Latest news with #TarrantCountyDistrictAttorney'sOffice
CBS News
01-05-2025
- CBS News
Tarrant County jury sentences man to life without parole for 2020 triple homicide over car deal
A man who authorities say executed three people over a deal at a Fort Worth car lot in late 2020 has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. A Tarrant County jury handed down the sentence to Lamont Cousins, 48, in connection with the Dec. 14, 2020, fatal shootings of 46-year-old Veronica Del Jones, 65-year-old Virginia Lewis, and 55-year-old Clayton Turrentine. "This case is about the execution of three people," Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Lloyd Whelchel told the jury. "What he did was so terrible, and it caps a lifetime of behavior." Lamont Cousins Tarrant County District Attorney's Office In a news release Thursday, the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office said Lewis' body was found at Bill's Auto Sales off Benbrook Highway in Fort Worth, and the two others were found in an abandoned building in Palo Pinto County. Prosecutors said the triple homicide occurred after Turrentine, owner of Bill's Auto Sales, bought a red Dodge from Cousins and sold it, only for the buyer to discover a lien on the car, leading to its repossession. Turrentine refunded the buyer. Cousins fatally shot Lewis at Bill's Auto Sales, and he and co-defendant Andrew Vandermeer tied up Turrentine and Del Jones, drove them to an abandoned bait shop, and Cousins shot them in the back of the head, according to authorities. Police found Lewis lying on the floor in a pool of her blood. Cousins left Lewis to die "on the ground like a dog," Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Dale Smith said. Prosecutors said Cousins shot Turrentine, owner of Bill's Auto Sales, and Veronica Del Jones, an employee, at the dealership. Vandermeer testified he tied them up and drove them to an abandoned bait shop in Palo Pinto County, with Cousins giving directions. "They knew this was their last stop because (Cousins) told them: 'This is the end of the road,'" Smith told the jury. According to prosecutors, Cousins took Turrentine into the vacant building, fatally shot him in the back of the head, then retrieved Jones from the vehicle, walked her into the building and also fatally shot her in the back of the head. He and Vandermeer then returned to Fort Worth. Vandermeer, 36, plans to accept 45 years in prison in exchange for a guilty plea, prosecutors said.
CBS News
30-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
A retired Tarrant County detective investigated parents who made children sick. He says prosecutors made the job harder.
Retired Tarrant County detective calls for legislative change to protect vulnerable children from Munchausen by Proxy When Detective Mike Weber retired from the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office earlier this year, he walked away an expert in an unthinkable crime. Over the last 15 years, he's arrested more than a dozen women on charges of medical abuse. The cases involve what's known as Munchausen by Proxy, in which caregivers, usually mothers, intentionally make their children sick. Weber believes the motive is often a desire for attention. "The main motivator has been something intrinsic, whether it's attention from the outside, on social media, attention from a loved one, whatever that may be," said Weber. There's not a lot of data on this particular crime, but some studies estimate that one out of every hundred thousand children is medically abused each year. Weber believes it's much more common. Investigations, though, are complex, and prosecutors, he said, can be reluctant to take the case, pointing a finger at the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office. Does the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office take cases seriously? "You have to take these cases seriously and not treat them like they're misdemeanors and, unfortunately, that's what we see in our district attorney's office," said Weber. He said he's had a rocky relationship with Tarrant County prosecutors. He worked as an investigator for the DA's office for 10 years. Now that he's retiring, he's sharing his frustration. "It was extremely frustrating to be continually lied to by people that you should be able to trust on this abuse," said Weber. The Tarrant County District Attorney declined to interview or answer questions on its treatment of medical abuse cases, but provided the following statement to CBS News Texas: "We prosecute Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy cases the same as any other case in our office. If the facts and the law support a conviction, we will hold defendants accountable." Tarrant County case studies Weber, though, points to three cases, in particular, where he feels prosecutors didn't do enough to protect Texas children. 2019 In 2019, he arrested a mother for felony injury to a child. She was accused of faking seizures in her four-year-old son and making up symptoms at more than 200 doctor visits. After years of preparing for trial, the DA's office dismissed the case, citing "prosecutorial discretion." "They dropped the case and never called me. They never talked to the child abuse pediatrician," Webber said. 2021 In 2021, another mother was accused of lying about her son's medical problems. "I was making him throw up to try to get his attention because he was in pain," she admitted in a recorded interview. "Even though we had video evidence of the crime, (prosecutors) pled her to five deferred adjudication knowing the child was still in her custody," said Weber. 2022 Finally, there is the Jesika Jones case. Weber said Jesika Jones spent years lying about her children's health, claiming her three daughters had epilepsy. It was during a visit to Cook Children's Hospital in 2022 that medical staff grew suspicious and called the sheriff's office. Weber said Jesika Jones was giving her four-year-old massive amounts of Benadryl. "I had that feeling of I'm losing my kid... I'm losing my daughter," said Derek Jones, the girls' father and Jesika Jones' ex-husband. He said he was shocked to learn about the lies. "She would take them to the doctor appointments while I was at work because she was a stay-at-home mom," he said. "She would tell one person one thing, then another person something else, but she had it set up that they would never connect back together. Jesika Jones was arrested in July 2022. She eventually pleaded guilty to felony injury to a child and child endangerment, but was allowed to stay out of jail until her sentencing on the condition that she would not be around children. Weber and Derek Jones said she quickly broke that rule by dating a man with kids. "I arrested her for a bond violation. She was allowed to bond out on that bond violation, the DA's office never sought a bond revocation hearing," said Weber. "I was like, 'Look, something's gotta happen. She's gonna end up harming some other kid,'" said Derek Jones. "But, I couldn't get the DA's office to do anything. It was more like, 'Oh, there's nothing we can do,' and I was like, 'She's just going to keep doing this.'" Jesika Jones had been out on bond for two years at that point. Three weeks before her sentencing, the DA's office asked a judge to send her back to jail. At the hearing, a 12-year-old girl testified that just a month earlier, while she was still free, Jesika Jones had befriended her father, claimed to be a nurse, and given her medicine that had made her feel dizzy. Jesika Jones' attorneys argued that Munchausen by Proxy is a documented mental health condition and said what she needed was help. "She's ready to do whatever it takes to get well," her attorney told a judge. Weber said that's a frequent defense in cases like these, but he doesn't see it that way. "She knows what she's doing. She knows she's wrong when she's doing it. That is the legal definition of abuse," he said. Prosecutors asked a Tarrant County judge to sentence her to 20 years. The judge went even further, calling her a public risk. "It's the court's sentence that you will receive 60 years in prison," he announced, prompting loud gasps from a full courtroom. It was a victory for Weber, who hoped prosecutors were taking notice. "What I was hoping is that they looked inside that courtroom and saw how many people that case affected," he said. Weber plans to keep advocating for victims Weber now worries about who will carry on the fight for the next child. "And I don't understand why the DA's office in Tarrant County wouldn't be interested in protecting children from this abuse," said Weber. "They should be partners in this. So far, they haven't been." In his retirement, Weber has offered to consult with any law enforcement, free of charge. He's also focused on helping pass legislation on the issue. While it's illegal to lie to get medication for yourself, Weber said, it's not currently illegal to lie to get medication for your children. He hopes to change that.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
Tesla owner in Dallas sues vandal after Model X slashed in airport parking lot
A Dallas man whose Tesla Model X was vandalized in the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport parking lot is suing the vandal for more than $1 million. The suspect, Rafael Hernandez, was arrested March 22 on a criminal mischief charge by the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office after he was recorded by the Tesla's built-in cameras striking the left side of the electric-powered vehicle. The victim, who is choosing to remain anonymous, was traveling when his Tesla was damaged in the airport parking lot. In the footage obtained by Fox, Hernandez can be seen pulling an object out of his pocket and forcing it into the side of the Model X. The Tesla owner told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that the "motives were wrong, and [Hernandez's] acts were intentional — it is for a judge and jury to decide, based on the facts, what his punishment should be. I believe strongly that I was targeted because my car is a Tesla. I didn't even realize that this nationwide Tesla attack was even a thing — until I was thrown into that world. What's important to me is that it happened, it was intentional, and it was wrong. As a result, I've been thrown into a nightmare, and I don't want this to happen to anyone else." Elon Musk Torches Democrats For Being 'Real Villains' Of Tesla Vandalism, Blames Left-wing Propaganda Fox News Digital reached out to the attorney representing Hernandez, but he could not be reached for comment. Read On The Fox News App The lawsuit filed by the victim outlines "Individual owners of Tesla vehicles, like Plaintiff, are being targeted and victimized by ongoing criminal conduct and action. This has culminated in the 'Tesla Takedown' movement, where certain activists are urging consumers to divest from Tesla products and are organizing protests and other activities that are explicitly or implicitly urging physical damage and/or violence against Tesla owners and/or their Tesla vehicles. Plaintiff recently became a target and victim of this criminal conduct and action." One outspoken voice of the "Tesla Takedown" movement, Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told attendees at a virtual rally earlier this month that the Department of Government Efficiency head and Tesla founder Elon Musk must be "taken down." Vandal Strikes Cybertruck, Tesla Owner Hits Back On Saturday, demonstrators gathered at more than 500 Tesla locations worldwide in a "Global Day of Action" to protest the Musk-founded car company. In an interview, Majed Nachawati, the attorney representing the Dallas-based Tesla owner in the lawsuit, told Fox News Digital that owning a car shouldn't be political. "Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, this is a free country. You're entitled to drive whatever you want, as long as it's legal and within the confines of the law, and you should feel safe and secure in doing so, which, in my opinion, is why the authorities on the law enforcement side are taking these cases very seriously." WATCH THE INTERVIEW WITH THE ATTORNEY: Nachawati went on to explain the importance of consequences for those vandalizing the vehicles, saying "It's a slippery slope, where does it end? Right? Fortunately, you know, my client's car was keyed. He wasn't injured himself, and he wasn't in the vehicle. But others haven't been so lucky, and so if this continues, you know, it's a fine line between having a civil society and chaos." Man Arrested In Molotov Cocktail Attack At Tesla Shop In Las Vegas Will Also Face Federal Charges FBI Director Kash Patel, who recently launched a task force to crack down on violent attacks against the car brand, warned Tesla dealerships and owners to "exercise vigilance and look out for suspicious activity" ahead of this past weekend's widespread protests. Fox News Digital reached out to the Tarrant County District Attorney's office, but they could not be reached for article source: Tesla owner in Dallas sues vandal after Model X slashed in airport parking lot
Fox News
01-04-2025
- Fox News
Tesla owner in Dallas sues vandal after Model X slashed in airport parking lot
A Dallas man whose Tesla Model X was vandalized in the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport parking lot is suing the vandal for more than $1 million. The suspect, Rafael Hernandez, was arrested March 22 on a criminal mischief charge by the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office after he was recorded by the Tesla's built-in cameras striking the left side of the electric-powered vehicle. The victim, who is choosing to remain anonymous, was traveling when his Tesla was damaged in the airport parking lot. In the footage obtained by Fox, Hernandez can be seen pulling an object out of his pocket and forcing it into the side of the Model X. The Tesla owner told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that the "motives were wrong, and [Hernandez's] acts were intentional — it is for a judge and jury to decide, based on the facts, what his punishment should be. I believe strongly that I was targeted because my car is a Tesla. I didn't even realize that this nationwide Tesla attack was even a thing — until I was thrown into that world. What's important to me is that it happened, it was intentional, and it was wrong. As a result, I've been thrown into a nightmare, and I don't want this to happen to anyone else." Fox News Digital reached out to the attorney representing Hernandez, but he could not be reached for comment. The lawsuit filed by the victim outlines "Individual owners of Tesla vehicles, like Plaintiff, are being targeted and victimized by ongoing criminal conduct and action. This has culminated in the 'Tesla Takedown' movement, where certain activists are urging consumers to divest from Tesla products and are organizing protests and other activities that are explicitly or implicitly urging physical damage and/or violence against Tesla owners and/or their Tesla vehicles. Plaintiff recently became a target and victim of this criminal conduct and action." One outspoken voice of the "Tesla Takedown" movement, Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told attendees at a virtual rally earlier this month that the Department of Government Efficiency head and Tesla founder Elon Musk must be "taken down." On Saturday, demonstrators gathered at more than 500 Tesla locations worldwide in a "Global Day of Action" to protest the Musk-founded car company. In an interview, Majed Nachawati, the attorney representing the Dallas-based Tesla owner in the lawsuit, told Fox News Digital that owning a car shouldn't be political. "Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, this is a free country. You're entitled to drive whatever you want, as long as it's legal and within the confines of the law, and you should feel safe and secure in doing so, which, in my opinion, is why the authorities on the law enforcement side are taking these cases very seriously." WATCH THE INTERVIEW WITH THE ATTORNEY: Nachawati went on to explain the importance of consequences for those vandalizing the vehicles, saying "It's a slippery slope, where does it end? Right? Fortunately, you know, my client's car was keyed. He wasn't injured himself, and he wasn't in the vehicle. But others haven't been so lucky, and so if this continues, you know, it's a fine line between having a civil society and chaos." FBI Director Kash Patel, who recently launched a task force to crack down on violent attacks against the car brand, warned Tesla dealerships and owners to "exercise vigilance and look out for suspicious activity" ahead of this past weekend's widespread protests. Fox News Digital reached out to the Tarrant County District Attorney's office, but they could not be reached for comment.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Man whose Tesla was keyed at DFW Airport files $1 million lawsuit after suspect arrested
The North Texas man whose Tesla was vandalized as it sat in a DFW Airport parking garage this month is suing the suspected vandal for over $1 million, according to the lawsuit. The owner of the Tesla Model X, who is identified by the initials J.N. in the lawsuit, alleges that the March 13 incident in which his car was keyed and deeply scratched was targeted and caused him 'emotional distress and anguish.' The lawsuit cites what it calls a 'Tesla Takedown' movement that has grown in response to founder Elon Musk's political views. 'Certain activists are urging consumers to divest from Tesla products and are organizing protests and other activities that are ... urging physical damage and/or violence against Tesla owners and/or their Tesla vehicles,' the suit states. Video of the vandalism at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, captured by the built-in cameras on the plaintiff's Tesla, went viral earlier this month after Donald Trump Jr. reposted a screenshot from the footage on his X account. The publicity generated by Trump's post has made the Tesla owner a victim of 'continued harassment and intimidation,' according to his lawsuit. 🚨 More top stories from our newsroom: → FWISD to redirect $22.7M toward reading, which means job cuts → Lawyer accused of making death threats against commissioner → Popular sushi restaurant to open in Fort Worth near zoo [Get our breaking news alerts.] The man seen in the video was arrested by DFW Airport police and is identified in the lawsuit and a criminal complaint filed by the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office as 56-year-old Rafael Hernandez, of Frisco. Hernandez is charged with criminal mischief at a value greater than $2,500 but less than $30,000, according to the complaint filed in court. Hernandez was arrested on March 22 and released on bond, according to jail records. A defense attorney representing him is not yet listed in court records.
