Gables Park 17 Murder: Resident Says Security Lax at Luxury Apartment Building

Update 4:44 pm: we have reached Michael Shaun Jackson and will be speaking with him directly. He tells me he IS a current resident at Gables Park 17, but plans to move out at month’s end.

Michael Shaun Jackson, a former resident of the Gables Park 17, says security is lax at the building where Dr. Kendra Hatcher was murdered Wednesday. Hatcher, a dentist with an office in Colleyville, lived in the luxury apartment building across from the Perot Museum of Nature & Science where units run from $2,000 a month and up.

Jackson’s apartment was burglarized on July 13 of this year. Since then there have been two more burglaries in the 17-story apartment high-rise at 1700 Cedar Springs, one on Aug. 3 and another on Aug. 16. In addition to these three burglaries, another 20 incidents occurred at the location between July 13, 2014 and today, including one assault and the murder of Dr. Hatcher.

Dallas police identified Dr. Hatcher as the victim on Thursday and released photos and a description of the “vehicle of interest” in the slaying from footage that appears to have come from security cameras in the building.

Police say Hatcher pulled into the parking garage of the Gables Park 17 on Cedar Springs Road Wednesday evening.  Her dental office is listed in Colleyville.

“Sometime prior to her arrival, a vehicle of interest described as an older model Jeep Cherokee with damaged or faded paint on the hood and displaying a paper buyer tag, pulled into that garage — following another vehicle through the gate.”

Or piggy-backing another car, say police. They are seeking the community’s help in tracking down the car and driver. Apparently the shooter got out of his car and approached Hatcher as she parked her car in the unit’s garage.

We contacted Gables Residential rep Gigi Giannoni for comment on the building’s security.

“It might be prudent to wait until the police conclude their investigation before you jump to any conclusions based on the thoughts of one resident,” Giannoni said. We asked for more detailed comment on the building’s security, only to be met with this:

Uhhhhh… really? A woman has been murdered in a building in which a former resident alleges poor security, and we get the equivalent of “Bless your heart”? We pressed for more comment from officials at Gables Residential, and got this from Giannoni:

“My response is that in reference to the tragedy, we have been in direct communication with our residents.  We have no other comment as this is still an open investigation. We have no comment on any other issues you are referencing.”