Posted on Thu, Oct. 27, 2005
Man , 47, slain outside tavern in Fort Worth
By MELODY McDONALD
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
FORT WORTH - A 47-year-old Fort Worth man was gunned down Wednesday afternoon, moments after walking out of a bar just south of downtown.
Police said Gilbert Vallejo and three other patrons were drinking inside Lady Luck, 426 S. Jennings Ave. Vallejo left the bar about 12:30 p.m.
Moments later, the bar patrons heard several gunshots, and Vallejo stumbled back inside and collapsed, Sgt. J.D. Thornton said.
Fort Worth Crime
Started by
David Love
, Oct 27 2005 10:18 AM
30 replies to this topic
#2
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Posted 27 October 2005 - 03:48 PM
VERY isolated incident. NO MUGGING or ALTERCATION?
Crooked COP? ABUSED wife, girlfriend, or other mate? Love triangle? Neighborhood nemesis?
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#3
David Love
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Posted 27 October 2005 - 04:06 PM
I'm just tracking down town shenanigans, isolated incidents have a curious way of adding up when you’re not paying attention.
Saw the Pour House robbery on the 24th on a news blurb during Monday Night Football but haven’t found the story on it.
Saw the Pour House robbery on the 24th on a news blurb during Monday Night Football but haven’t found the story on it.
#4
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Posted 27 October 2005 - 04:10 PM
OKAY. You WIN!
Isolated incidents do have a habit of ADDING up.
Isolated incidents do have a habit of ADDING up.
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#5
David Love
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Posted 27 October 2005 - 04:26 PM
QUOTE(safly @ Oct 27 2005, 04:48 PM) 
VERY isolated incident. NO MUGGING or ALTERCATION?
Crooked COP? ABUSED wife, girlfriend, or other mate? Love triangle? Neighborhood nemesis?
Not sure if that would fall into wishful thinking… guess it could be gang related or dealers defending their turf just as easily, pretty sure they don’t bother with warning shots.
Perhaps an accidental homicide like this one:
In 1994 at the annual awards dinner given for Forensic Science, AAFS. The President Dr Don Harter Mills astounded his audience with legal complications of a bizarre death.
On March 23, 1994 a medical officer examined the body of Ronald Opus. He concluded that Mr Opus had died as a result of a shotgun wound to the head.
Mr Opus had jumped from the top of a ten storey building intending to commit suicide. He had left a note to the effect indicating his despondency.
As he fell past the ninth floor his life was interrupted by a shotgun blast passing through a window, which killed him instantly.
Neither the shooter nor the the deceased was aware that a safety net had been installed just below the eighth floor level to protect some building workers and that Ronald Opus would not have been able to complete his suicide the way he had planned.
Ordinarily a person who sets out to commit suicide and ultimately succeeds, even though the mechanism might not be what he intended, is still defined as committing suicide.
The fact that Mr Opus was shot on the way to certain death, but probably would not have been successful because of the safety net, caused the medical examiner to feel that he had a homicide on his hands.
In the room on the ninth floor, where the shotgun blast eminated, was occupied by an elderly couple.
They were arguing vigorously and the husband was threatening the wife with a shotgun. The husband was so upset that when he pulled the trigger he missed his wife and the pellets went through the window striking Mr Opus in the head, on his way down.
When one intends to kill a subject "A" but kills subject "B' by mistake one is guilty of murder of subject "B"
When confronted with the charge of murder the old man and his wife were adamant and both said that they thought the gun was unloaded.
The old man explained that it was a long-standing habit to threaten his wife with an un-loaded shotgun during the course of their arguments. He had no intention to murder her.
Therefore the killing of Mr Opus appeared to be an unfortunate accident; that is, if the gun had been accidently loaded.
The continuing investigation turned up a witness who saw the old couple's son loading the shotgun about six weeks prior to the argument and fatal shooting.
It transpired that the old lady had cut off her son's financial support and the son, knowing the ponpensity of his father to use the shotgun threateningly, loaded the gun with the expectation that his Father would shoot his Mother.
Since the loader of the gun, was aware of this, he was guilty of murder even though he didn't actually pull the trigger.
The case now becomes one of murder on the part of the son for the death of Ronald Opus.
Now comes the exquisit twist. Further investigations revealed that the son was in fact, Ronald Opus.
He had become increasingly despondent over the failure of his attempt to engineer his Mother's murder on March 23rd 1994 he went to the the top of the ten story building and jumped off, only to be killed by a shotgun blast through the ninth story window.
The son had actually murdered himself.
#6
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Posted 28 October 2005 - 02:27 AM
Wasn't that SAME EXACT scenario played out in the introduction scenes for the movie, "Magnolia" ? PT ANDERSON, '99.
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#7
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Posted 28 October 2005 - 07:55 AM
Great story, but unfortunately, an "urban myth." One of my law school professors used part of this made up tale on a final exam fifteen years ago.
#8
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Posted 28 October 2005 - 10:45 AM
So this REALLY happened at the 1990 annual awards dinner for AAFS? 
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#9
David Love
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Posted 28 October 2005 - 11:43 AM
I found it on the Internet, so it must be true...! Right. 
#10
David Love
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Posted 28 October 2005 - 12:02 PM
Posted on Fri, Oct. 28, 2005
By Melody McDonald
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
FORT WORTH — Police are investigating the deaths of two men whose bodies were found on the side of a rural road in west Fort Worth Friday morning.
A woman on her way to work discovered the bodies about 8 a.m. in the 9500 block of Old Weatherford Highway, Fort Worth Police Lt. Ralph Swearingin said.
Police have not released the victims’ names pending notification of relatives. One, a black 40-year-old man, had a gunshot wound to the back of his head. The other, a 34-year-old Hispanic man, was found with a large amount of blood on his back and shoulder, but it was unclear how he died, Swearingin said.
The bodies were lying about 8 to 10 feet apart in a culvert near the road, Swearingin said. Other items, two shoes and a sock, were found about 100 yards away. Police observed a trail of blood and a pool of blood on the road, Swearingin said.
"We’re going to have a sizeable crime scene," he said.
Police this morning questioned workers on a nearby drilling rig, who said they didn’t see or hear anything. That operation is staffed 24 hours but the workers had a shift change at 6:30 a.m., so it’s possible the incident occurred between 6:30 and 8 a.m., Swearingin said.
Swearingin said police believed it was likely the men died at that location, though they did not know for certain.
"There really is no indication of motive, what brought them out here," he said. "Those are unanswered questions that the detectives obviously will be looking into."
The road where the men were found cuts through a rural but developing area on the western edge of Fort Worth, close to Chapel Creek Boulevard and Interstate 30. Police have blocked both sides of the road as part of the investigation.
"We’re going to be here for a while," Swearingin said. "This isn’t a hurry up thing."
By Melody McDonald
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
FORT WORTH — Police are investigating the deaths of two men whose bodies were found on the side of a rural road in west Fort Worth Friday morning.
A woman on her way to work discovered the bodies about 8 a.m. in the 9500 block of Old Weatherford Highway, Fort Worth Police Lt. Ralph Swearingin said.
Police have not released the victims’ names pending notification of relatives. One, a black 40-year-old man, had a gunshot wound to the back of his head. The other, a 34-year-old Hispanic man, was found with a large amount of blood on his back and shoulder, but it was unclear how he died, Swearingin said.
The bodies were lying about 8 to 10 feet apart in a culvert near the road, Swearingin said. Other items, two shoes and a sock, were found about 100 yards away. Police observed a trail of blood and a pool of blood on the road, Swearingin said.
"We’re going to have a sizeable crime scene," he said.
Police this morning questioned workers on a nearby drilling rig, who said they didn’t see or hear anything. That operation is staffed 24 hours but the workers had a shift change at 6:30 a.m., so it’s possible the incident occurred between 6:30 and 8 a.m., Swearingin said.
Swearingin said police believed it was likely the men died at that location, though they did not know for certain.
"There really is no indication of motive, what brought them out here," he said. "Those are unanswered questions that the detectives obviously will be looking into."
The road where the men were found cuts through a rural but developing area on the western edge of Fort Worth, close to Chapel Creek Boulevard and Interstate 30. Police have blocked both sides of the road as part of the investigation.
"We’re going to be here for a while," Swearingin said. "This isn’t a hurry up thing."
#11
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Posted 28 October 2005 - 06:56 PM
Sounds to me like the person who suffered the fatal gunshot wound may have had a partner. A "backstabbing" of a partner in this one. The hispanic male was probably succumbed to a homicidal asphixiation prior to the "DUMPING" of the body. Both bodies eventually ended up in the ditch, with the blood of the gunshot victim, all over the back of the other victim. Just my theory.
WARNING FW: A KILLER may still be on the loose. A barefoot one.
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#12
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Posted 07 November 2005 - 10:57 AM
Posted on Mon, Nov. 07, 2005
By TRACI SHURLEY
FORT WORTH - A shooting in southeast Fort Worth on Sunday night left an 18-year-old dead.
Police were called to Hightower Street and Weiler Boulevard about 7:15 p.m. after a fight broke out. Sgt. J.D. Thornton with the homicide unit said witnesses reported that "someone pulled a gun and multiple shots were fired."
Russell Pollard, who lived in the 2400 block of Weiler Boulevard, was shot in the chest.
He walked back to his home and collapsed inside, Thornton said.
Pollard was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police were unsure how many people were involved in the shooting. Thornton said investigators were interviewing several witnesses.
Posted on Mon, Nov. 07, 2005
By TRACI SHURLEY
FORT WORTH - A security guard at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden opened fire on two men who were breaking into a car in the parking lot Sunday afternoon, police said, then continued to shoot as he chased them across University Drive into Trinity Park.
No one was injured, Fort Worth police said. The incident began about 4 p.m., when a silver Mitsubishi Galant dropped off the two men in the parking lot.
They soon began trying to steal the stereo out of a red Toyota, said Lt. Dean Sullivan, a Fort Worth police spokesman.
That's when the men spotted the security guard -- and he spotted them.
The guard told police that one of the men reached toward his waistband, Sullivan said, and that the "security guard interpreted that as a threat."
The guard fired his 9 mm pistol twice at the suspects in the parking lot, and he continued firing as he chased them across University Drive, Sullivan said.
The guard caught up with one suspect, a 22-year-old, after crossing University.
He tussled with the man, but the suspect got away. An off-duty police officer driving on University saw the chase and called for backup.
The two suspects were captured about 4:30 p.m. at the north end of the park.
Neither man had a weapon, police said.
Police stopped the Galant on North Main Street and detained the driver for questioning but did not arrest him.
No charges had been filed early Sunday evening.
Police continued to interview the security guard, Sullivan said.
"The incident in its entirety will be reviewed by the Tarrant County district attorney," he said.
Randle Harwood, acting director of the Fort Worth Parks and Community Services Department, said police responded quickly and appropriately. He said city officials hope the police investigation provides more information about the incident.
At the scene, a manager with Texas Star Security declined to comment.
By TRACI SHURLEY
FORT WORTH - A shooting in southeast Fort Worth on Sunday night left an 18-year-old dead.
Police were called to Hightower Street and Weiler Boulevard about 7:15 p.m. after a fight broke out. Sgt. J.D. Thornton with the homicide unit said witnesses reported that "someone pulled a gun and multiple shots were fired."
Russell Pollard, who lived in the 2400 block of Weiler Boulevard, was shot in the chest.
He walked back to his home and collapsed inside, Thornton said.
Pollard was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police were unsure how many people were involved in the shooting. Thornton said investigators were interviewing several witnesses.
Posted on Mon, Nov. 07, 2005
By TRACI SHURLEY
FORT WORTH - A security guard at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden opened fire on two men who were breaking into a car in the parking lot Sunday afternoon, police said, then continued to shoot as he chased them across University Drive into Trinity Park.
No one was injured, Fort Worth police said. The incident began about 4 p.m., when a silver Mitsubishi Galant dropped off the two men in the parking lot.
They soon began trying to steal the stereo out of a red Toyota, said Lt. Dean Sullivan, a Fort Worth police spokesman.
That's when the men spotted the security guard -- and he spotted them.
The guard told police that one of the men reached toward his waistband, Sullivan said, and that the "security guard interpreted that as a threat."
The guard fired his 9 mm pistol twice at the suspects in the parking lot, and he continued firing as he chased them across University Drive, Sullivan said.
The guard caught up with one suspect, a 22-year-old, after crossing University.
He tussled with the man, but the suspect got away. An off-duty police officer driving on University saw the chase and called for backup.
The two suspects were captured about 4:30 p.m. at the north end of the park.
Neither man had a weapon, police said.
Police stopped the Galant on North Main Street and detained the driver for questioning but did not arrest him.
No charges had been filed early Sunday evening.
Police continued to interview the security guard, Sullivan said.
"The incident in its entirety will be reviewed by the Tarrant County district attorney," he said.
Randle Harwood, acting director of the Fort Worth Parks and Community Services Department, said police responded quickly and appropriately. He said city officials hope the police investigation provides more information about the incident.
At the scene, a manager with Texas Star Security declined to comment.
#13
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Posted 10 November 2005 - 11:21 PM
WOW! A little "TJ Hooker" action over the week up there in FW. Looks like the police force is readily prepared and subsidized for this kind of behavior. Great apprehension, CASE CLOSED. 
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#14
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Posted 11 November 2005 - 06:08 AM
Oh, yeah. Wonder if the rent-a-cop had any idea of what was downrange of all those shots fired.
#15
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Posted 13 November 2005 - 04:20 PM
It was probably all planned, and a barrel of dynOmite was sittin around the log cabins waiting to get struck. IT MUST BURN DOWN, ALL OF IT!
I would have apprehended the driver of that MITSUBISHI GALANT for driving it. The quality of those things have been going downhill since 1988. They were the first cars to "pimp" that steering wheel radio control though. YEAHYAH!
Just think for a moment. Maybe if THE CITY would direct the pay from that VOLUNTEER DIRECTOR role and assign some REAL security post there, then MAYBE none of this stuff would'nt have to happen?
5A playoffs:
Judson-21
Seguin-0
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#16
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Posted 21 November 2005 - 11:55 AM
Fort Worth among 10 safest cities, book says
By BILL MILLER
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Yet another reason to stay west of the Trinity River.
Fort Worth is ninth on the list of the 10 safest cities with populations of 500,000 or more, according to a survey released Monday by a publishing company that ranks cities based on crime statistics.
Dallas is fifth among the 10 most dangerous cities with populations of more than 500,000, Morgan Quitno Press reported.
The company, based in Lawrence, Kan., publishes "City Crime Rankings," an annual reference book using crime data compiled from cities and the FBI.
ONLINE: www.morganquitno.com
By BILL MILLER
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Yet another reason to stay west of the Trinity River.
Fort Worth is ninth on the list of the 10 safest cities with populations of 500,000 or more, according to a survey released Monday by a publishing company that ranks cities based on crime statistics.
Dallas is fifth among the 10 most dangerous cities with populations of more than 500,000, Morgan Quitno Press reported.
The company, based in Lawrence, Kan., publishes "City Crime Rankings," an annual reference book using crime data compiled from cities and the FBI.
ONLINE: www.morganquitno.com
#17
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Posted 21 November 2005 - 02:05 PM
That's GREAT! So what was DR Horton's argument again?
Like I was saying, we don't need no stinking mounties or extra funds going to the force. But, I will guarantee that someone from a certain district will make a case about how we should.
Heck, I don't even know if FW's Homeland Security measures are up to snuff, but that is all federal to state happenings.
Like I was saying, we don't need no stinking mounties or extra funds going to the force. But, I will guarantee that someone from a certain district will make a case about how we should.
Heck, I don't even know if FW's Homeland Security measures are up to snuff, but that is all federal to state happenings.
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#18
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Posted 21 November 2005 - 11:08 PM
That's all well and good that Fort Worth is "one of the nation's safest large cities," but taking a closer look at the data reveals that Fort Worth is only 9th out of 32. If you look at it another way, Fort Worth is really the 23rd most dangerous large city in the nation. Of course, 9th safest sounds better, and somewhere I learned that the murder rate is the lowest it's been since the 60's. So regardless of how Fort Worth is ranked, it's nice to know things are continuing to get better.
#19
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Posted 25 May 2007 - 09:28 AM
I saw a report on channel 8 about a club in the Stockyards that is wasting taxpayers dollars for police.Fights and what an interviewed officer called "riots" are them problem.Oh,and its a Latino nightclub. The TABC is putting a hold on the liquor licsense.Yet nothing like that for strip club on th southside,that has had THREE murders.Anyone else hear this?Can some one explain what I'm missing?
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#20
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Posted 25 May 2007 - 11:52 AM
QUOTE(texastrill @ May 25 2007, 10:28 AM)
I saw a report on channel 8 about a club in the Stockyards that is wasting taxpayers dollars for police.Fights and what an interviewed officer called "riots" are them problem.Oh,and its a Latino nightclub. The TABC is putting a hold on the liquor licsense.Yet nothing like that for strip club on th southside,that has had THREE murders.Anyone else hear this?Can some one explain what I'm missing?
I read in the Star Telegram that city council is trying to get the ball rolling on closing down the strip club you are reffering to.
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Posted 02 January 2018 - 05:37 PM
#22
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Posted 02 January 2018 - 05:59 PM
#23
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Posted 04 January 2018 - 11:49 PM
You never want to see a rise in murder rates, but those are 2004 numbers... around that time, we were still considered one of the least dangerous cities in the U.S.
Now, if those were 1994 numbers, THEN I'd be a little more concerned.
#24
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Posted 05 January 2018 - 08:21 AM
Twitter aside, is there a news story on this? I get that the numbers may be comparable to 2004, but it's not comforting to police or the community to know if there was a sharp increase from 2016. If so, I would wonder why.
#26
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Posted 05 January 2018 - 11:50 PM
Twitter aside, is there a news story on this? I get that the numbers may be comparable to 2004, but it's not comforting to police or the community to know if there was a sharp increase from 2016. If so, I would wonder why.
I think I know why. people dont care about details. alls they want is the meat. to them, the murder increase with the actual numbers is all they will want to focus on. the rest is not relevant to them. *shrugs* gimme details, man!
#27
Stadtplan
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Posted 12 July 2023 - 09:31 PM
Heres one map that is nice Fort Worth is not on:
(from Reddit)
(from Reddit)
#28
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Posted 13 July 2023 - 07:06 AM
What's interesting to me about this map is that I'd expect the top-25 most dangerous cities (I'm only guessing that there are 25 dots) of the 1500-ish 25,000+ population cities to be uniformly dangerous, more or less, but it's not so: based on the color scale, #1 Bessemer is still three times as dangerous as Houston. A 3X difference within the top 25 is surprising to me!
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#29
rriojas71
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Posted 13 July 2023 - 03:32 PM
What's interesting to me is the number of cities in Michigan that are in the top 25. I was already aware that many cities in the Deep South would be there.
#30
Stadtplan
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Posted 13 July 2023 - 08:13 PM
#31
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Posted 14 July 2023 - 08:20 AM
Way to go, north Texas! 
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