“How I Am Going to Keep My Wife Safe?”
Last Thursday evening, District 11 Councilmember Lee Kleinman, District 13 Councilwoman Jennifer Gates, and representatives from the Dallas Police department held a virtual call-in community meeting to discuss the Memorial Day murder of Preston Royal resident Leslie Baker.
The hour-long meeting had originally been planned for Friday at 1 p.m., but was changed because Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson called an emergency city council meeting to address the demonstrations and riots that shook our city after the murder of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, who died when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest.
DPD officers offered the 175 residents on the call the following information most have been asking about the Baker murder:
Baker Tried to Drive Away From Her Attackers
Baker, a white female with a Mercedes-Benz, drove alone to her home that Memorial Day Monday from a friend’s house, pulled into her driveway, and was met by multiple assailants emerging from a gray Nissan Sentra. Police believe, from the way her vehicle was placed, the assailants approached her car. Baker apparently tried to back away and escape, and assailants shot her six times (per Maj. Danny Williams). From a neighbor’s Ring camera recording, I heard nine shots total. The shooting took place at approximately 4:58 p.m. on May 25.
With Ring doorbell videos provided by neighbors, other shooting “deadly conduct” incidents in Southern Dallas, Arlington, and Richardson involving these suspects, plus shell casings, police were able to make an arrest of a juvenile on May 27, two days later. Dallas officers chased a Mercedes car-jacked the night after the murder in Richardson, and eventually found the suspect and two others hiding in a shed on Deerwood Drive in Red Bird. Police reported they recovered two handguns, including the murder weapon. The suspect is being held in jail on capital murder charges, name withheld.
Williams said the suspects live-streamed the car chase on social media, in the stolen Mercedes. The suspects were later arrested in Southern Dallas.
No Connection to Gunshots Fired Four Years Ago
Residents asked about the random gunshots fired at Baker four years ago when she was jogging, and police said there is no connection at this time.
Residents asked about the odds of prosecuting the juvenile(s) as adults and were told the Dallas County District Attorney makes that determination.
Residents asked about prior arrests records for the juvenile suspects, or any knowledge about drug use records, but as they were underage, police provided no answers.
The immediate neighborhood of the Baker house is now trying to put together an ENP — expanded private neighborhood patrol program — to beef up security. A few years ago the same neighborhood attempted to create a patrol, but it did not gel.
Dueling Violent Crime Statistics
While police say violent crime in the neighborhood has decreased over the past few years, crime at the nearby shopping center has increased, including an assault at the 7-Eleven and a store robbery in the northwest shopping center.
It was noted by Major Danny Williams that the back driver’s window of Ms. Baker’s car had been shot out. Other DPD officials who asked to remain anonymous told me that a patrol car located at Preston Royal was first on the scene and observed Baker’s last breath, as the slugs travelled through her breast to her heart.
“Ms. Baker put up a fight and tried to leave the situation,” said Maj. Williams. “This was a car-jacking. Every person has to make their own determination, but if someone wants your property, let them have it.”
Rick Watson, assistant Chief North Central Police Division, told residents not to hesitate to call 911.
Gang Association Not Evident
When asked if the juveniles could be part of a gang, police said the usual signs were not evident and none of the suspects’ names were in a gang database. While one has been charged with capital murder, the others (no number of assailants was provided) have an assortment of charges still being filed.
Many questions were asked about the incident, but the discussion centered on what every resident in the Preston Royal neighborhood is wondering:
“I just want to know,” said one resident, “how I am going to keep my wife safe in this neighborhood.”
