads with a group of
African Americans and under the supervision
of an African American commissioner.
Constable Matthews was ordered to summon them before Justice of the Peace A.
B. Brown. Before leaving, Constable Matthews borrowed a pistol and advised several
people that he would return after serving the
writs, and if not, he had met foul play. Constable Matthews arrived at Nuckols’ home
and found him away. A man in Nuckols’ employ, a desperado by the name of Stafford ,
met Matthews at the door. After a few words
with Stafford , Matthews departed. Stafford
got on his horse and overtook Matthews and
shot him. He dragged the body off and hid it in
a swamp. A group of about 75 armed African
Americans found Matthew’s body floating in a
creek with a bullet wound in the head.
The crowd went searching for Nuckols
and Stafford , but both fled the community.
The sheriff was summoned and instructed
the group to return to their homes. However, news of the “Matagorda Uprising” had
reached surrounding county sheriffs and
the Governor. The sheriffs sent posses of
armed white men and the Governor called
out two local militias into Matagorda County.
The posses and militias shot and killed several African Americans, but the alleged ringleader, Oliver Sheppard, escaped with the
assistance of a white district court judge. No
one was ever prosecuted for the murder of
Constable Matthews.
Very little is known about Constable Mat-
thews. It is unknown if he was married or had
any children. His place of burial is unknown
at this time.
Police Officer Christopher Jerome Sobieski
Prairie View Police Department
End of Watch: Sun, Sept 26, 2004
Age: 39
Badge Number: 804
Date of Incident: Sun, Sept 26, 2004
Weapon Used: Automobile; Alcohol involved
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 180 days
Officer Christopher Sobieski was killed
when his patrol car exploded after being
struck from behind by a drunk driver.
The officer had just finished issuing a
summons and was sitting on the shoulder of
Highway 290, near Liendo Parkway. A pickup truck driven by the drunk driver, slammed
into the back of his 1999 Crown Victoria,
which caused the vehicle to explode.
The drunk driver was convicted of intoxicated manslaughter and sentenced to 180
days in jail, 10 years probation, and was
ordered keep a sign in his front yard with
words “My drunk driving caused the death of
Officer Christopher Sobieski” for 1 year.
Officer Sobieski had served with the Prairie View Police Department for 3 years, and
had previously served for 1 year with the
San Jacinto College District Police Department. He also served for 11 years with the
United States Army as a Military Police Officer. Officer Sobieski is survived by his wife,
parents, and sister.
Get your POLICE NEWS
wherever you see these outdoor dispenser boxes.
BUSTED
Lots of times, changes in life also affect
your investments. That’s why there’s
never been a better time to schedule
your free portfolio review. We’ll talk
about the changes in your life, and help
you decide whether it makes sense
to revise your investments ecause of
them.
A portfolio review will help ensure your
investments are keeping pace with
your goals. Call your local financial advisor today.
David P Rodgers
Financial Advisor
6710 Stewart Rd Ste 201
Galveston TX 77551
409-744-1769
Richard Michael Bailey
FRIENDSWOOD - 18-year old Richard Michael Bailey was driving a
motorcycle and fled from League
City police around 10:30 p.m. on
August 5. He then entered the
City of Friendswood and fled from
Friendswood police, running a red
light. League City police was able
to get a license plate number on
the motorcycle showing a Friendswood address.
A short time later, Bailey was
observed pulling into the Autumn
Creek subdivision. He was stopped
and arrested. He was also found to
have outstanding traffic warrants in
Webster.
VISIT US ON the WEB at
Red's Tire Shop
NEW AND USED TIRES • VEHICLE INSPECTIONS
844 Grand Ave.
Bacliff TX 77518
281-559-1865
MONTHLY AUTO AUCTION
IN HOUSTON AREA
100 + CARS
FOR FULL LISTINGS CALL
F 361-939-7749 F
OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
www.drugseizure.com
www.auto-title.com
Texas Auto Title &
Registration
Consultants, Inc.
Donald McClure TX 12482
Courtney McClure TX 15173
Many Friends...Cont. from pg 12
the name “Bruno” from the family, they
knew it was Bruno Aviles. The work
of Ogden and other officers enabled
investigators to find the SUV used in the
shooting at a home in the Manchester
area.
They sat up on the vehicle and when
the driver returned to pick it up, they
detained him. He wound up giving up
the other two subjects, one of whom was
Bruno Aviles.
During the investigation many officers worked 12- or 14-hour days. Three
days after Belle was shot, they followed
Aviles’ mother all the way to Galveston
County, then confirmed the whereabouts
of the suspect and took him into custody.
Four or five days later, acting on a tip
from a reliable informant, officers were
able to find the final suspect in an apart-
ment complex off the Gulf Freeway.
They arrested him without incident.
“There was definitely a lot of team
work from a lot of people who worked
all hours of the day,” Ogden said, virtually echoing the words of the primary
investigators. “She has been a co-worker
to us at Eastside. Some of us knew her as
a police service officer.
“Not only was she a retired officer but
a friend to all of us. Everybody was will-
ing to do everything it took to find out
who shot her and bring them to justice.”
The three suspects are charged with
murder. Two are held without bond,
while the other is unable to post the high
bond that was set.
Tom Kennedy is a published author based in
Houston, Texas. He is a retired Houston Post
reporter and is the editor of the Badge & Gun,
the official publication of the Houston Police
Officer’s Union.
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Let Hawthorn Suites at The Victorian Resort be your
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CAFE
at
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Open Monday – Saturday 6am-2pm
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413 24th Street
Galveston
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*2-night weekend. Fri. and Sat. Plus tax, etc. Not valid holidays or with any other discount. Based on availability, maximum of
2 adults and 3 children. Limited time offer for 1st 20 reservations per weekend.
Advance Reservations Required. One Bedroom Suite sleeps 5. Valid now thru December 30th 2009.
Big Amos
Serving 11:00 a.m.
till Closing
BBQ
10% OFF
with this ad.
Catering
Available
33rd & Broadway • 409-770-0880
Brisket Plate 2 Sides, Bread
SAUSAGE Plate 2 Sides, Bread
RIBS Plate 2 Sides, Bread
ChOPPED BEEF SANDWICHES 2 Sides
PHILLY CHEESE STEAK Fries
Chicken Plate 2 Leg Quarters, 2 Sides, Bread
1/2 LB CHEESE BURGER Fries
409-741-2245 ✯ 281-337-3338
Galveston Office
409-741-BAIL
Kevin O'Brien,
Owner
Pearland
Lake Jackson
Angleton
Houston
Open fOr BuSineSS
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BAIL BOND SERVICES
At Katie’s Seafood Market, what you “sea” is what you get:
the highest quality, freshest seafood the region has to offer!
Catch our daily market specials!
Whole Salmon • Fillets • Shellfish • Specialty Seafood
409-763-8160
League City
Dickinson
Kemah
979-848-2245 ✯ 281-337-3338
Angleton Office
979-848-BAIL
ALL GALVESTON AND BRAZORIA COUNTY JAILS
22507_police_news_hallmark_sept.qxp
8/7/09
11:41 AM
Page 1
COOLING • PLUMBING • HEATING
Buy 1GET 1 Free!
Buy a condenser and get a coil* FOR FREE!
(up to $1,000.00 in SAVINGS)
Financing available at 9.99%
fixed interest with
LOW monthly payments.
Upgrade to environmental friendly refrigerant today!
*Labor, permit, code required changes, and misc. materials not included. Purchase valid only on Goodman 13 Seer
air conditioner,up to 5 ton.Not valid for commercial,third party or new construction customers,with any other offer
or discounts or prior sales.Void if copied or transferred and where prohibited.See rep for details.Purchase and install
must be completed by 10/31/09.
$
15-point system
tune-up and
safety
inspection*
*Refund of $69 for system serviced
with diagnosed break down.
Offer expires 10/31/09.Cannot be
combined with any other offer.
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • 7AM-7PM
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69
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PN
ANY PLUMBING OR
HEATING REPAIR*
*Offer expires 10/31/09.
Cannot be combined with any other offer.
PN
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NO OVERTIME CHARGES • 24 HOUR PRIORITY SERVICE
(409) 356.9140
www.Hallmark-AC.com
TACLA024135C / MPL # 35828 • Direct Energy, LP (PUCT License # 10040) Regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation P.O.Box 12157 • Austin,TX 78711 • (800) 803-9202 • (512) 463-6599
Attention All Law Eenforcement Personnel
Expires 09/30/09
All memberships subject to
one time $39.00 initiation fee
Steve Slaton
answer session
Appearing Sept 15th for question and
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

PHONY ROLEX, REAL BULLETS

Transcription

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