Dallas PD, Fire-Rescue Call Off Search For Suspect Who Dived Into the Trinity River

By Robert Wilonsky Mon., Jan. 9 2012 at 5:32 PM

Categories: Crime, Trinity River Project

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A little while ago reports began to circulate that Dallas Police and Dallas Fire-Rescue were searching the Trinity River for a car thief who ditched out of his stolen ride and took a dive into the rain-swollen river. That search is over, despite the fact authorities have yet to find the man. Moments ago, this dispatch was sent to media by Senior Corporal Kevin Janse of the DPD:

Today at 2:40 p.m., officers responded to a burglary of a motor vehicle, in-progress call, at 1000 E. Colorado at Eads. When they arrived they observed a Latin male in his mid-20s getting into a grey pick-up truck. When the officers attempted to perform a traffic stop to question him, he fled along the Trinity River Viaduct at a high rate of speed. Officers did not pursue him but merely followed the tire tracks along the viaduct until they found the truck abandoned. The officers saw the suspect near the waters edge. When the suspect saw the officers, he jumped in.

Officers attempted to reach the suspect with his baton and branches in an attempt to pull him out but the suspect refused to grab them. One officer was taking his gun belt off in anticipation of entering the river to pull the suspect to safety when the suspect pushed away and went under the water. He did not come back up after he went under the first time. Dallas Fire and Rescue was called to perform a swift water rescue but were unable to locate the suspect.

After an extensive search of the river, DFR discontinued the search, feeling the suspect was no longer in the water. Officers are still trying to determine who the truck belongs to that the suspect was in. There is no further information at this time and no sound will be given.

Moments later, Dallas Fire-Rescue followed with its own account:

DALLAS FIRE RESCUE's water rescue team searched the water from the reported point of entry going South approximately 1/4 mile past the Corinth Street Bridge and did not find the suspect. That, coupled with the speed of the river's current, gives us no reason to believe that the suspect couldn't have gotten out. Therefore we have called off our search.

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