Dallas police arrested a man Saturday night in connection with the death of a boy who was found with multiple injuries that same day in the Mountain Creek neighborhood.
Officers were called to the area near the intersection of Saddleridge Drive and Wood Homestead Drive where the boy’s body was found, said Deputy Executive Director Albert Martinez.
Police believe the boy was killed around 5:30 am His identity has not been released, but police said he was 4 years old. Investigators believe he lived in the community.
Martinez did not provide details on how the boy was killed, but said police believe a “sharp weapon” was used.
Police said the man’s name would not be released until he was booked into the Dallas County Jail.
“Unfortunately, a small child was lost today in our city through a violent act and we will seek justice to find who did this and bring some kind of closure, not only to the family but to the community,” Martinez said. “We are shocked, we are very angry about what happened to this little boy.”
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Martínez described the circumstances as “unusual” but did not provide additional information.
Antwainese Square, who lives in the neighborhood, said he went out for a morning walk around 6:40 a.m. when he saw what he thought was a dog on the street. As he got closer, he could tell he was looking at a body and called 911.
“The baby had no shoes, he had no shirt, and he was laying there,” Square said.
Square, a mother of three and an educator, said she no longer feels safe in the neighborhood. “For a child to have to go through that, it’s just disturbing, and it’s disturbing for me to carry around all day,” he said.
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Units of the Dallas Police Department, including child abuse and homicide, are investigating, and the FBI’s crime scene unit has been called in to help.
Police searched the area Saturday, knocking on doors and interviewing potential witnesses. Toronda Alford said they did not listen until police arrived at their door around 7:30 a.m. Saturday.
Alford has lived in the neighborhood for 11 years.
“We still play in the street. We still ride our bikes. On any given day, you will see about 10, 11 children in the middle of the street playing soccer,” he said. “For that magnitude, especially a child of that age that we do not know who the parents are is scary. I let my grandchildren go out to play.”
Dallas police released the following statement Saturday night: “Through the hard work of the men and women of the Dallas Police Department, this criminal was brought to justice and it would not have been possible without the Dallas Police Response Team. Dallas FBI Evidence and Public Assistance”.