Crime Time

Murder Trial Next Week

2011-10-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

Next week Christopher North will be in court on a murder charge. The shooting that killed 21 year old Austin David, in the middle of the day, and at a busy intersection in Abilene, did get and has gotten lots of media attention, and no doubt it will be the same during the trial. In case you did not hear about it.
Austin David and Chris North were involved in some sort of altercation traveling on Sales Blvd. When they got to South 14Th, the way I understand it, David got out of his car and North got out of his truck. Not sure who pulled a gun first but at some point both got in their vehicles and North backed up into the car David was driving and pushed him onto the median in the middle of the road. Both got out of their cars again, that's when North shot David and killed him. North says self defence. Was it? We may find out after the trial is over.
Our plan is to sit in the court room and update you via Twitter, Facebook and bigcountryhomepage.com. We will be doing live updates at noon, 5, and 6,and wrapping up the days events at 10.
This is one of the biggest cases I have covered in my career, and not only does the outcome involve justice for the David family or North, however the jury sees it, when it is all over, but I think the trial will also involve some gun control talk. We will see, but I know I am not the only one interested in this case. The court may move the trial into a bigger room because they expect others will have and interest and may come and watch the proceedings.

Mix Up

2011-08-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

I ask people to tell their stories after an ordeal all the time, and sometimes they do, sometimes they do not. The point is, it is my job to ask, even if I know sometimes it will be tough for them. Because I do what I do, I feel I should share my family's ordeal over the weekend.
Regular watchers of the five o'clock newscast know I was gone Friday. Here's why:
As I was getting ready for work, my sister, who is in the New England area, called to inform me my younger brother was involved in a truck accident in Llano. She said he was on his way to work, at around five that morning, when the truck he was in rolled. All we knew when my sister called me is the two people in the vehicle had been flown to the hospital, but we did not know what hospital.
So I finished getting ready for work and started this way, thinking I could make some calls from work to see where my brother was air-lifted to. As I was turning onto South 14th, my little sister called me back to tell me my brother was air-lifted to Hendrick. So I turned around and was on my way to the hospital when my Mom called. She was crying and said she was on her way to Abilene with my other younger brother and my older sister. I told her I would call her when I got to the hospital.
When I walked into the hospital, I asked where I could find my brother, who was just air-lifted in. Security pointed me in the right direction. I got the person I needed to talk to and he asked if I could help them finish filling out my brother's information. They already had his name and some other info but they needed date of birth and other things like that, so I called my mom and asked her. By then they were already in the car on their way to Abilene from Midland. She asked, still crying, how my brother was doing. I told her I did not know, because I had just arrived at the hospital and the sooner we could get the info they needed the sooner we would know. I assured my mom that I would call as soon as I knew something. Then I was taken to a small waiting room that no one else was in and told the nurse would be in soon. Right away I thought it was going to be bad news, otherwise why wouldn't I be in the regular waiting room?
After a few minutes the nurse comes in and introduces herself to me then proceeds to explain my brother's injuries, including a head injury. As the nurse is talking to me, the doctor comes in and tells me more. He tells me that my brother also has a broken arm and maybe a broken leg, but they would get to those injuries later because they were concentrating on the head injuries. By then my mind was racing and I was prepared for the worst. Before leaving the room the nurse told me it's good that I was there, and that it would be good for my brother to know somebody was there with him, even though he was not conscious. She said they had to do a few more things and then they would let me back to see and at least try and talk to him.
A few more minutes go by and the nurse comes to get me and leads me to where my brother is being treated. As I walk in to the room, I see a team of people around him and see one person working on my bother's leg, and immediately hesitate. They urge me to go and talk to him. Still hesitant, I walked to the bed and looked very closely and even called out my brothers name.
It's at that point that I stepped back and told the people in the room, "this is not my brother!"
Before I said that, all kinds of things went through my head. One of them was, could my sister have told me the wrong brother was involved in the wreck, because the guy on the table was bigger than my youngest brother who I was told was in the accident. I immediately thought my sister meant to say it was my other younger brother who is a bigger guy. The person on the table had facial injuries so I looked really close and thought, no that's not him.
Standing there I called my Mom and told her. She then asked, "then where is he, and how is he doing?" Of course no one knew, because we did not even know who the person on the table was. He came in with no identification, so the staff at the hospital thought they were working on my brother. To make things more confusing the other person involved in the accident was supposed to be a 62-year-old man and supposedly air-lifted to a hospital in another town. That's the info I got and that's the info Hendirck had, although I'm sure what the staff was thinking was, "here is a guy involved in a roll over, flown in, lets work on him no matter what his name is."
So, I am on the phone with my mom telling her, "this is not my brother." She then asked me if I was sure, and told me to check for tattoos. My brother has two sons and he has one of their names on one arm and the other on the other arm. The staff checked for me and there were no names. At that point my brothers wife who was also on her way to Abilene in a separate car, was on the phone with a nurse and I got on the phone with her and told her the same news and she replied like my mom did, "then where is he and how is he doing?" Somewhere in the middle of all that we found out that it was my brother who was flown to another town and the person here at Hendrick was the other person in the truck (about the same age as my brother). The information about the 62-year-old being involved in the accident was wrong and when a younger man wound up at Hendrick, every body assumed it was my brother, and that the older man was at another hospital. It turns out there was not a 62-year-old man in the truck, instead it was my brother and the guy who was now lying in front of me being worked on.
My brother suffered a broken leg and ribs but is okay and was able to call my mom and tell her to go back home.
We later found out the truck he was in rolled about 5 to 6 times and the driver was ejected and my brother, who had his seat belt on, had to break a window to get out of the truck. He then had to crawl up a ditch they had rolled into and yelled for help. The man who stopped to help said he just happened to have his window down and heard my brother yell for help, because he did not see him.
I spent the weekend thinking about the man at Hendrick and how helpful they told me it would be for my brother if he knew I was there with him. Because of the mix-up it took that much longer for his family to get to him. I also wondered if his family thought he was not as injured as he was. I was told the person in the accident, who was the most injured, was brought here to Hendrick. Did his family think he was in another town? We are still trying to find out where the mix up came from but I do know that the people at Hendrick were as helpful as could be and when I thought my brother was in that emergency room, after talking to the doctor and the nurse, I felt assured he was in capable hands. My brother is okay now we pray that the man who is at Hendrick is doing well and his family is okay too. I know they are there with him today.

2011-03-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

So, I am new to this social networking thing. I know, but it is better late than never, I think. It seems, for the last few days I have been immersed in social networking. Let me explain. When I got back to work after the weekend, I had a Facebook page that is linked to my Twitter account, that both are linked to my phone. I don't know how it happened I just know i was told to tweet and update my face book page while I am out on stories. Well first I had to learn how to do that, and I am still learning. Then I did a story with the Abilene Police Department on how they are about to file their first couple of on-line bullying cases, involving Facebook and some local students (they did not name the schools or the students or what they did exactly, but you can imagine), so I had to do some research to know what I was talking about. Well, today I learned that not only is there a learning curve on how to use all this stuff, but there is one on when to use it. I was in the 104th district court today for the Timothy Moreno murder trial. After the lunch break, I was sitting outside the courtroom, waiting for the trial to get started back up, when I saw the District Attorney walk by with a piece of paper in his hand. He went to the Bailiff of the 104th and they walked for just a second together and the DA handed the paper to the Bailiff. The Bailiff then walked towards me and said "This will not happen again in my courtroom." He showed me the paper the DA had handed him, and it was an article from Big Country Home Page, that included a tweet that I had tweeted from the inside the courtroom. Apparently the Judge does not allow tweeting from his court room. I apologized to Rafe, the Bailiff, who was nice as could be about the whole thing but I did not get to apologize to the Judge, but I hope to catch up with him tomorrow. Sorry Judge.

Face to Face With the Burglars, Now What?

2011-03-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

Recently an Abilene family reported to police they walked into their home, and found two teens going through their dresser drawers.

Whoa!

If anyone has ever been the victim of any type of theft or burglary, what is it many of us think/say... "If I could have just seen the person(s) who did this, I'd ____"

What? What would you do?

I know what I'd like to do, but I also know what I'd likely do.

I'd likely yell at them while reaching for the phone and trying to get out of the house, just in case. Sounds logical and I'm sure the police would appreciate the lack of a "heroic attempt" to catch the crooks.

But I'd like to say, I'd stop them. Catch them. Hold them down. Stand heroically like this:

Yes. Eagle included. I don't know where I'd get one, but maybe it would just know that justice was done and it was time to land on my arm..

Yeah. Right.

But we all say what we'd like to do, so I want to know, how would you handle that situation?

Comment away..

PS- In this case, the son spotted the burglars, the burglars spotted the son and fled by jumping through an open window. Everyone is safe and the report says nothing was immediately missing.

Burglary With a Turn Down Service

2011-02-20T21:31:00.001-08:00

Here's one that didn't make the news...but it'll make you wonder, "What kinda world is this?"

An officer caught me in the parking lot of the police station, and said I have a story for you. Like always, that catches my "journalist" ears.

I spun around and said "Alright, I'm all ears."

He began to say he was working a burglary where someone had gotten into a house and shuffled a few things around.

"Sounds common," I thought... then the hook.

The officer said the victim reported the suspect not only broke in but made the victim's bed!

"WHAT!?"

Now that is one, "nice" burglar. I mean the crime, and being a victim of the crime is a bad deal, but come on, turn down service... that's something you don't see everyday.

I wanted to track this down to air it for you, but life changed directions quickly after the much debated Sayles Boulevard shooting.

So I figure, why not make this a "Blog exclusive."

Makes you think doesn't it.

BONUS:
This story you did see on the news, a shop lifter with an eye for hygiene. Police reports show a man walked into a North Abilene pharmacy and stole several packages of teeth whitening strips, and several power toothbrushes.

Okay, hold up... why?

I'm not sure, but it did add up to over thousand dollars worth of stuff.

Still you have to imagine the line up when this guy is caught:

Officer:"Number 3 step forward and smile."
Witness: "Yep, that's got to be him, look how white those teeth are! I'd recognize that smile anywhere."

Or as my boss joked, when I shared the report with the newsroom, "Look for any new dentists opening up in the area."

To which I threw back, "Especially, anyone operating out of the back seat of their sedan."

There ya go... a nice little laugh at some of Abilene's "Hardened" Criminals.

-Tim Johnston

Shooting in the middle of town

2011-02-10T06:57:00.000-08:00

It's terrible what happened on Sales and South 14th. A young man was shot and killed in front of several witnesses and in the middle of town. When I drove up to the scene people were still in shock, and many were hugging and consoling each other in the street. It's never easy to see that kind of thing, no matter how many times I have seen it. The worst part was seeing the mother of Austin David, the man who was shot, consoling David's girlfriend, who was in the car with him at the time of the shooting.

Photos of Austin David shared by his mom

Here is what scares me about things like this. It happened at an intersection we have all driving thousands of time, and any of us could have been in that area at that time, and any of our families could have been there too.

I don't know if you have ever listened to a police scanner all day long, but here at KTAB we do, and when I here something like this, or a high speed chase, or a vehicle accident, I think, "Where are my wife and kids?" My wife is a stay at home mother, who enjoys taking the kids out and about while I am at work. They could be anywhere in town at any point in the day. If I hear a bad accident near my home, I sometimes call my wife to make sure they were not involved. If I hear a high speed chase, I call my wife to make sure they are not in the area. It's very scary to think that at anytime someone could make a bad choice that would affect others around them in what ever way. The people who witnessed yesterday's shooting may not have been hurt, but they saw what happened and those images will be with them for a long time. The families of both men involved have to be devastated, and I know people in Abilene are still shocked at what happened on our streets.

Tim Johnston's "Wardrobe Malfunction"

2011-01-09T21:06:00.000-08:00

Tim, checking in, with yet another "non-crime" related blog. Sorry.

I'll get back to that stuff soon enough.

But for now, allow me to amuse you with a silly moment I recently had while anchoring a weekend show!

I've been anchoring the KRBC Weekend newscast for just a handful of months now, and if you've watched, you've likely caught some silly moments in my shows.

I'm human.

It happens.

Keep watching, I'm bound to top it. (a la Girl Scout Cookie Moment-- different blog for a different time)

Back to the blog- Working at KRBC, and in the "real world," for 2 and a half years now I've learned a lot of things.. like tying a tie and how to "Dress for Success."

I'm confident enough to tie my tie without looking...

Only thing is, I'm not consistent enough. Yep, that's a good 4-6 inches ABOVE the belt line.. not even trying to hide it. How's that for dressing for success? (Btw- Mom, I'd never go out in public like this!)

Good thing, as an anchor I have a jacket that covers this "malfunction" and a desk to further hide the lack of length.

Maybe that's why most male anchors wear the jacket buttoned up, or even why men like former WFAA Weatherman Troy Dungan went away from the tie and rocked the bow tie.

Hmm, he might be on to something...

Anyway, I hope my malfunction amuses you as much as it did me, maybe I'll give you more to enjoy on the weekends! Thanks for watching!

Laugh with me.. Leave a comment!

A Little Christmas Laughter is No Crime

2010-12-30T20:03:00.000-08:00

Hello blog readers-- it's Tim and I want to start by saying Happy Holidays! I hope everything is going well for you and your family during this time of year.

So this post really has nothing to do with Crime-- but more about a fun little moment my family shared during Christmas.. and well.. I wanted to bring you in on it.

A little history-- My sister is an Aggie (God bless her) and she recently returned home from a semester-long study abroad in Chile. She returned home nearly fluent in Spanish which makes me a proud big brother!

With such an intensive study and length of time spent, she came home with hundred of photos. So one of her projects (before she forgets everything) is to create photo albums with the pictures to document her trip. She started using a web site, Snap Fish, to quickly put together her books.

To help her out this Christmas, I donated to her cause, but I felt that merely passing along money was impersonal, and well that just wasn't enough for me. I wanted to bless her. I wanted to maker her laugh. I wanted it to be a memorable gift for her..

So using my resources here at the station, a little help from my coworkers, and some creative editing.. I came up with this gift!

The gift was a hit! She loved it. I've now seen her post the video to Facebook showing it off to her friends.

I'm happy it blessed her. I always take joy in making others laugh and smile (including you, the readers so maybe you, too, will get a nice little laugh at my expense).

Anyway, I hope everyone had a nice holiday and remember this time of year is better spent with family and friends!

See you in 2011!

-Tim

Drive-Thru Nudist

2010-11-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

Tonight (Wednesday night) on the ten o'clock news, we brought you a story of a man who decided it was a good idea to go nude at the Schlotzky's Drive-thru. (So many jokes...so not appropriate)

Anyway, the story goes a little like this: girl working at the window catches the bare man who is there to pick up lunch, during the "lunch rush." The female employee can't believe what all she is seeing, but does her best to keep composed while serving the man his meal. Word quickly spreads (like you can hold that kinda gossip back) and soon customers are crowding the window to see if it's really true.. It was.

So many questions are firing.. Why go nude? Especially for lunch during a busy time, unless you want to be seen, still what is there to gain? That question has yet to be answered, the manager says the employee was too shocked to even ask why he was "sans-clothes."

I would be, too. How can you maintain "professional" composure with a patron "dressed" like that?

You tell me-- what would you do, if you were there/saw that?

Abilene Cold Case Cracked

2010-10-11T16:23:00.000-07:00

For the avid TV watcher, you may know of the TV show "Cold Case," I'm not hooked on it, only because I work during the prime time watching hours, and I don't have DVR (gasp!).

While the show is entertaining, in reality, cracking a "cold case" isn't all that easy. The suspect doesn't come forward, often times the small details aren't that easily recalled, and they definitely are not solved within 45 minutes. Just generalizing.

Still, the grim reality is that cases... difficult cases... emotionally draining cases, can take years and still may never be solved.

But don't tell that to the detectives who refuse to give up. I've worked with a few on some cases, the Jennifer Servo mystery comes to mind, where the detective knows exactly where that case file is, at the mere mention of the case. Last time, I asked, he said he still gets tips every now and then, and he still believes that one can be...and will be solved.

I may not be a police detective (although I've been asked that at many crime scenes... I guess a man dressed up at a crime scene suggests detective or reporter...) I can only guess at the frustration and elation that comes with every twist, turn, and new lead that pops up on these kinds of cases.

Why am I writing all of this?

To thank the detectives who labored away for six years to finally, name a suspect in a sexual assault case from 2004. A case that was passed from detective to detective, and hour after hour leads were investigated.

Now, a lead has identified a suspect using DNA, that was a match to the evidence from six years ago... leading to an indictment of Bruno Carrillo last Thursday.

Relief comes to the detective in charge of it, and relief is finally coming to the victim who has been carrying the emotions for so long.

Burgalry suspect runs right by me

2010-09-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday is an example of why I love my job. I had just gotten in to the newsroom after a day of gathering news. Arrests, and overnight burglaries, the usual stuff. Then as I always do I sat down in front of Bob's desk to tell him what I had done for the day and what I would have for the news that night. This was a little after 2 in the afternoon. I had just started talking to Bob when he heard a "burglary in progress" call over the police scanner. Not that unusual, I was half way paying attention to the scanner and continued to talk to Bob.

Then, if you know Officer Jim Craft, with the Abilene Police Department, then you would recognize his voice on the scanner, and if you have ever listened to a police scanner then you would know when an officer is running after someone. Well we heard Craft say over the scanner something about what direction a suspect was running. We could tell Craft was running after him. I jumped up from the chair in front of Bob's desk, ran into the other room in the news room, grabbed a portable scanner and ran to my car and headed to green street.

On my way I could here that the police had lost the suspects (I latter found out that Officer Craft had to stop the foot chase because he had pulled a hamstring) and they were calling a K-9 to come in and try to track them. The K-9 officer had gotten to the scene just a few seconds before I did, and while the dog had picked up a scent and was following it, other officers were driving the area looking for the two suspects, so I did the same thing. Then I heard on the scanned that the dog had followed the scent to a home just down the block from where the break-in took place, so that is where I went. Police surrounded the house because not only did the dog track to the area, they also found a hat on the back porch of the house that one of the suspects was wearing.

From that point there was a lot of standing around while police were trying to find out who lived in the home and they were working on a warrant to go in to see if the two suspects were actually in the home.

As I waited and police had the house surrounded I decided to walk back to the house where the break-in took place to see if I could interview the home owner. I had seen her standing outside her home when I arrived so I new was at home. What I did not know till I talked to her is that she was home when the two suspects went into the take her t.v. and that the suspects new she was home.

She locked herself in a bedroom when she heard her back window break and saw someone come inside. According the girl in the home, the suspect saw her and still came into the house. So she told me about that and I walked back to the home that police had surrounded. One officer was in the back, and there were Town in the front. I stood across the street from the home and just waited. That is when I heard an officer say "I saw him peak out of the blinds."

Just a few minutes after that I heard another officer say "he's running!"

I turned to look and saw a young kid running from the front door of the home. He ran across the street right by me, across a yard and over the back fence into another back yard, and over that fence. I new he was headed to the creek so I jumped in my car and headed that direction. That is where I saw Officer Craft who was parked on the side of the creek. I parked behind him and got out of my car as he was getting out of his, and that's when we saw the suspect run down the creek and try to hide in some tall grass. Craft told him to get down when the suspect realized he had been seen and he popped back up, and thought about running again. Craft pulled his Taser and told the suspect to get down but he would not comply. After several warnings, the officer finally had to take the suspect down himself and handcuff him.

That's why I love my job, because a normal day can turn into something like this in an instant!

They Stole My Fryer Grease-- WAIT, REALLY?

2010-09-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

On Sept. 15th, I first brought you the story of a North Side fast food joint that had someone steal their fryer grease from the grease trap. Here's a more satirical view..

As I read the crime report, listing the theft, I couldn't help but think, "WHY?" I mean really, who steals used grease? What is the significance?

After speaking to the Golden Chick owner, he vented his frustration and disbelief, but added grease can be liquid gold. He described that used grease can be used as a form of diesel.

Now, I've heard about this being done, and I've heard of engines that run solely on the grease from restaurants like this... but I've never heard of someone syphoning off the stuff in a grease heist!

Please, understand I'm not making fun of the damages and lost money that will set this business or any others back... That is never a good thing. Nor do I condone the act of stealing grease.

But honestly, what's their master plan?

Will they steal so much grease that our fast food becomes dry, and dare I say, less greasy!?

Do they plan to hold Abilene hostage by holding the monopoly on grease?

What do they want from us!!???

Picture this, the master mind behind this grand theft sitting in his outlaw clubhouse/hideout, tapping his fingers together and chuckling a sinister laugh, as he plots his course to steal used fryer grease.

Sure, he probably weighed the risk, like what if there isn't enough? What happens if it spills out onto the ground, covering him in slick grease, or even worse, what if he gets caught...

But then he quickly dismissed it because, oh the smell of old chicken grease!

All the same, he's probably sitting at home just sniffing the grease and fighting back cravings for fried chicken and other fried foods.

Or maybe not.

Anyway, I've given my wild, imaginative view of this grease theft... but in reality, it's still a crime that needs a resolution. If you know anything, call Crimestoppers at 676-TIPS.

See the story here!

What's Your Sign?

2010-08-02T17:38:00.001-07:00

On Monday, I reported about a property owner who was sick of having his work yard broken into. So he left a "note" for the bandits. "There's nothing left to steal, please stop cutting my fence." (See the story)

It's so appropriate. So simple. It's something I wish I would've done. I've mentioned on the blog before, that I've had my car broken into, twice, and roughly two years apart (to the day). I would've like to have given the thieves a piece of my mind. We all would, right? Sure, you do, have you ever heard of a grateful victim?

Didn't think so.

My sign would've read like this:

"I've had enough, there's nothing left in this '89 Blazer. Give it up, and go home."

What would yours say? Leave it in a comment below, and keep it clean, please.

Tim Takes the Taser-- AND LIVES!

2010-07-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, so many people, family and friends included thought I was "off my rocker" when I proudly told them, "I'm going to be tased!" And, well, maybe I am a little crazy for volunteering to do it, but it was an experience I wanted.

I wanted to know what it felt like, how bad it was, and if these tools are going to be used by police, then I'd like to know what it does before people start trying to play the "poor me" card.

Granted it hurt! Bad! But I lived! Across the nation, the wild tales of severe injury (and even death) are being sparked up and played out by victims. I'm not dismissing their claims, and I'm sorry for their pain and loss, but having felt the jolt, I know it's not lethal.

Looking back, however, there are some things I wish I would've done. (Side note: it's too late, now, and no, I will not do it again...unless...)

Here's my list of things I wish I would've done/thought about doing before "Riding the Lightning":

1)Hold a light bulb and see if it lights up.
2)Slip an Alka-Seltzer tablet in my mouth, and come up foaming at the mouth, and ask, "What's happening to me!?"
3)Come up with super-powers... far fetched but would've been way cool!
4)Shout out, "I'm melting, I'm melting!" a la "Wizard of Oz"
5)Turn out the lights, to see if I glow while being tased.
6)Go shirtless, to see the muscles contract. Wouldn't have been pretty, but might have been cool.
7)Look back at the officer and say, "Don't tase, me bro!" As seen here.
8)Throw up a cloud of powder (like Lebron) just before being hit with the Taser. It just would've been a great effect.
9)Come up with some clever catch phrase to yell...like "Remember the Alamo," but more appropriate.
10)Put a bulls-eye on my back that says, "Hit Here Win A Prize!"

Since the exposure, I've had people accuse me of being "too tough," and not wanting to yell, but let me say, there was no macho-man mentality. I couldn't yell, because I couldn't yell! My entire focus was trying to ride out the full five seconds..that's it! There was no breathing (although I could have), there was no yelling (although others did), and there was no "accidents" (although others accused me).

It was a great experience, unlike any other, but I wouldn't do it again. Still, these Tasers are excellent tools that will save a lot injuries and maybe even lives to both the police and the people they are trying to get.

See my story.

One You Won't See on the News

2010-07-19T20:31:00.001-07:00

A part of my day, is tracking down the biggest and best stories for you to see at 10. (I know it's a lot of power...somewhere someone just shuddered.) In my search I often sort through many stories that don't pan out, many that have no real value, and some that are funny but have no "news-time" meaning. So, you get to read it here, instead.

I was scanning through the police reports, when I came across this one that made me chuckle:
A man was claiming he was attacked by a known man who came at him with a sword!

Now here's why it didn't make the news: he wasn't injured and the sword was dull.

But I find it somewhat odd, that someone pulled a sword! I didn't realize we traveled back to the Medieval Times (era or restaurant)! I mean honestly, who pulls a sword ?

Now, before, I get labeled a cynic with no heart, I am glad no one was severely hurt. I always am. But I couldn't help but chuckle that in those moments their disagreement rose to a point that one of the mean decided, "I'm so upset, I'm going to get him good! I'll use my sword!"

Or was it more like, a light-saber and he was using "The Force."

Still, I couldn't stifle the thought of Harrison Ford, in "Indiana Jones: and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" (this has been changed, thanks to a heads up by "John," thanks John, my fault) where the swordsmen steps into the dusty street, swinging and swiping his sword in a move to challenge Indy. Unimpressed, Indy draws his pistol and fires a shot, ending the fight.

I guess, we all should be glad, this sword fight didn't end like that one!

Another Intresting Trial

2010-06-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

Last week I sat through a trial that had a few surprises. It's one of the things I like about covering court cases, because that's when all the details about a case are made public, but you have to be sitting in court to hear themt.
It was Terry Hall last week, in the 104th District Court. He was the guy who, in July of 2009, planned a home invasion robbery. He got three other people to go to an elderly man’s house and rob him. A womea knocked on the door of the elderly man's home. His name is Leon Black.
When Mr. Black looked to see who was knocking, it was a womea at the door with flowers. Thinking the flowers were for his wife, Mr. Black opened the door. That's when two others pushed their way in his home and made him get on the floor and robbed him, at gun point.
The surprise in this case was, robbing Mr. Black was not the original plan. The plan was to hold Mr. Black's wife for ransom. They were going to make Mr. Black go to the bank and pull out some money to get his wife back. What the four did not know is, Mr. Black's wife had recently died, and that is why he thought the flowers were for her, when the women knocked on his door. Terry Hall was realtor who had recently shown Mr. Black some property. So Mr. Black was targeted. Another surprise in this case, Terry Hall used to work for an agency that investigated crimes against the elderly. A point the prosecution made during the trial. Hall got 25 years for his crime, the other three are still awaiting trial.
Today in the 42nd District Court, a jury is being picked for a sexual assault trial. The defendant's name is Jose Villareal and he is charged with sexual assault. He is accused of breaking into a home of an elderly Abilene woman and raping her. I hear there are supposed to be a few surprises in this trial as well. If I hear them I will tell you about them on the news. Keep watching.

Here Comes the Summer Slump

2010-06-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

I have now reached my two year mark, (hold the applause and the rotten tomatoes, please) and I've learned a lot about Abilene, the news, and about myself.

Skipping the deep reflection part, because honestly who cares, I will quickly point this out: Here Comes the Summer Slump!

So far the summers are feast or famine for news. Case in point, last summer, we were creeping along "scrapping the bottom of the barrel" as I frequently refer to it, and then the "flood" came. In a matter of weeks in July, we had the double homicide and the arrests that followed, and then a number of other crimes follow right behind.

It was enough to keep us working, and then it dried up! Like that, the cases were wrapped up, arrests were made, and life in the crime beat slowed down...to a slow crawl. Back to the barrel!

So this summer, I'm hoping to skip the point of frustration of admitting to my producer "There is nothing happening, today" and get the real stories out there, because as you and I both know, there is always something happening in our town. Don't get me wrong, I'm not asking for more crimes (especially as bad as the ones we covered last summer), I'm just wanting more stories.

Will you help me? Leave me ideas, tips, and problems.

These Neighbors Kick Burglar Booty!

2010-05-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, on Thursday night at ten, I had a story on KRBC about some alert neighbors that not only stopped a burglar from breaking in, they chased him away to do it! (See the story here.)

Talk about doing the right thing! I spoke with one of the residents whose home was protected by these guardian-neighbors...he told me, "I've got the best neighbors around!" While that's a bold claim, he has a point!

How many neighbors do you know that would walk DOWN the alley to investigate a "Booming" sound? Then when they found the man kicking at the back door, how many would stand there and say "You're not doing this!" ?

The list is pretty short, I'm sure.

That's what impressed Koda Freeman and his roommate. As Freeman says in the story, most people would've seen the break-in and MAYBE call the police, buy mainly just write it off as "Not their problem." There's merit to that statement, if you think about it, otherwise all crime would be blotted out.

So what would you do? Would you have stopped the man? I'm sure we'd all like to think that, I know I would to think I'd step in, but saying and doing are two different things. That is unless you are the neighbors in this story.

A Rude Surprise

2010-05-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

Recently, I came across this story (click here) in the crime reports:

May 9th- 1600 Block of University Dr., resident comes home to find a BBQ grill was thrown through his front window, and his motorcycle kicked over.

Okay, the motorcycle thing, aside, who throws a grill through a window?

I'm going to take a more satirical view, here, so please read this with that in mind...

My first thought, "Whoa! That's rough!" My second, "Were there no rocks or bricks?"

**I met the resident, at his home, and he explained he believes this stems from a series of harassment moves by a school mate of his daughters. I'm not a detective...so I will this right there, with that being his claim. Still, I felt I should mention that.**

But imagine his surprise to find a charcoal grill in his front window, I'm sure there is a grilling joke in there somewhere, but I won't go there.

While filming his home, I realized the dirty blinds hanging where the glass once was, had a nice little stain. Then it hit me, this wasn't a stain but ash where the grill smashed through.

Okay, I'll go there..throwing a grill through a window, would that make it a "Hot Shot?" (Don't laugh, it'll only encourage me.)

Still for this resident, he was left with a busted window, glass and ash inside his home, and a fear of what could come next. Good thing the mailbox was anchored into the ground...

I new he was the man involved in the accident

2010-04-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

I walked into the Law Enforcement Center the other day. I go there just about every day, in covering the Cops and Courts Beat. Anyway, When I walked into the records area, on the first floor, I saw a man sitting on a bench, and women was standing next to him. The bench the man was sitting on is next to the door of the records area, and glass separates the area from the lobby of the L.E.C., so when I was walking towards records, I could see they were there, even before I walked in the door. As I walked passed, I could not help but look at the man sitting on the bench in the face. When I did I new instantly, he was the man who was involved in the accident on Buffalo Gap Road.
You may remember it. A motorcyclist was traveling South on Buffalo Gap Road when a truck pulled out on to B.G.R. The Driver of the motorcycle was killed when he hit the truck on the the drivers side, between the front fender of the truck and the door.
How did I know it was him?
Well, it's not that I saw the man who was driving the truck when I was covering the story last week, because I never saw him. I guess it was just the look on his face. I remember telling myself, after I saw him, that this has got to be the guy who was driving the truck. Sure enough just a couple of minutes after I walked into the room, and as I was looking through some records, Chief Stan Standridge, Asst. Chief Mike Perry and Asst. Chief Doug Wrenn walked into the room, obviously going somewhere, but when they saw the man sitting on the bench Asst. Chief Doug Wrenn said high and the two other Chiefs introduced themselves. They began talking about the accident with him, and asked how his daughter was doing. Apparently the man's daughter was with him when the motorcycle hit them. The man said that she slept through the night and was able to go to school that day. They talked about other details of the case I will not talk about because I am not sure if they saw me standing there or not, but the point is the man who was driving the truck was effected. I know that goes with out saying, but anyone could have walked into the police department that day and seen the hurt on that mans face. I can only imagine what his daughter and even the rest of his family is going through.

Car Burglaries, Man are They Annoying...

2010-04-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

So right now, the Abilene Police are swamped with "Burglary of a Motor Vehicle" cases. Which is cop-talk for "Someone Just Broke Into My Car and Stole My Stuff." Each day, I scan through reports filed with APD, and I only get to see a select few, but still in the last week and a half, or so, I have to decide how many times I want to report on the car burglary.

You get burned out about hearing it, I get burned out about reporting it, and the police get burned out on having to file these reports (or so I imagine).

What adds to the frustration, is the victims, a lot of times, leave their car unlocked. I don't know if it's a mistake or a bad habit. (I know I've been caught off guard when I find my door unlocked.) As it often is said, "Well, then they deserve it!" DO THEY? I mean, yes, it doesn't help the situation, but does that give the crook the right to steal?

All the same, this still happens because someone gets bold, or bored, enough to try and take advantage of people. Now, I'm no criminal psychologist...I just play one on TV...but I'd have to say that's a real problem starter.

I've had my car broken into...twice...two years apart from each other, nearly to the day. For those fortunate enough to never know this frustration, it's bad. Real bad. I was in high school, my car was locked and parked in my own driveway, while I was home. The first time the bad guys took out the drivers window, and stole my cell phone and stereo. That made me mad. Again, two years later, same scenario, this time the passenger window, and they just tore stuff up, and stole a tool kit.

WHY? I don't know. I learned from the first time to hide any belongings. I even locked my glove box, which had nothing but papers inside. So what was there to gain? Again, I was a very mad Tim.

(It was in that moment, I feel like if I were the Hulk, stick with me, that I would've gone green and reckless. Thankfully, I'm not, and the City of Plano was never torn up. You're welcome, Plano.)

Anyway, I've made a choice, somewhat out of paranoia, to check my doors at night, will you do the same, Abilene?

**Drop me a line, what's on your mind? Have any input? Story Ideas? Let me know!**

A Demonstration of Forgiveness

2010-03-01T11:04:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about this ever since I witnessed it a few weeks back. I thought I would let you know, because it was just some thing to see.
I was in the 104th District Court a few weeks back. Jeanette O'Fallon was there to be sentenced for a hit and run. O'Fallon had been in a pick up truck, drinking and driving, when she hit Heather Ince, who was riding a bike. It happened last year, and Ince died as a result. O'Fallon was eventually caught.
During the sentencing hearing, we in the court room, about 4 people, heard about O'Fallons other run ins with the law, all so the Judge could consider when he is deciding on a sentance. Well O'Fallon was sentenced to, I think, 10 years in prison, I could be wrong, but it's o.k, because what happened next is what I can't get off my mind.
Anytime there is a crime and there are victims, when the criminal gets sentanced, the victims of the crime get a chance to make a victim's impact statement. It is just a chance for the victims to get things off of their chest in the presents of the perpetrator. The statement is not recorded by the court reporter, but who ever is giving the victim impact statement usually takes the stand so that they can be heard.
In the court room, watching the proceedings, was Heather Ince's Dad and Step Mother, who was crying the whole time we were in the court room. When it came time for the victim impact statement, Heather's dad said "Yes, I feel like I have something to say."
The Judge then asked Heather's Dad if he would like to take the stand, and he said no, he would sit where the jury sits, so he could look right at Jeanette O'Fallon, who was expressionless the whole time, till now. Heather's dad said, "There are two things that I've done that were the most difficult things I've ever done in my life. One was loosing my daughter and the other is forgiving you."
O'Fallon Cried as she waited for Sheriff's deputies to take her back to jail.

What's Your Excuse?

2010-02-25T16:10:00.001-08:00

This week I asked for the best excuses that drivers have given to Abilene Police officers and Texas Highway Patrol...and let me say they have some good stories. Everything from "I sped though that intersection because people drive so fast, so I wanted to get away from there quickly," to the most original excuses, "My wife is at home trying to get pregnant and I'd like to be there."

Yeah, that last one kinda makes you wonder...all the same some of these excuses were either off the wall or should have come with some sort of Bill Engvall warning, a la "Here's Your Sign."

Anyway, this was a pretty fun story to tell, and there were other stories that didn't make the cut, like the driver who rear ended the car in front of them on a rainy day, and told the officer her anti-lock brakes must not be working.

Or the driver who told an officer he didn't use a turn signal while turning because he thought it was just a courtesy and not a law.

While, I have been pulled over before, I've found that honesty and being polite is the best way to go. So have others. Like, one story that was shared with me that her boyfriend was pulled over and when the officer asked why he was speeding, the guy's response was "Cause I'm being irresponsible."

See. Simple enough.

See the story here.

So, what's your excuse? Do you have a better one? Let's hear it!

Um...That Got Intense...Quickly

2010-02-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

In the crime beat, things get intense. Quick. So that's obviously on my mind when I out at scenes or even doing interviews with people involved. It has to be, if I ever neglect that, it could get ugly.

Mom, if you're reading. Stop now.

Case in point, on Tuesday I had to handle a story where CPS took kids away from a family...As you can imagine, the last thing the family wants to see is me, with a camera aimed at them. So naturally I do my best to be respectful of what they're going through but also do my job to report the scene to you, at home.

So let's fast forward to late Tuesday evening. I've spoken with neighbors nearby who express their concern over the condition of the house and the kids. Although, to be fair I have to go and give the family a chance to speak for themselves. So I take our AP, Marchita, to point the camera on me, because I just have a hunch that they probably won't comment. In fact, I'm expecting a door to be slammed in my face. Well that happened...and more!

I knock on the door, and the family inside yells, "Who is it!?" I respond telling them I was with the news, I then hear them tell me to go away. I get it..I actually anticipated it. Before I could leave the porch a door is opened only to be slammed. "Good. You've made your point," I thought.

So I turn to leave, when I hear a lot of talk behind the door, where I hear something along the lines of "No. I'm gonna say something.." So, I paused to see if they did, then I asked, "Is there something you want to say?"

Oops.

I then hear, "That's it!" Followed by a "No, don't do it!"

Side note: Not what you want to hear when people are already yelling at you through a door. It was at that point that my mind and Marchita's quickly thought, "Look out for a weapon!"

So, back to the show, the door swings wide open and it felt like four (I didn't think to count them out) men burst out of the home and onto the porch just a few feet from me. One bolts past me, towards Marchita. Now, I'm an older brother, I have what I like to call the "Herd dog" instinct and that is to protect everyone around me. I spun around to make sure Marchita was okay, but only for a second because the people started yelling at me.

I heard, "You need to get out of here!" "I'm not telling Abilene any of my business!" "You need to shut that camera off!"

Um...That got intense. QUICK!

As they're shouting, I begin to calm them down. Speaking in a hushed tone, I assured them I wasn't looking to call anyone out, nor was I there to rub it in their face. Look, I know that this was the worst possible time for me to show up...some may argue there's never a good time for me to show up. All the same, I explained that I was sorry for what they went through, and how I hoped they understood that I only came by to give them a chance to speak for themselves, not to throw it in their face.

Well once that was out there, then they started in on telling me their life's story. All of them. At once. It was a lot to take in.

Thankfully, we ended on a much more level attitude, and I even got them to say they might talk to me when everything calms down.

As for Marchita, she was caught up in the rush and had never experienced that. I have to admit, I've been close to that...but never to the point where I was anticipating hostility. Thankfully, we were okay, though it reinforced the idea to be mindful of people's emotions and the situation around us.

OOPS! Things People Didn't Expect to see In the News

2010-01-11T11:43:00.000-08:00

Okay it's 2010, and we're off to a flying start here in the Abilene news world... Last week I brought a story to you about a family who had given away a shotgun to the wrong person! As the story was told to me, the wife had an apartment full of people when a man came to the door and said her husband told him to take his (the husband's) shotgun. Caught off guard, the wife passed off the shotgun, only to find out from her husband he never even spoke with the other man. Very sneaky...

Anyway, I met the couple, they are very nice and all too willing to let others know they made a mistake. In this post, I'm not trying to mock them or bring any unwanted attention their way, but if you step back there is a moment that makes you say, "OOPS."

The couple felt bad, and they told me they hope nothing happens because of their mistake. Still to give a shotgun away to a man they barely knew...

The second, "OOPS" moment I came across this last week, was a woman who straddled her car across a drainage ditch while centering the car over the curb. It appeared she was trying to turn right out of a gas station, but cut things a little too close. Instead she had the car balanced over ditch. Looking at the car, at least two, if not three, of the wheels were off the ground. Yeah, there's no recovering from that....

OOPS!

As I was leaving the scene, (I would've stayed longer, but it was FREEZING cold) the tow truck service was studying the easiest and cleanest way to get the car off.

I mean I'm not perfect. Far from it, actually, and I'm guaranteed to have my "Oops moments," just watch me, I'm bound to say or do something. Off the camera, I was born a klutz and that has yet to change...So what will happen next in our town? You'd just have to standby and see. Just hope I don't cover your "Oops."

Becoming the Chew Toy

2009-11-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

So if you haven't seen the video of the Abilene Police K-9s taking me down...you should stop here, and go see it!

I mean it. I'll hold your spot.

Okay, thank you for watching. Now, please understand I enjoyed that story, but that's because I was in a controlled environment and in a padded suit. If I were on the wrong side of the law, then that bite would've been bad news. It's important to understand that while the story was exciting, I did not want to sensationalize this. With that said, you also need to understand these dogs are not human-killers. Quite the opposite, these dogs are even-tempered and really sweet, until they're given a command.

Whew, all of that's out of the way (I had to clear all of that up) now I can tell all of the fun stuff.

This idea came after I was tracked for a story by the Taylor County Sheriff's dog, TJ, who doesn't attack, just searches. While basking in the glory of an exciting story, I got called out...several times. "Why didn't you take on a dog that bites? Were you scared?"

NO.

"Couldn't handle the thought?"

I'll do it, just wait and see. Well, BAM! Take that critics. Okay, come back, I didn't mean it. Are we still friends?

So, in gearing up for this exercise, the police gave me a safe word, that would signal the officer to call off the dog. Again, controlled environment...they weren't going to let their dog tear up my pretty face. (When you're done laughing, feel free to keep reading.)

The officers also advised that if I go to the ground, cover my head with the suit, like a turtle, and they'd step in to keep the dog away from any vital part. Again, controlled environment...

After taking the first bite, which wasn't painful at all, I was having a good time with the idea. Then the officers told me to run, and the dog would chase. Now, let me tell you about this bite suit...

It's big...real big...images of the Michelin Man come to mind, I was also called the "Stay-Puft" Marshmellow Man (from "Ghostbusters"), and even the Pillsbury Doughboy. If you have more, throw them out now.

In this suit, you can barely move. Which is nice, until you're told to run. They should've just barked out "Waddle!" because that would've been more accurate. As I took off, the dog caught me on the back of the right arm and pulled down. The force of the dog, plus my unstability, along with my instinct to hit the ground and hip-roll (thank you, football drills) caused me to roll right over the dog. Poor King.

The dog yelped, I swallowed deeply, just knowing I broke the pup's hip. Wait, before you call PETA on me, the dog was fine! I asked six times, they said I more or less surprised King, and aggravated him more then I hurt him.

WHEW! I could not have lived that down. Although, now I'm afraid I'll never live down the fact that I became a chew toy for some very skilled K-9s.

What a way to go...TO JAIL

2009-10-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

Okay...here's a story that you won't see on the news. A lady gets nabbed for stealing...arrested for theft..and was sentenced today for it being a felony theft.

Wait, I'm moving to fast. Allow me to break this down so you get the full effect of why I'm writing this.

The theft this lady was arrested for was not her first...or even second. No, she scored herself the hat trick, making it a felony theft arrest. Pretty cool, right?

Okay, here's the fun part...and the real reason for writing this...the final theft arrest, was for stealing a robe. As in a bath robe, like the kind you wear on a cold day around the house.

**I know, what was she thinking, right?**

So can you imagine how that went down when she was booked in, and was in the jail house? Here's how I envision it, follow me if you will...

--Inmate 1: "What are you in for?"
--Inmate 2: "Stealing a car. You?"
--Inmate 1: "Burglary of a house. Hey new girl, what about you? What's your story?"
--Robe Stealer: "Oh me, stealing a robe."
--(Laughter quickly follows.)

That's just a part of the script, I'm working on. I'm in talks with several major movie labels for the rights. Look for it in theatres, oh in....well....I'll update that part.

Still, what a way to go. You get caught stealing a robe. Not a judge's robe, not a boxer's robe, a plain ole', ordinary, everyday robe.

(Side note and this is just you and me talking. How bad of a thief do you have to be to get caught stealing a ROBE? My guess, not so great.)

Plus, it seems so juvenile. I mean if this were in grade school, I'm sure the teacher would've solved it with a quick, give it back...now say you're sorry. Instead, this lady gets a hefty fine, enough to buy maybe several thousand robes, or at least several hundred top-of-the-line robes, and jail time.

What a way to go...

=Like the blog? Want more? Drop a line, leave me ideas, let me know what you think. Oh, and thanks for reading.=

I Mean Seriously, People...

2009-09-30T16:05:00.001-07:00

The Abilene police have to be getting tired of the media coming around and asking about burglary cases right about now. Consider this, in the last couple of weeks, APD has seen an influx of car burglaries...many of them are because the car doors were left UNLOCKED!!

I MEAN SERIOUSLY, PEOPLE!

How hard is it to turn around, and lock your door. Shoot, most cars come with a key less remote...hit the button. (Side Note: I know not everyone has this feature, I lived with an '89 S-10 Blazer that had two keys, one to lock, the other to start the car. That was fun...)

Anyway, back to the lesson at hand...

Lock your doors, be it car doors, house doors, bathroom doors...whatever! Lock your doors! I mean seriously...do you want to have to tell the police, "No, officer, I don't think I locked my door..." NO! No one wants to have to say that. (Second Side Note: If this has happened to you, I'm sorry, it's no fun having your stuff stolen, I've had it happen. Although, I'm willing to guess, you wish you could do it over, and lock your door.)

That would completely reduce the number of thefts and burglaries, or at the very least make it harder for it to happen. Consider this advice, Sgt. Phipps, of the Abilene police, said the phrase is to "Harden the Target." Which he explains, if you make it hard for the bad guy to do bad things, they are more likely to move on and leave your home, or car, away.

Okay, I've spoken my peace. Just please, Abilene, it's not that hard to lock your doors, and let's be honest, it makes good sense! I mean seriously, people...

Wreck Less Wednesday, Becomes Wreckless

2009-09-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

We just couldn't do it, could we, Abilene? We were challenged, the gauntlet was laid down, and we failed. I'm talking about the campaign from Abilene police to have a "No Wreck Wednesday."

The idea was simple: don't get in a wreck. Tim translation: Don't be stupid. Now with that said, I must enter into a personal confession, of sorts. Be gentle with me, but I wasn't exactly the poster-child for perfect driving. So I will write the rest of this slightly tongue-in-cheek. Bear with me.

15 minutes into the day...that's how long the concept lasted...15 minutes! A driver got into an accident. There went the goal, before many of us went to bed, and well before most of us woke up to start our day. Although, it didn't stop there! Other drivers got caught up in whatever, their iPhone, their music, or were trying to qualify for the NASCAR circuit.

(I've come to learn NASCAR sponsors don't recruit from the streets, which is weird because there seems to be plenty of people auditioning.)

All the same, some were just "Those" drivers. You know the ones that get on your nerves. Come on, admit it, you've labeled them when you see them running you down on Winters Freeway, or weaving in and out along some street. And by label, I mean yelled at them as if they can hear you through your car and theirs. I've done it, no need to lie to yourself.

Anyway, the day was lost, we hit lucky number 11 at about 4:30 this afternoon. The daily average is 13. Yeah, tough break for Abilene.

However, there was plenty of optimism about the campaign raising more awareness on the streets. Who knows how many people made an intentional effort to avoid bad habits today so they wouldn't be one of the "knuckleheads?" If you were, let me know, I'm curious about it. Think about it, if we all just make a personal commitment to be safe, what a difference it could make.

OK, as I step of my soap box, and try not to fall on my face because of my own personal guilt on this topic, I leave you with this...

The rules are created so 16 year-olds can follow them...Are you smarter than a 16 year old?

**I wrote this mostly in jest, if you were involved in an accident, I'm sorry that happened to you. I've been in one before, it's nerve-rattling, and tough to handle. Although, I'm not joking when I say, I think we can all do better on the road, me included.**

Leave me a line, love the blog, not quite sure about it...Tell me, I want to hear from you!

Silly Law Makers, Tricks are For Kids

2009-09-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

Alright, so we all know there are a few laws that just don't seem to fit... You know like actually stopping for a red light... It's really more of a caution to speed up, am I right? (Disclaimer: Please stop at red lights. I've seen you...sometimes you don't!)

But there is a new law that took effect on the first that has many, including myself, wondering just how it's going to work out. No, I'm not talking about the no cell phones in school zones, that one makes sense (although, I'm bound to break it because driving is when I'm getting most of my business done). Instead, I'm talking about the law that was initially authored by Rep. Abel Herrero, that says any offender of family violence may be ordered, by a judge, to wear a GPS tracking monitor and restricted from certain areas where the victim may be. This new law also says that the victim may request a monitor to find out where the offender is, at all times.

Now I'm not bashing this idea, I love it actually. It provides an accountability that ideally should help out many victims, and even offenders. No, I'm bashing the law makers for creating this idea, with no instruction for how, or even, who is supposed to carry it out.

Here, in Abilene, I asked around about this law. The Justice of the Peace office, said it was a matter for the District Attorney. The District Attorney, said it was a matter for the JP's Office. Meanwhile, the Probation office said it wasn't theirs to watch, and the few bondsmen I asked (who interact the most with an offender) had no idea what I was even talking about.

Please, don't get me wrong, this is not me mixing it up with the local law authorities. They were extremely helpful in my search for the answers. The issue with all of this goes way up the hierarchy to the folks who didn't instruct these people on how to carry it out!

So here's my understanding after my wild hunt: All of these bodies, except the bondsmen, knew of the law. So they were informed, and up to date. That's a plus. And, all of them were aware that there was a problem with the way this set up. With all that said, here is the Tim Johnston Abridged Version of the Operation Protocol.

The JP will order the GPS, which can be written into the bond. The offender will have to pay, somehow, for the GPS unit and for the monitor for the victim, if the victim wants it. As of now, very few are equipped to meet these demands, but the Corrections Office (aka Probations) is geared up with GPS tracking anklets, but the monitors for the victims are not available, yet. The bondsmen will be given instruction at the next meeting, and then everyone should be versed in how this will go.

Confused? You should be! So is everyone else, at this point. Desperate for answers? Just hold on, because all eyes will be on the first city/county that attempts to carry this out.

And that is why this new law presents such an issue...not because of what it wants to do, but because it didn't explain how to do it!

As it stands, I probably just wrote about something that goes way beyond my pay-grade...And I will do my best to blog about a more witty topic next time.

What is Safe Anymore?

2009-08-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

So last week, it was crazy around the newsroom. Several reporters were out of town for various reasons, and it left us working hard to get as much news as we can to present to our faithful audience. (Go ahead pat yourself on the back, you just got a shout out on this blog. You are THAT special.)

One of the many stories I crossed was about a women who was robbed. Typically a story we'd look into no matter the day, but in our search for news it definately fit. The women, according to the police report, says she was hit in the head by another women, and then had her money stolen....wait for it...from her bra! WOW! What is safe anymore?

I mean, gone are the days of pinning your emergency money in your underwear. If that's where your's is now...go on, you can change it. We won't tell. Unless you end up like this unfortunate victim. Then it becomes news. (DISCLAIMER: If you are the victim, I apologize. I do not wish to cause you any unnecessary embarrasment. But it is rather unusual.)

So the question everyone raised when I shared this story was, "How'd they know it was there?"
Answer: I don't know...I wasn't there. My guess, the money was visible. I know, I know I'm a regular Sherlock Holmes. (Sweet a literature reference, this blog is getting classy!)

Anyway, the whole thing is rather strange...do you think the robber thought twice about going in for the cash? Better yet, you think they apologized, like they do in the movies? "I'm sorry I'm gonna do this...but I gotta.."

And if you were the victim...what would you do? Where else can you hide your cash and think no one will know?

It's odd, but it's true. So you tell me, what is safe anymore?

Like the blog? Want more? Leave me your thoughts, and I'll work to bring you more of my thoughts from the newsroom.

Thanks for watching and reading!

Looking a Killer in the Face

2009-07-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

I've talked to many people who have committed many crimes. It's my job to try and talk to them wherever I can. I can either yell out questions while police lead a suspect into or out of a courthouse (see: The Art of the Perp Walk), or while they are being arrested. Other times I have to try and get an interview while they are in jail. When I called the Taylor County Jail to see if Santiago Garza and Neil Flores wanted to talk to us, and they said yes, I knew I would be looking a killer in the face.

Suspects often don't say much during a jailhouse interview, fearing they will say too much and it will affect them later in court. Much to my surprise, Garza and Florez did not have that fear. Both knew they had done something very wrong and were ready to take responsibility for what they did. Most people in jailhouse interviews say they did not do it. Because of that fact, while interviewing some one behind the glass at the jail, I spend much of my time trying to get information out of them, leading up to the big question, 'Did you do it?' But both said they did it off the bat. Needless to say, that left plenty of time to go over the details.

Asking someone how they killed a person is very uncomfortable. Even though they are killers, I felt bad asking them how and why they did it. Many times I have to go back and watch the video after the interview to remeber what was said when I am sitting down at my desk to write a story. Not this time. I came back to the station, sat down, and wrote the story without ever having to refer to the video. It is hard to forget what someone is saying when they're taking about a murder, and it's something I probably won't forget soon.

P.S. On a side note: This week, when talking about the kids involved in this case, I broke down on the air and could not get through my live shot. I saw the tiny hand prints on the window, at the apartment, where the bodies were found, that were highlighted by the police dusting for fingerprints.

My 1 year old loves to stand and look out the window. My wife has to clean the window constantly because of his hands prints all over it, so seeing the hand prints of the girls hit home. Sgt. Keith Shackelford at the Police Dept. saw the live shot and pulled me aside today to make sure I was okay. Chaplain Donna with the Police Dept. also called to check on me.

I just wanted to say thanks.

On the Scene of a Double Homicide

2009-07-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

It is always tough to be at a crime scene.

If it's a major crime, it always means lots of waiting to get as much info as you can from whoever the police department put in charge of the scene.

It is even harder when the crime involves a murder.

That means there will be lots of emotion involved.

When at a crime scene, like the one last Friday when 18 year old Nate Moss and 24 year old Tina Moreno were found dead in their apartment at Pebble Creek, as I am waiting for info from the police, it is also my job to try and talk to people who may be involved, and that's where the lots of emotion come in.

This intense emotion in a situation can be a hurdle.

Here is how it happened for us at the station Friday.

When Brandi, our assignments editor and I were in the news room, we herd on the scanner that there was an injured subject.

We listened for just a minute and although they had not said anything about a D.O.A. (dead on arrival), we thought I had better go.

We happen to have a reporter at the police station who found out that the Sgt. over crimes against persons was called out.

That's when we knew it was something big, and that's when we found out were it was.

When I got to Pebble Creek that afternoon at about 1:45pm, the Police had not put crime scene tape across the parking lot to keep people back.

The tape was around the front porch of the apartment and I was standing with my camera rolling in the parking lot in front of the apartment.

At this point I knew there was a dead body inside, but I did not know that there would end up being two dead bodies inside.

Another thing I saw right away were the two girls.

I knew they were involved, but I did not know how.

I saw the girls being taken to an ambulance, and right away started shooting video.

That's video you have not seen.

When you are at a crime scene, you shoot everything and then decide what you will use later.

Police asked us not to use it and we agreed.

We never show kids who are crime victims.

By this time, a small crowed started to gather and more and more Detectives with the Police Department began arriving.

A police officer came over to me and told me to get as much video as I could because they were getting ready to move us back.

This is normal for a crime scene.

The media starts out close to the scene, then eventually is moved to a staging location.

As I was shooting my video a women got out of a car that had pulled up a few feet down the parking lot.

Her first words were "Where is my baby, Where is he."

That is something I will never forget, but that was just the beginning.

Once the police moved us back along with the growing crowed, more friends and family of both victims were showing up, running in the direction of the apartment screaming and crying.

Some family members had to be held back from crossing the tape and going into the apartment.

One family member was crying and just wanted to see for herself.

I can't imagine what it is like to hear that a family member has been murdered, and only wanting to see for myself because I just can't believe it.

That's what I remember thinking as I saw family member after family member show up to the scene as they learned the news.

Now picture all this happening and knowing that people are hurting and you have to approach them, as a member of the media, and ask for information, and worse, you have to ask them if they are willing to do an on camera interview; not easy, and not fun.

Well it just so happens that the first person I talked to at the scene was the man who found the bodies.

He told me there were two bodies in the apartment; one in the kitchen and one in the living room.

That's when I learned there were two bodies.

Police had not told us that.

Then, he told me something that shocked me and that we were not able to confirm till a couple of hours later.

He told me there were two kids in the apartment with the bodies.

I then talked to someone else who said that the kids were attacked.

It made sense that day because I saw the kids being checked out by paramedics.

This was news I knew, but could not report because I could not get it confirmed by police.

It was not till Saturday that Police called a news conference and confirmed the kids were attacked.

That is another problem when at a crime scene where there is lots of emotion and people: rumors are flying, and you have to be able to weed out the rumors from the fact.

For me, that is why it is important to wait till Police can confirm some information before I say it on the air.

The next person I talked to was Tina's best friend.

She came to the scene crying.

Her mom had just called her at work to let her know the news.

I won't say where, but Tina's best friend works at a local restaurant and she came to the scene from work.

She still had her uniform on and her apron.

She was so upset that she left her car in the middle of the parking lot running and just got out and ran in the direction of the apartment where Nate and Tina lived.

Police had to hold her back.

I approached her after she was there for a while and had stopped crying.

I asked if I could talk to her and do an interview; she agreed.

She said she did not want to do the interview in front of everybody, so we went around the back of the apartment building and she talked to me on camera there.

By this time it was close to news time; the 5pm show.

The Public Information Officer, Sgt. Kieth Shackelford, had been giving us updates and at that point we knew there were two dead bodies and we knew their names.

We also knew the kids were found in the apartment and were in protective custody.

After we did the 5pm live shot, that is when more people showed up and were just hanging out talking and waiting for any new information.

Family members were being comforted as they waited for any news, and at one point we in the media moved further back than police asked us to.

We were all taking in the shade near a grieving family member and Detectives came over to talk to her.

The police looked at us and told us to make sure our cameras were off.

It was me and Tim from KRBC, and the KTXS Reporter and Photographer.

We did not say anything, we just knew it was appropriate to move and not be in the area when police were talking to her.

I Am Not Crazy

2009-06-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

You know when you are watching the news and you see a reporter pop up and say something in the middle of the story?

Well, that is called a standup.

News directors like to see those, so we try to put them in our stories when we can and when it is appropriate

As a reporter, when I have a photographer with me and I am doing a stand up, it is no problem, but I rarely have a photographer with me.

Reporters at KTAB are what are known in the news business as a "one man band."

That means we shoot video, we conduct interviews, and we edit and write all our own stuff.

In bigger markets a different person edits the story and reporters work with photographers; not the case here in Abilene.

So, doing a stand up is not always easy.

First, getting yourself in a shot that looks good takes longer, but that is not what bothers me about doing stand ups.

One day I was at Everman Park In downtown Abilene shooting a standup by myself.

The camera was not rolling yet, but I was walking back and forth in front of the camera talking out load, practicing what I was going to say.

An Abilene police officer that I know was passing by, he rolled down his window and yelled, "Do I need to call MHMR?"

It was funny because that is what I feel like when I am doing a stand up by myself: a crazy person standing in front of a camera talking to myself.

What is worse is, when I do a standup, it is usually in a place where they are lots of people around.

Sometimes, I wait till there is the least amount of people around me and then I quickly say what I have to say and hopefully get it right the first time.

When I don't get it the first time, I keep going till I do get it.

If it takes me longer than two takes to get what I want to say out, then I get angry and say things to myself like, "come on Vic'" or, "This time Vic."

Imagine what that looks like to someone who is passing by and sees me getting mad at myself.

Anyway, if you happen to see me out talking to myself in front of a camera, I'm not crazy, just working.

Apparently I have a Twin...

2009-06-18T19:43:00.001-07:00

All through life, especially when I first started college, I was told "You remind me of someone..." or "Do you know who you look like?" Of course, the answer to those statements or questions would range from "my brother," "my cousin," to "Jason Biggs (Jim from American Pie)." My "crowning" achievement in life. Haha... And now you realize to yourself, "You know, he kind of does look like Jim..."

Well apparently we can add one more celebrity to the list, Tyler Edwards, KRBC's Weekend Sports Anchor.

"Wait, what? I thought they were one in the same," you say. Answer: NOPE. Two very different guys who happen to have brown hair, names that start with T, and both very handsome. (I'm speaking for myself, Tyler you're on your own.)

So in the year plus that we've been working here, we have supposedly got everyone fooled. From viewers who approach us asking about stories (or sports casts) the other one did, to co-workers who cannot seem to get our names straight, and even all the way up the corporate later to the big boss who tagged a photo of Tyler as...you guessed it...me!

Don't get me wrong, it's quite comical. He and I get a laugh out of sharing stories of the confusion, we've even batted around the idea of a Tim & Tyler Talk Show (if you like it let us know!) However, it is a little concerning because it causes me to wonder if I'm doing a solid enough job to be set apart.

So here's a little "crash course" on me vs. Tyler. I'm a news guy who helps in sports (in the fall), he's a sports guy who helps in news. I'm on at 10 every night M-F, he's only on 10 W-F...see? He's from the Fort Worth area, I'm from the Dallas area. He has blue eyes, mine are brown. I'm a solids and stripes guy, he's a stripes and solids guy. Of course, the biggest difference between the two of us is I'm TIM and he's TYLER!

Well, no big deal, anyway. After all, I've been called Jim from American Pie....wow, that IS low.

Like the blog, love it...Hit me up with comments...And thanks for watching KRBC.

The Art of the "Perp Walk"

2009-06-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

If you do not know, A "perp walk" is when a suspect is taken from one place to another and news cameras are there to shoot that movement.

For example: when an inmate is taken to the Taylor County Court House from the jail (as they often are) when they have a proceeding in one of the court rooms.

The walk from the Sheriff's Department's transport vehicle to the door of the court house is usually a good time for me to get a good perp walk, if I know when that walk will be taking place.

Getting a good perp walk is all about timing, and when we are trying to get a perp walk at the court house you have to time it just right.

First, you have to know when the suspect you are trying to get a perp walk of is going to court.

Once you find that out, which is a process in itself, you can count on the sheriff's department to get that person to the court house 15 to 20 minutes before the scheduled time they are to appear before a Judge.

Now, that would be a good time to get the perp walk, but as the Cops and Court Reporter for KTAB, I cover lots of crime, and there are lots of perps (perpetrators).

There are so many I may not remember what the person I am there to get video of looks like, so what I often have to do is go upstairs on the fourth floor of the court house where all the court room are, and sit through proceedings (this also gives me a chance to get more information on a case).

Once the perp I am there to get video of stands before the judge, I am in the court room to see what he or she looks like.

Now, comes the tricky part.

When the perp is done in the court room they often are there with a group of other inmates, and I have to wait till all the inmates are done with their proceedings so they can be taken back to the jail as a group.

Now remember, we are all on the fourth floor of the court house, so what I do is, when I see the Sheriff's Deputies start to take the group of inmates to the elevator to take them back down to the transport vehicle, I run down four flights of stairs, go to my vehicle, get my camera and hopefully I can do all that in the time it takes Deputies to get inmates in the elevator and down to the first floor of the court house and into the vehicle to go back to the jail.

If I time It just right it usually works out.

Today I had to get three perp walks at the court house: Jennifer Ignont, Alehandro Meyer, and George Pence Jr, and had to run up and down four flights of steps twice to get all three perp walks, which took place one right after the other.

The only thing that saved me was they were all in the same court room.

There are four court rooms on the fourth floor of the court house, and it is a whole other story when I am covering more than one person in court at the same time, in more than one court room.

In that case, a perp walk is more about luck than timing.

News and Weather

2009-06-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

News and weather: there has been plenty of both all week.

As you can imagine, we all love to go storm chasing, but sometimes, when those of us who are in the news department are working on the news we have gathered for the day (writing, editing, ext.) and a storm pops up, we can't always go out and chase.

So, when that happens, I watch what is going on and work at my desk hoping I will be done before the storms move on.

Sometimes, I can make it, while other times I just have to watch it on the news as I work.

Still, other times we are told to stop what we are doing and go chase.

That is rare, but it does happen.

What was it like this week?

Well, I had to finish what I was doing before going out to shoot all the rain we had Wednesday.

Today, I had to stay in and finish all of my work.

It is like the rain in Abilene: hit or miss.

On a side note, this is my first blog ever!

Hopefully, I can post something at least a couple of times a week.

I'm A Graduate!!

2009-05-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

May 20th, I graduated...Not from college, high school, or even kindergarten as some of you probably would guess. I graduated from the Citizen's Police Academy, a ten week course that gives everyday people a closer look at police work.

I have to say, this was one of the greatest classes I ever took, and that includes P.E. and Recess. Each week, a different department would speak to a class of 20+ about what it is they do, and how it helps our city. Wow! Some of the things that must be done to keep the PD going is pretty intense. I give a lot of credit to the people behind the scenes that help the ones on the front line. Make no mistake, credit is deserved all the way around in the Abilene Police Department.

A few of the highlights of this ten week course, besides getting to meet a great group of classmates, we got to witness the K-9 unit in action, the bomb squad lit up the night sky with explosions, and the S.W.A.T. Team showed off their skills on just how quick and sharp they are. Getting to ride along with a police officer for six hours was a neat way to see the life and duties a police officer must go through. Of course, I cannot leave out the chance to test my aim at the firing range with a .38. Want to know how sharp of a shooter I am? Ask me sometime, I'll show you the target!

Although, I wouldn't be giving this class any justice without mentioning that this was Chief Melvin Martin's last CPA class. I'm truly honored to say I was a part of it! The real blessing in this is getting to see the Chief in a different way, but to also see just how passionate and proud he is of each department within the PD. So as he heads into retirement and begins to take that well deserved vacation, I want to say thank you, thank you for allowing me to take part in this class and get to witness how police work is done.

Side note: If you want to join this class, you should consider signing up! Ask APD how. If you don't have ten weeks to spare, skip straight to riding along with an officer. That's how you really get to see what they do on a daily basis, and what Abilene looks like from a different perspective.

A Long Time Coming...Playing Hide and Seek With a K-9

2009-05-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, so blogging is a weakness of mine...okay, a BIG weakness of mine. I'll work on it...okay, I'll try and work on it.

So I've become the reporter who got scared and hid from a yellow lab. Everywhere I go now, I hear "I saw you hiding from that dog," or some joke, "Why'd you run from that dog? Were you too scared of the attack dogs?" To which I reply, "Yes! And you should be too!" So maybe I don't go that far, but I do like to share with people about how fun it was working with the Taylor County Sheriff's Department, and their new K-9 "TJ."

First of all, TJ is not "that" kind of dog, he's not trained to attack or chew my arm off, in fact quite the opposite. When I first met TJ, I was surprised to see the Sheriff's Office using a Yellow Lab, instead of a German Shepard, but apparently it's not that uncommon to use other breads. I learned that Labs are perfect for searching out scents and narcotics. Which is exactly what the TCSO wanted to use, a K-9 to detect drugs.

So what's next, chihuahuas hunting down armed suspects? Well maybe not, but think of the possibilities! That little dog would yap, at the gunman until they give in. No offense, to Chihuahua owners, I'm sure they're fine dogs and very loyal, but come on, they do yap a lot.

All of this is to say, my night playing hide and seek with TJ was a lot of fun, and I'm very grateful I didn't get my arm turned into a chew toy.

Why?

2009-01-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

I don't get it...I've been following several crimes here in Abilene and Taylor County, and the one factor that remains the same and yet always confuses me, is why people think they can run away. In the end, they always get caught because of some foolish mistake and in the end, the punishment will always be greater because the criminal ran away!

For example, Dan Lott, an Abilene business man, father, and seemingly good guy...He gets caught with Child Pornography -- Strike 1. But then he snaps and starts to run. Fast forward a month and he gets caught, and now he's a Federal Fugitive for running from the law. Was it worth the life on the run? Was it worth making your life and your family's life a mess?

Another one that makes me laugh is the people who lead police on a chase, and while running start throwing things from their car as if the police following closely behind won't notice. Instead, they end up getting stopped somewhere, arrested, and then the police go back and find the items that were thrown from the car. Now I get the idea that they're panicking, or even they may not be in their right mind, but it makes me laugh to think they can throw it from their vehicle like it never existed.

All I have to ask is, "Why?"