Sie sind auf Seite 1von 13

LAURA C.

MOREL
3167 NW 106 St., Miami, Fla., 33147 Cell: 786-350-8996, lauracmorel @ gmail.com Blog: lauracmorel.wordpress.com Work Experience: Full-time intern at the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: September 2011 - November 2011 Working as a breaking news reporter covering Broward County. Full-time intern at The Dallas Morning News: Covered public safety on the Local News desk. Full-time intern at The Miami Herald: Covered breaking news in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Boston.com news intern: Blogged, updated website content, and created photo galleries. June 2011 - August 2011

May 2010 - August 2010 October 2009 - May 2011

Freelance writer for The Miami Herald Neighbors: March 2008 - August 2009 Covered Latino or African American communities and wrote stories ranging from community events to city council meetings. Education: Emerson College, Boston, Mass.: Bachelor of Science, Print and Multimedia Journalism, 3.8 GPA Miami Dade Honors College, North Campus, Miami, Fla.: Associate in Arts, Mass Communication/Journalism, 3.96 GPA September 2009-May 2011 August 2007-May 2009

Additional Experience: Participant in The New York Times Student Journalism Institute: January 2011 Completed a main project story of more than 1,200 words, blogged, produced video, and wrote other stories, among them breaking news coverage and the Haiti earthquake anniversary. Participant in the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Student Projects: Wrote stories and created videos for the annual NAHJ Convention in Denver, Colo. June 2010

Editor in Chief of Miami Dade College's newspaper The Falcon Times: August 2007 - May 2009 Managed staff of more than 20 writers and editors and edited all stories. Skills: Fluent in English and Spanish. Proficient in WordPress, MovableType, and Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Premiere. Basic knowledge of HTML. Honors: Emerson College's Print Journalism Excellence Award in May 2011. Florida Community College Press Association second place for best feature story in 2009. National Association of Hispanic Journalists Newhouse Scholar in 2009-2010. Florida Community College Press Association first place for best news story in 2008.

LAURA C. MOREL
3167 NW 106 St., Miami, Fla., 33147 Cell: 786-350-8996, lauracmorel@gmail.com

Lj^^
References Pat Andrews Breaking news editor, The Miami Herald Work: 305-376-3424 pandrews@miamiherald.com Manny Garcia Executive editor, El Nuevo Herald Work: 305-376-3445 magarcia@elnuevoherald.com Selwyn Crawford Assistant metro editor, The Dallas Morning News Work: 214-977-8604 scrawford@dallasnews.com Jerry Lanson Journalism Professor, Emerson College Work: 617-824-8806 Jerry_Lanson@emerson. edu

DALLAS AREA

DEA targets clinic's many prescriptions


Doctor who prescribed oft-abused painkillers denies any wrongdoing
By LAURA C. MOREL Staff Writer lmorel@dallasnews.com

Federal drug enforcement agents allege that a longtime Dallas doctor took cash payments to prescribe highly abused medications for patients without examining them. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration declined to specifically discuss details of Dr. Habiboola Niamatali's case because it is an active investigation. But according to court records and the doctor himself, DEA officials in June raided his clinics in Garland and Lancaster, as well as his Dallas home. Niamatali said agents took charts, prescription pads and cars and seized four bank accounts belonging to him or his wife, Shirley. A 68-page search warrant affidavit filed in the case alleges that more than 70 percent of Niamatali's controlled substance prescriptions were for hydrocodone, alprazolam and
See DEA Page 2A

2A

Monday. September 5. 2011

II

>

DEA targets doctor


Continued from Page 1A

promethazine with codeine. The affidavit says that out of about 6,000 Dallas-area practitioners licensed to write prescriptions for controlled substances in 2010, Niamatali ranked second in the number of hydrocodone prescriptions issued that year. And it says that he made about $1 million on hydrocodone prescriptions alone between September 2008 and December 2010. The country has a serious prescription drug abuse problem," said DEA Diversion . Control special agent Gary Boggs. Some doctors, he said, "would rather make money illegally and cause tremendous harm to the public in order to get that money." In interviews at his Garland office and by phone, Niamatali maintained that he has done nothing wrong. "What has happened is that I have told them the truth and we have a difference as to what is reasonable and what is unreasonable" Niamatali said. "I'm in the belief that I was doing the right thing." Although the doctor has not been indicted on any charges, the allegations have emerged during what has become a nationwide spike in prescription drug abuse. According to a 2009 national survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the abuse of prescription drugs ranks second behind marijuana abuse in the United States. When used properly, hydrocodone serves as a moderate pain reliever. But a DEA spokeswoman, Barbara L. Carreno, said it is one of the most commonly abused prescription drugs, in part because some doctors prescribe larger amounts than what the patient needs, leading to "extra medicine out there," Clinics where doctors prescribe controlled substances for no apparent medical purpose are called "pill mills" and such facilities "give good doctors a bad name," said Garland pain medicine specialist Dr. CM. Schade. Although he was not familiar with the Niamatali case, Schade a former president of the Texas Pain Society said pill mills "give pain clinics a bad name. Legitimate pa-

Lara Soft/Staff Photographer

A federal affidavit says that one person said that Dr. Habiboola Niamatali told all his patients to use the Bestaid pharmacy located next to Niamatali's clinic in Lancaster. he had never sold prescription drugs before December. He said he needed money to catch the bus home. Investigators said that Hampton referred to Niamatali as a "narcotics doctor" when he spoke with them, but during the jail interview with The News, Hampton denied making that statement "I don't- know anything about what he's doing," Hampton said. "All I know is he was treating me. ... He's a good doctor." The affidavit further notes that one person said "all of Niamatali's patients are being told to use Bestaid Pharmacy" located next door to the doctor's Lancaster clinic. Hampton was arrested after filling his prescription there. Between Sept 21 and Dec. 31, the Bestaid pharmacy ordered 73,100 hydrocodone tablets, more than double the average amount ordered by pharmacies in that amount of time, according to the affidavit The document also says that Dr. Emmanuel Amadi, owner and head pharmacist at the Bestaid, "is intentionally filling non-medically necessary prescriptions, primarily written by Niamatali, for controlled substances for individuals for cash." No charges have been filed against Amadi, who declined comment. His attorney, James Guinan, said that there is an "administrative matter concerning" Amadi's DEA registration, which had been temporarily suspended. But Guinan added that "Dr. Amadi believes he's complying with all the policies and regulations he's required to." Asked about a connection to the drugstore, Niamatali said "nobody is referred to any pharmacy." And he said that he is willing to work with the DEA to stop prescription drug abuse. "What I do not deserve is to have trial without my input I need to hear what they have to say, they need to hear what I have to say," Niamatali said. "There needs to be a meeting of minds."

Mona Reeder/Staff Photographer

Howard Hampton is accused of selling Vicodin and Xanax pills to an undercover officer. He's a patient of Habiboola Niamatali. "He's a good doctor," Hampton said. tients end up suffering because of it" Bom in Guyana, Niamatali, 70, has been a practicing doctor in Texas for nearly 30 years, according to the Texas Medical Board. Although his Texas medical license is active, Niamatali confirmed that his DEA registration which allows him to prescribe controlled substances is suspended. At both of his clinics, a paper is taped onto the glass doors. In black letters, the sign says that no prescriptions for hydrocodone, Xanax or promethazine with codeine will be written, "Per DEA Orders." According to the affidavit, officials went undercover as patients at Niamatali's clinics between November and April. During their visits, they received "prescriptions for controlled substances without demonstrating medical need." In an interview, Niamatali said he noticed that many of his patients were increasingly demanding "nasty drugs." Many patients claim to have back pain, anxiety or coughing to obtain controlled substances, he said. To combat their drug dependence, Niamatali said he eventually began to "divert" patients to other medicines that didn't have a "street price." Court documents note that Niamatali opened his clinic in the morning and reopened at night until about 11:30 p.m. Investigators also observed lines forming outside the clinic before opening time at 9 a.m. According to the affidavit, on Nov. 12 an investigator overheard someone in the line talking on the phone about selling "60 each for $75." The person later told the investigator that Niamatali was "the biggest quack in the world" and "all you have to do is tell him what you want and he will givfittoyou." Questioned about allegations that he prescribed medications without "Xflmining patients, Niamatali said he does examine most of his patients but doesn't always do so for his regular clients. "You cannot examine them because you know their problem," he said. *Ib a great extent, you get a feel for what you're dealing with." Authorities eventually arrested several of Niamatali's patients, including 51-yearold Howard Hampton. Investigators say that in December, Hampton sold 90 Vicodin and Xanax pills to an undercover officer for more than $150. He was charged with two counts of delivery of controlled substances and is being held at the Dallas County Jail in lieu of $55,000 bail. In a jail interview last month with The Dallas Moming News, Hampton said that

I WE ARE BUYING!

The Dallas Morning News Metro cover

Is Iff !|p l?z


8 <L
sr G.

July 6, 2011

fi g
Cb P

a.' ? p I- s .

a & i

i I' ($, i g rx,


'f P 5s" w"

.-

P. tr*

I
I

IIf-.
3

III

*i
fo O)

*|1P tffftff

3 o

S o 1 1
gcS1

sr ^s^ ^^
S'a
&$? S- .3
3 5'

Ibl?
"* ! & fl*

S.
agg

"

fKTrirr-

There are other victims out there. But they don't want to do anything."
Gilberto Martinez, Dallas policedetective

Ice cream vendors 7 face robber} risk


Continued from PagelB

Street vendor

Jose Ayala bears a scar on his leg from a run-in with a wouldbe robber last month.

cream vendors. "There are other victims out there," said Martinez, who works in the southwest investigative unit, which includes Oak Cliff, where many paletecos work and arc victimized. J But they don't want to do anything." Dallas police officials said it is unclear exactly how many palvtcro robberies are reported each year because ice cream vendor-related cases are not consistently flagged in their police report system. So far this year, police records indicate there arc about 11 robberies listed under the name of ice< cream shops in Dallas. Many more go unrcported, Martinez said, because most puletems arc illegal immigrants iind fear being deported. But police won't pursue an ice cream vendor who comes forward with infoimationjuit because he is undocumented, the detective said. "Don't be afraid of us. We don't care about your status," Martinez said. "We care about these guys that are committing these wrongdoings." Another reason vendors don't come forward, is that many of them emigrate from Mexico, where authorities are often corrupt, Martinezsaid. "It's not Mexico. It's the United States," he said. "You have rights." Omar Gallegos, 36, is one of the few palaeros who did come forward. An ice cream vendor for two years, he called 911 when he was robbed at gunpoint on June 9. Last week, Gallegos detailed the robbery to Martinez as the two sat inside Gallegos' Oak Cliff home. Gallegos said a man driving a beige Isuzu stopped his car next to his cart. The man got out of the car and showed Gallegos his gun. "I'm going to shoot you if you don't give me your money" the man said. Fearing for his life, Galle-

Photos by vemon Bryanr/staff Photographer

Porfirio Angeles is among vendors who sell ice cream on Oak Cliff streets to make ends meet. Raul Rodriguez, president of Frutitas, says he has three vendors this year, compared with 20 in past years. gos gave him the $45 in his pocket Gallegos quit the job days later but said he did so because of the heat, not because of the robber)'. To tight back against the attacks, Gerardo Monreal, then a southwest neighborhood police officer, launched a prograin to protect ice cream vendors. As part of the initiative, Monreal and other southwest officers asked the public to donate cellphones that were later distributed to any ice cream vendor who did not own one. Police also encouraged ice cream shop owners to pay ice crearn vendors if they couldn't work because they were testifyingin court. "It made it easier for them to see or view the police as a friend and as a person that was out there to help them," Monreal said. By 2007, Monreal was ansferred to the Dallas police media relations office. That year, the number ofpaletero robberies "just really dropped," Monreal said. After he left, though, no one took over the program and it no longer exists. Dallas police SgL Saul Sarmiento said last week that it wouldn't hurt to revive the program. "It would be a good idea as far as being proactive,7" Sarmicntosaid. But for paleteros such as Pablo Arellano, who is hard of hearing, a cellphone offers little help. "Because 1 can't hear well, I haven't really wanted to buy a cellphone," said Arellano, who said he makes about $50 a day. Someone tried to rob Ayala last month, but he said he used the bat he sometimes carries to fend them off. Ayala said he often works until 8:30 p.m. beciiuse he makes more sales after sundown. "In the morning, who is going to buy an ice cream bar?" he said. The earnings vary by ice cream vendor, but are usually about $60 aday, said Raul Rodriguez, president of Frutitas, an Oak Cliff ice cream shop. In past years, his shop has had about 20 vendors at a time. But this year there are only three because people fear working in the streets, he said. When his vendors go out to work, Rodriguez offers them all the same advice: Hand over the money if you are robbed. "Life is svorth more than what they can take from us," Rodriguez said.

Reluctance to talk
Although police have not caught the robber, Martinez said just getting Gallegos or artypaktero to talk to police was a big step. "Just sitting down with that paktero doesn't happen very often," the detective said moments after the interview. In 2005, police said there was a string of ice cream vendor-related robberies in the city, including one in which 28-year-old Alfonso Fuentes, an Oak Cliff vendor, was shot and killed by a 14-year-old boy. Joel Zubiri was convicted of capital murder in April 2006 and sentenced to life in prison.

Multiple incidents
An ice cream vendor for 25 years, Arellano said he has been robbed about six times. The last time was three years ago, when he was beaten and hospitalized.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

In and out of jail, and stffl in U.S.


Case shows difficulty of keeping out 'crimmigrants'; critics say priority should be on 'bigger fish'
Second in a two-part series. By LAURA C. MOREL
Staff Writer lmorel@dallasnews.com

Diones Graciano-Navarro has been arrested at least 40 times in four states. His rap sheet had humble beginnings with charges of loitering in New York City in 1975. In New Jersey, he graduated to fraud. By 1988, he was in California. He was charged with obtaining money by fraud or trickery. Later came cocaine possession. The Dominican Republic native was deported twice. But he slipped back into the U.S., settling in North Texas, where in 2004 he started collecting DWT and marijuana possession charges NAV ARRO Almost half of the near- has a long ly 393,000 immigrants arrest record detained by Immigration in the U.S. and Customs Enforcement who were deported last fiscal year had criminal records. But Graciano-Navarro, 63, is not the best poster child for the Obama administration's recent victory laps over increased deportation of criminal aliens who shouldn't have been in the U.S. in the first place. Instead, the Graciano-Navarro case highlights the difficulty of keeping "crimmigrants" out of the country. It took decades for the system to evolve, and Graciano-Navarro ran free in post-9/11 America for most of 10 years before the system caught up with him. In March, he began serving a sentence at the Tarrant County jail for DWI. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security
See ILLEGAL Page 12A

12 A

Tuesday, August 23. 2011

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

doltasnews.com

The Dallas Morning News

Illegal immigrant hid in plain sight jails


Continued from Page !A flagged him for special attention; Graciano-Navarro pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry after deportation, a federal charge sought against aliens who have re-entered the country illegally after previously being deported. "This guy was arrested over and over and over again," said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C. "Those are victims who shouldn't have been victims. ... Having these different penalties is one way to make it less attractive for people to comeback." Graciano-Navarro is a career criminal, but also a petty criminal. His only felony arrest, for armed robbery, appears to have never resulted in charges. Some say the tens of thousands of dollars or more and the time it takes for law enforcement officers to imprison criminals such as GracianoNavarro may not be worth itHe's now being held at a federal prison in Fort Worth pending sentencing. He and his attorney declined to comment

BY THE NUMBERS Deportations


Deportations of immigrants who committed crimes or traffic violations rose to new highs nationwide last year, totaling more than 195,000 people, The Associated Press reported recently. That's about half of the almost 393,000 illegal immigrants returned to their country of origin in fiscal year 2010.
LOCALLY BEHIND THE NUMBERS

The Dallas office, which covers the central region, encompassing 128 counties in North Texas plus Oklahoma, said 16,136 illegal immigrants were returned to their countries of origin last fiscal year, of which slightly more than half had criminal convictions. The overall number of deportees from the Dallas office was down from 19,190 in fiscal year 2009. but the share of criminal deportees that year was only about a third. criminal history, and whether that person has already been ordered deported. Before the Sept U, 2001, terrorist attacks, said Paul Zoltan, a Dallas-based immigration lawyer, "the link between the jails and DHS was pretty sloppy." "It was far more frequent that someone might finish a criminal sentence or pay off a ticket ... and go unnoticed by immigration officials," he said. After the terrorist attacks, immigration and law enforcement grew more aggressive about working together. Law enforcement agencies began to welcome more immigration officials inside jails. The porous old system worked for Graciano-Navarro for decades, even the years after 9/11 Zoltan called his case bizarre and said he'd never heard of one quite like it

Cart Rusnok. director of communications for the central region, said the increased number of criminal deportees was because "our priorities changed significantly to specifically target criminal aliens." A breakdown of deportees by crime is not available by region, but nationally the largest numbers of offenders were for drug-related crimes. Diane Jennings A criminal complaint filed against Graciano-Navarro for his illegal re-entry case details more than a dozen arrests in New Jersey, New York, California and Texas. It briefly notes there were at least 27 more between November 1970 and June 2006. In addition to numerous fines, his 36-year arrest history includes charges of theft and bribery, gambling, fraud, marijuana and cocaine possession, andDWIs. His sentences, at various times, included terms of two, eight, 10,55,69 and 91 days in jail. His probation was revoked once, and he was sentenced to two years in prison. Carl Rusnok, ICE spokesman in Dallas, confirmed that he was deported twice, the first time on Dec, 6,1995. Shawn Smith is the federal prosecutor in Graciano-N'avarro's illegal re-entry case. He would not comment on why Graciano-Navarro was deported because it is "not part of the public record in our case." But documents show that 11 months before he was deport-

ed, Graciano-Navarro was arrested for obtaining money by fraud/cards and conspiracy to commit a crime in Santa Barbara, Cali Federal authorities caught up with him again after he reentered the country, and Graciano-Navarro was deported a second time on Jan. 28,1998. He soon returned illegally, this time to North Texas. In 1999 in Grand Prairie, he was arrested and later pleaded guilty to theft In Arlington in 2004, he was arrested and convicted of marijuana posses-

Focus on violence?
In his major speech about comprehensive immigration reform in El Paso, Obama said the government is focusing on "Violent offenders and people convicted of crimes" and not "folks who are just looking to scrape together an income." And Rusnok said in an email that ICE "prioritizes efforts first on those serious criminal aliens." Where a criminal immigrant such as Graciano-Navarro falls on that scale may be open for debate. "They are missing the boat ... Why aren't they catching the big fish?" Zoltan asked They haven't figured out how to prioritize these prosecutions." But Aarti Kohli, director of immigration policy at the Warren Institute, said that some would question "whether we should be devoting our prosecutorial resources on someone like this who hasn't been convicted on any felonies.'* When asked if ICE overlooked Graciano-Navarro s case, Smith would not comment Rusnok said that until they dealt with Graciano-Navarro this year, ICE officials had not seen him since his last deportation in 1998.

Although Graciano-Navarro had been arrested in Tarrant County before, he may have not been detected by ICE. Rusnok said such cases depended "on the jail to forward to ICE its list of newry arrived foreignbom inmates," he said in an emaJl. But beginning in March, an ICE officer has been stationed at the Tarrant County jail, something more and more law enforcement agencies have been allowing since 9/11 These ICE officers identify detainees with criminal records and check their immigration statuses. Nine years after the terrorist attacks, Graciano-Navarro was arrested on a DW1 charge in Arlington. In April, he was serving a 20-day jail sentence

when ICE officials fingerprinted him. His long criminal history and prior deportations surfaced. Some jails still don't have an ICE officer keeping tabs on illegal aliens. At $87 a day, Graciano-Navarro has cost the system more than $8,100 since he went to a federal detention center. That's a drop in the bucket compared with untold dollars spent on past prosecution efforts and jail time from his decades of crime. He now faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for illegal re-entry at his sentencing scheduled for Oct. 28. It took years for the system to catch Graciano-Navarro. "He is one lucky guy" Zoltan said.

Dalworih,

ORIENTAL a AREA RUG

Evolving system
Illegal re-entry after deportation is the second most common charge in federal prosecutions thus far this fiscal year, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a research organization based at Syracuse University. There were about 20,000 prosecutions in 2008, during the Bush administration. Through May of this fiscal year, there had already been 24,577 prosecutions. Before the federal prosecutors take an illegal re-entry case, ICE checks an illegal immigrants deportation and

EVEIYIMV SAYS IT. WE GUARANTEE IT.

A petty criminal
Graciano-Navarro was admitted into the United States as a permanent resident in January 1968.

1-877-361-0188

THIS WEEKEND ONLY! August 26-27


Fri. 8-5 Sat 9-5
Showroom Only Sivingt!

Add a Dimmer Switch

r Any Electrical Repatf ^f or Inslollaiion

Exhausl Fans/Healers

LAKE HIGHLANDS

Relative pleads guilty in assault


Jury hears evidence, will weigh punishment for rape of 13-year-old
By LAURA C MOREL
Staff Writer lmorl@dllasnws.com

Man pleads guilty to sexual assault


Continued from Pag IB

The photographs tell the story of a 13-year-old sexual assault victim. Some show the duct tape in her hair. Others her fractured nose and reddened wrists. Another shows the girl with a bruised and swollen face framed by disheveled hair. Hourt before those photographs were SAMUit MONTANO taken by au- faces up to thorities, she life In prison was tied to a in the case. bed, her head was wrapped in duct tape and she was raped by a relative by marriage. He wore a ski mask during the attack. The only thing I thought was that I was going to die," the girl, now 16, told jurors Wednesday during the punishment trial of the 42-year-old man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting her. Dressed in a black suit with his feet shackled, Samuel Montano entered guilty pleas to two sexual assault charges on the day his trial was to begin. A jury of seven women and five men is hearing evidence
See MAN Page SB

But, she said, he told her be wsj in Laredo looking for work, Montano did not have a job in Dallas. But RogeJDnnl,aradio frequency engineer for ATM; testified that catt record* show Montana's location during the time of those phone conversaWhen the assault ended, tions. He was in Dallas. Montano untied the giriV ' When Kelly aked her about hands. She peeked through the her daughter? condition when . duct tape when he turned his . she firs* saw heu the girl'* back. She recognized him. Fc* mother began to crjt; * about four hours, h held her in "She was really bruised and the room, occasionally return- very beaten,* she said. ing to hit her; Miriam Hoifinan-Roach, a When he left, she ran out- registered nurse at Parkland* side and asked a neighbor for Memorial Hospital, where the help. girl was treated, said she also "Since this happened to me, had tenderness on her wrists I have not been able to sleep and lower abdominal pain. peacefully* she said through a "It was pretty shocking Spanish interpreter. For the when she first came in," Hoffpast two years, she has been in man-Roach said "The first therapy. thing I saw was that she had During her testimony, she duct tape in her hair.* never looked at Montano until William Rink, Montano's KeDy asked her to identify him defense attorney, told jurors as the man who assaulted her. during opening arguments 1 needforyoutopoint him that Montano wiO apologize out,* KeDy said. for the "terrible act* "It's him," she said through When the photos were tears, pointing a finger at him. shown to Montano, he put on "He rained my life. Because of his glasses and glanced at that, he has to pay* them. Tht DaUat Morning Naei He slumped in his chair and does not normally publish the looked down. names of sexual assault vicTestimony is to continue tims. Thursday morning.

before deciding his fat*. He faces up to life in prison. "I ask that you pay attention to this nightmare,* prosecutot Shequittas Kefly said during opening statements. On Feb. 26, 200% the girl returned to her Lake Highlands home from school and was about to turn on the television when a man dressed mafl black and westing a ski mask knocked her down. He pushed her against * wall, fracturing her nose, Mon tano then placed his knee ott her back M she lay helplessly on the floor of her mothers apartment in the Sorters Palms complex oa Royal Lane> H* covered her face with cfoct tape, tied her wrists and ankles sod

Her mothers name is also being withheld to avoid indirectly identifying the girl Sheknew her daughter had been attacked, but didn't believe her when she said her assailant was the relative The mother cried on the stand Wednesday when she learned for the first time that he had changed his plea to gufltji On the stand, the mother told the jury that she cafled the man after the assault happened because**! didn't have anyone
tO uCIDlQAb'

The Miami Herald Local & State Front cover July 6,2010

MIAMI

at stop in
1 A motorist was fatally shot Monday by a Miami police officer who had pulled him over for a traffic stop. Police did not say why the man was shot.
' BY LAURA C. MOREL
lmorel@MiamiHerald.com

A Miami police officer opened fire on a motorist Monday during a midday traffic stop on an Overtown street, killing the man. It is not known why the officer opened fire or why he made the traffic stop. Police gave out little information. The case is under investigation, said Detective Willie Moreno, a police spokesman. He added that "details are scarce, due to preliminary stages of the investigation." This much is known: Two officers in a squad car pulled over the motorist in the 1600 block of Northwest Third Avenue around 11:30 aan., Moreno said. ( Miami Herald news partner CBS-4 identified the man as Decarlos Moore, 36, of Miami Moore, who has a prison record^ got out of the car and was shot A family member said he was shot in the head. Police did not name the officer who tired his weapon. Witnesses who heard the shooting say Moore was sprawled, bleeding on the rain-slicked pavement. He was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he later died. "He was still breathing," said Antwone McKnight, 34, "He lost a lot of blood waiting for the ambulance to come." The call came into Miami Fire-Rescue at 11:36 ajn., a unit was dispatched at 11:37 and arrived at the scene at 1L40 a.m^ said
TURN TO SHOOTING, 48

Officer kills man during traffic stop in Overtowii


SHOOTING, KKOM IB

<
NJ

n o
n PL.

Ignatius Carroll, are-rescue spokesman. The ambulance arrived at Jackson at 11:50 a.m., Carroll said. Witnesses at the nearby 3rd Ave. Supermarket & Restaurant caine out when they heard the shooting. McKnight said he saw the officer clutch his head with both hands and pace back and forth.
HEARD GUNSHOT

Mohammed Dames, 36, owner of 3rd Ave. Supermarket & Restaurant, said he heard u single gunshot and ran outside. He saw Moore on the sidewalk, blood coming from his mouth. He started screaming for help. "It looked like a faucet coming out of his mouth," Dames said. "I've never seen crap like that." His store was shut down for four hours because the shooting took place a few feet from his door. Dames said Moore was a regular at the store. He came by about two times a week and ordered a breakfast sandwich and sometimes cigarettes. Moore's sister, Katrina Moore, said the bullet entered and exited her brother's head. "He was a good person," she said. "He loved life." District 5 Commissioner Richard P. Dunn was at the store talking to people about the shooting. "We've got to put something in place to make sure this doesn't happen again," he said. "It's unfortunate, cot good, not good for our city." By midafternoon, a tow

PHOTOS UV MARICE COHN BAND/MIAMI HlBALUSIAl F

truck arrived to take away the car, a white 2002 Honda Accord registered to -Qfelyah Jaclsson of Miami. It had a white and purple garland of silk flowers dangling from the rearview mirror.
TWO PRISON TERMS

Moore had served two prison terms 14 years for a 1989 second-degree murder charge and 10 months for sale and trafficking in cocaine. He got out of prison in November 2007. Police said the investigation is continuing.

SHOOTING: Decarlos Moore was shot and killed Monday by a police officer near the 3rd Ave. Supermarket & Restaurant, 1649 NW Third Ave., in Miami. Store owner Mohammed Dames, left, said Moore was a regular customer.

$1.00

Dallas, Texas, Monday, July 25, aon

GRAND PRAIRIE SHOOTING


: ' ' . *

iinm
Witnesses describe rampage that left 6 dead at roller rink
By LAURA C MOREL. AVI SELK and TANYA EISERER
Staff Wrftf

GRAND PRAIRIE only thing that seemed suspicious about Tan Do on Saturday night i that he waa calm. Too calm. Even after the 35-year-old pulled a ,40-caliber semiautomade pistol from his waistband and started firing first killing his wife, and then four of her family members witnffffg said his fece seemed placid, hit movements, methodical "He pointed the gun at TRINIOO me, but he described didn't shoot violence in me," said a her marriage. woman, who hod filed for asked that her divorc*. name not be used. "He knew spetificalht who he wanted to kill Ht didn't shoot at random. He came with a mission.* Do killed five people and. wounded four others before committing suicide. Saturday night during his son's Htb birthday party at Forum Roller World in Grand Prairie. Yellow caution tape littered the pavement and stuffed animals flanked the doorway of the business Sunday morning as police continued to survey the crime scene. A baby carriage, birthday presents and a pink balloon could be seen through a window.
Sony* N. Hubert/Staff Photograph*

Gunman was eerily calm, on 'mission,' witnesses say


Continued from PaotlA

mopped off the floor and the business reopened, with young couples rollerskating under spinning lights. JareUe Joseph, an 18-year-old employee, returned to the rink Sunday to -.earch for ha skates. He was confronted by the memory of* carnage from the night before. He mid there was no warning before Do pulled a gun tucked in the back of his pants and shot hia wife and another man. J<jseph fled, skating out the back Joor and into the bushes. He heard more shots, followed by ^creams. One person yelled, "Why are you doing this?* Joseph said he later saw a man crawl outside into the parking lot coughing blood. There WM blood everywhere, bodies. It was just shocking,' be said. Tnerere dead bodies right ID front of me.' Witnesses said the party started about 5:30 p.m. A chocolate cake with blue and white icing had been cut, but presents were till unopened. Do had decorated the party himself Children wobbled their way around the skating rink. Aduits sat clustered at tables near the snack ^sri chatting pleasantly. Police and family friends said Do and his wife, Thai, had a history of marital problems, but she had recently decided to stick it out for the sake of their children Paul, the 11-year-old birthday boy, and a 3-year-old girl Tan Do pleaded guilty to a 1994 burglary of a residence and was sentenced to two years' probation and $166 court costs. In 1999 in Arlington, he pleaded no contest to assaulting a family member and was sentenced to 12 months' probation and assessed MO in court costs. Trini Do, 29, worked at the University of Texas at Arlington, managing financial records, as did her 28year-old sister, Michelle Ta, one of the victims. Other victims included Trim's two other siblings, 16-year-oid Lynn Ta and 21-year-old Him la. A sister-in-law; Thuy Nguyen, 25, also was killed. Friends said Trini was close to her family, especially Michelle. During frequent violent arguments with her husband, Irini sought refuge in her sisters home. In December 2010, Irini took her children, fled her house and obtained a restraining order against her husband, which she later had removed. In an djfidavit, she described in broken English how her 10-year marriage to Tan dissolved into violence and tmor, foreshadowing Saturdays massacre: 'I wanted to get a divorce but he refused and he dragged me into the closet, pull his gun and shoot one to

"He put a pillow over my face imd try to pull the gun and shoot me,' she wrote. "1 was so scared and beg him please not too [sic] and promts* everything will be the same and I won't report his [sic] to the police." But witnesses saw no .sign of that friction at Saturday night's party. In fact, some described Tan Do as peaceful friends and family members said the (unity was focused on the event at hud Ate Tiflotson, who was the disc jockey at the party, remembered asking Paul, the 11-year-old boy, what he wanted to be when he grew up. "A pharmacist,' he answered. EvSony* N. Hbrt/Staff Photoeraptw erybody clapped. Watt Hedrlck, owner at Forum Roller World, talked with reporters As the party wrapped up, f illotson Sunday morning. By 2 p.m., the rink was back open for business. saw Tan Do and his son playing a video game, while Trini Do and her siblings stood around some nearby tablet. Tillotson walked outside to empty a garbage can. When he returned, Tan Do had bis gun drawn. He shot his wife first, then walked down the tables methodically shooting his in-laws. When his victims were on the ground, Do fired again into each of their bodies. Witnesses said he walked around the room, moving the gun around, pointing it at different people, but only shooting his wile's family. Emily Nguyen, 13, was at the birthday the first time she had ever been skating. When Do began to shoot, she crawled for cover. Sonya N. Hatoart/Stalf Photograph Do told everyone to lie down. A JarH Joseph an employee of Forum Roller World, searched Sunday woman grabbed EmUy so hard she for the skates he left behind after he fled the rampage. had scratches on her left arm. "I was right there," Emily said. 'It was the first time I was hearing a gunshot my whole life" Her brother, Kevin, U, .said the gunshots sounded like 'balloons popping.' Most of the children took cover behind the skate counter. Witnesses said that at one point, Tan Do jumped on top of the counter, searching tor his son amid the children. But the boy had fled outside to safety. As he hid in an office, Tillotson saw a man fall on his knees and beg for his life. Do spared him. At one point, his 3-year-old daughter stood up and said, "Don't shoot me. Dad Don't shoot me. Dad. Lara Sort/staff Photograpnar I love you.' Two angea*flank the entryway to the home of Tan Do, who shot and Surrounded by chaos and carnage, killed six people including himself, at Forum Roller World. 'Do Do held the gun to his head minutes before a SWAT team arrived He the anting and threaten me thai he up at the house, he will shoot them. I said, "See, I told you so," and pulled would shoot himself if I'm leaving was so scared* the trigger. him.Stttf wnttn Scoff FifVftH Lor She filed for a divorce in 2008, dis1 Trim wrote that several months af- missed the petition about six month* Stahl ara fHchara At>ih,rt contrituttO ter the first incident, her husband later, and then considered a divorce rotfus report 'dragged me into the kitchen and in 2010. s. com. slam me into his knee.... He was so In court records, Trini said her s com; upset and went inside the room and husband exploded when she brought gets all the guns out if anyone show up the topic last year.

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen