A Crime Spree, a Murder Warrant and Hundreds of Gunfire Reports: Dallas' New Year's Crime Roundup

Over the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, many people had time off to be with, or hide from, friends and family. But the cops and criminals didn't take the season off. Here are a few crimes that you may have missed during the holidays.

Bite-and-Run Dog Attack: Late in the afternoon on Dec. 28, a pit bull attacked an 8-year-old kid in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Trinity Mills Road in North Dallas. The dog broke away from its owner during its walk and bit the playing child on the side of their face. The child needed stitches. Police describe the owner as a 20- to 30-year-old white or Latino male. Neither the owner, nor the black and white dog have been found or identified.

One Year Later, Police Issue Warrant in Marisol Espinosa Murder: A little over a year ago, Marisol Espinosa moved in with her ex-boyfriend Faustino Valdez after the house she shared with her mother and children burned down. Two weeks later on Dec. 29, 2015, Espinosa went missing. Searchers looking through the Trinity Forest for dumped dog bodies found Espinosa's remains on March 6.

Last week, exactly a year after the disappearance, Dallas police issued a warrant for Valdez, who is believed to have fled to Mexico following the discovery of Espinosa's body. Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to Valdez' capture.
"An End to a Crime Spree": After responding a robbery call on Dec. 28, Dallas police began searching for suspects in the 200 block of North Henderson Avenue. Within minutes, police say, they spotted a car described by the robbery victims to belong to the suspect. After police tried to stop the car, which was carjacked in South Dallas earlier in the day, Mario Rodriguez, the alleged driver of the car, repeatedly rammed a police vehicle in order to get away. He and his alleged accomplice ditched the car a short time later and fled on foot.

Police eventually arrested Rodriguez as he walked to a gas station. Adrean Buckaloo, the woman riding with Rodriguez, was spotted from a police helicopter hiding under a car and was arrested. According to police, a search of the carjacked vehicle turned up items linking the pair to multiple crimes committed in the same South Dallas neighborhood during the preceding 24 hour period.

Elderly Couple Attacked in Southeast Oak Cliff: A little before noon on New Year's Day, police conducted a welfare check at 1614 East Redbird Lane. When they got inside the house, officers found Choyce Moon, 83, dead and Moon's wife, Mae Moon, badly injured. Police are not releasing the causes of either of the Moons' injuries — Mae Moon is still in the hospital — but say they are currently looking for a "known suspect" in the murder.

What Goes Up Must Come Down and Down and Down and Down and Down and Down — Between 10 p.m. on New Year's Eve and 2 a.m. on New Year's Day, Dallas police received 711 calls reporting random gunfire and 282 calls reporting illegal fireworks. Sixteen people were arrested during the same time period for driving while intoxicated. Celebratory gunfire is a class A misdemeanor, something worth keeping in mind if the Cowboys advance in the playoffs.