FORT WORTH — KTVT/Channel 11 was reporting Monday that a 78-year-old man who was named in a Silver Alert has been found dead.

Victorina Rodriguez sat in her living room Monday, crying as she flipped through photos of her husband, Luis Martinez, the station reported.

Now the grieving woman is demanding answers from the nursing home facility where her husband went missing a week ago. Martinez’s son discovered his father’s decomposed body near a creek at a park just four blocks from the nursing home facility where he lived, Channel 11 reported.

On July 8, Fort Worth Police released a Silver Alert for Martinez, who was last seen at 2:30 a.m. at Estates Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Fort Worth, where he had been living for two months, according to Rodriguez.

Police believed Martinez was in grave danger because he had Alzheimer’s disease and needed a cane to walk.

Speaking in only Spanish, Rodriguez asked administrators at the facility how it was possible for Martinez to have left the building without anyone seeing him, the station reported.

He was supposed to be wearing an ankle monitor that beeps if he leaves the building. She also asked employees where they had searched, knowing Martinez needed a cane to walk and couldn’t have gotten very far.

Rodriguez said employees told her that they were searching for him.

But by then, Martinez’ family had begun their own search.

Now she says, had she known this could happen, she would have never left her husband in their care.

For seven days, Rodriguez and Martinez’s children searched for him. One week after the Silver Alert was issued, as family members searched nearby Hallmark Park, Martinez’s son found the body of his decomposing father, Rodriguez said.

Now she blames Estates Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center for his death, saying they were negligent in his care.

Fort Worth Police are investigating the incident. A spokesman for the police department said Monday evening that they had no information other than a deceased man had been found. The spokesman said the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office would make a positive identification.

— Staff reports

FORT WORTH - A 48-year-old man suspected in more than a dozen robberies in Fort Worth and surrounding cities was arrested Tuesday in connection with an Arlington bank robbery.

Terry S. Wilcox was arrested by Fort Worth police and booked into federal custody on the bank robbery charge.

He is believed responsible for up to 13 other robberies, several of them in west Fort Worth and the White Settlement area.

Police say while Wilcox is believed to have robbed two banks, police suspect he mostly targeted small business, many located in strip centers. He displayed a gun during the robberies, they say.

Fort Worth police said Tuesday that robbery detectives from the involved cities are preparing their cases to seek state charges.

- Deanna Boyd

GRAPEVINE _ Police appealed for help to identify a man posing as a customer who stole more than $15,000 out of a safe from a convenience store in May.
Investigators released photographs of the man which were taken by store surveillance cameras during the May 24 theft.
 The cash was stolen about 9 a.m. on May 24 at a Shell station, 1221 east Texas 114.
The man walked into the store, went to the back of it near the bathrooms and forced his way through a locked office door, police said. Once inside the office, the man found a safe that wasn’t locked and took the cash.
He then walked out of the store, got into a 1999 or 2001 white two-door Toyota Solara and drove away.
Anyone with information should call police at 817-410-3623.
_ Domingo Ramirez Jr.

Police are still on the hunt for the man behind the June 5 robbery of the Pinnacle Bank at 9282 Benbrook Blvd. 

On Wednesday, Benbrook police released a composite of the robber in hopes of getting him identified. 

Police have said the man entered the bank at 12:28 p.m. and handed the teller a demand note. 

He then fled the bank on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash and was last seen walking west toward a nearby apartment complex.

Anyone with information about the man's identity is asked to call police at 817-249-1610.

- Deanna Boyd

Paramedics and police have located a person with a snake bite in East Fort Worth near Gateway Park, according to MedStar.

Paramedics and a police helicopter were searching for the victim just after 4 p.m. about three blocks east of Goddard and Haltom roads.

By 4:15 p.m., the victim had been located and was stable, a MedStar official said.

- Alex Branch

FORT WORTH — A man using a note robbed a BBVA Compass Bank Wednesday and escaped with an undetermined amount of money, police said.

According to a news release, a man walked into the bank in the 5700 block of Camp Bowie Boulevard about 3:15 p.m., demanded money using a note and left with an undisclosed amount of money. No one was injured.

The robber was described as a black male in his 20s with a thin, muscular build. He was wearing a blue ball cap with an "A" on the front, dark sunglasses, a white t-shirt over a white tank top, military camouflage pants and boots.

The suspect vehicle was described as a gray sedan with no license plates.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 817-469-TIPS (8477) or robbery detective Baggott at 817-392-4372.

— Marty Sabota

HALTOM CITY — A police pursuit that began in Haltom City ended with the arrest Wednesday of a man suspected of shooting at Azle police the night before.

Cpl. Joe Hackfeld, a Haltom City police spokesman, said officers searching for the suspect in the police shooting came across a suspect vehicle Wednesday night and a chase ensued. One report on an area scanner-listening site said the vehicle hit speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Hackfeld said the 2001 Jeep Cherokee "crashed into a patrol car and a citizen’s car" before it pulled into a driveway in Azle.

The man and a woman were taken into custody without incident.

— Marty Sabota

GRAPEVINE — Firefighters were battling a fire in a wooded area near Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Thursday afternoon.

The fire started around 5 p.m. near Highway 121 and Mustang Drive in Grapevine.

The southbound service road along the highway was closed as crews worked to extinguish the blaze. The main lanes were not affected.

Fire Capt. Craig Reed, assistant fire marshal, said firefighters were hampered by the heat and difficulty in reaching the fire.

"We were able to reach some parts with hoses and then we had to walk to other parts," he said, adding that they were using shovels and rakes.

He said the cause was unknown, but there was no reason to suspect arson was involved.

About 2,400 electricity customers were affected, according to Kris Spears, an Oncor spokesman. He said power had been restored to about 75 percent of those customers by 8 p.m.

"The fire damaged just one pole," he said.

Spears said crews, which had to be careful because of downed power lines, were working safely to restore power as quickly as possible.

— Marty Sabota

DALLAS — A 3-year-old boy who apparently had been left in a van at a day care center died Friday.

According to police, an emergency medical call came in about 5 p.m. regarding a child in a van at a day care located in the 2200 block of South Buckner Boulevard.

The boy was transported to Baylor Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police are investigating the death.

— Marty Sabota

Wet roadways Friday evening could be the cause of a Weatherford crash that killed an 80-year-old woman.

Virginia Hearne, of Henderson, died at 6:44 p.m. from injuries received in a three vehicle collision on a rural roadway, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner.

Lonny Haschel, Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman, said patrol troopers were called to the scene at 6:18 p.m. in the 2700 block of Farm Road 920. 

An investigation revealed that a 2005 Ford F150 pickup was traveling south on FM 920 when it hydroplaned, Haschel said.

The driver lost control of the truck, veered into the northbound land, slid sideways and collided with a northbound 2005 Chevrolet Suburban. The Suburban was then struck by a 2002 Nissan, which was driving behind the Suburban, Haschel said. 

Hearne was a passenger in the Suburban. The driver and another passenger in the Suburban were taken to a Fort Worth hospital in stable condition, Haschel said. 

The driver of the truck and two adult passengers were taken to a Fort Worth hospital in stable condition. A fourth passenger in the truck, a 10-year-old, was taken to a Fort Worth hospital in critical condition, Haschel said.

The driver of the Nissan was not seriously injured but a 10-year-old passenger in that vehicle was taken to a Fort Worth hospital in stable condition, Haschel said.

Seat belts were worn by everyone, Haschel said. 

Haschel said the driver of the truck is accused of driving without a license and an open container violation. The crash remains under investigation.

-Susan McFarland

FORT WORTH _ A man armed with a rifle robbed another man cleaning a Sonic of an undisclosed amount of money and then stole a cell phone and keys from a woman sitting in her car in the fast-food restaurant parking lot, police said Tuesday.
No injuries were reported.
The holdup happened shortly before 2:30 a.m. Monday at the Sonic, 7107 Boat Club Road.
A man told police that he was cleaning the business for the night when he walked outside and was approached by the gunman, police said.
After getting money from the worker, the gunman walked over to the woman and took her phone and car keys, police said.
The suspect then fled the scene.
_ Domingo Ramirez Jr.

In its continued fight for more officers, the Fort Worth Police Officers Association is hoping a week's worth of crime numbers gets their message across. 

On its Facebook page Wednesday, the association posted a picture of a Fort Worth police badge alongside a breakdown of the number of reports the department received for nine crimes between July 9 and 16. The crimes included in the breakdown included assaults with injuries (123), aggravated sexual assaults (6), and kidnappings (2).

Under the numbers, the post states "with no new police officers added."

This summer, the department began requiring detectives to work one week of patrol to address a shortage of patrol officers and a rise in response times.

Stephen Hall, president of the association, had called the chief's plans a "Band-Aid fix" and said that to address the real problem, the city needs to authorize the hiring of new officers.

- Deanna Boyd

An ex-con who doused his estranged wife' car with gasoline and set it on fire was sentenced to 40 years in prison Thursday, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney's office.

Roy Robertson Mallard jr. and his wife had a tumultuous relationship, court testimony showed. She left him several times and had sought protection at shelters.

In fall 2010, she was living in her own home in the 3800 block of Clark Avenue when Mallard began threatening her again, according to the district attorney's office. Mallard left her threatening messages and was arrested outside her home.

In one message, he said "I'm fixin to set that b---- on fire, you got that," a news release said.

Prosecutors presented evidence that on Sept. 14, 2010 Mallard doused the driver's seat of her car with gasoline and set it on fire, the release said. His wife and children were sleeping.

Prosecutors showed that Mallard had eight prior felony convictions, including two robberies and six drug convictions.

He must serve 20 years before he is eligible for parole.

--Alex Branch

DALLAS — A day care van driver was arrested Thursday following the death of a child who was left in a van outside a day care center last week.

Three-year-old Benjamin Price was found July 20 in a van at Little T’s Tiny Tots day care in the 2200 block of South Buckner Boulevard. He was taken to Baylor Hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

According to police, the child had been on a field trip to see a movie with the other children at the day care. 

"It is believed the child may have been in the van for 2 to 2 ½ hours before it being discovered that he had not exited the van with the other children when they returned from the field trip," according to a police news release.

Temperatures hit triple digits that day.

Police said Erica Hooks was arrested for injury to a child. More details will be released soon, police said.

— Marty Sabota

FORT WORTH — An unidentified man was killed when he was struck by a train Friday evening, officials said.

The accident occurred near Meacham Boulevard and North Main Street shortly before 8 p.m., according to a police report.

A representative from the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office was at the scene late Friday.

A Fort Worth police spokesman said BNSF would be the contact on the accident because it did not occur on the roadway.

—Marty Sabota

One week after a Lancaster police officer on his way home from work was killed by a suspected drunken driver, an on-duty Waxahachie officer has died after a crash in which alcohol is believed to have been a factor.

Waxahachie officer Josh Williams, an Arlington resident, died early Saturday in a two-vehicle accident that happened as he was responding to a disturbance at a fast food restaurant, the city said in a news release. Williams' patrol car was struck on the passenger side by an SUV that was being driven without its headlights on.

Williams, 44, a 17-year veteran of the department, was transported to Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie, where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the other vehicle was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas and remained in custody this morning.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the accident, the city said. 

Williams is survived by his wife and three children.

“Josh was very well known and well liked in our community," Police Chief Chuck Edge said in a statement. "He was a great guy and a great officer. His death is a tremendous loss for the Waxahachie Police Department and the community."

Lancaster police officer Dustin Dodson, 25, died July 21 after a crash on U.S. 67 near Venus. Like Williams, he left behind a wife and three children.

Ricardo Espinoza, 22, of Alvarado was arrested the same day in connection with the crash.

-Patrick M. Walker

FORT WORTH _ A boy suffered serious injuries Sunday night when he was pulled out of an apartment complex swimming pool, a fire official said.
The 4-year-old boy who was not identified by authorities was taken to Cook Children’s Medical Center. His condition was unavailable.
Emergency crews responded to the call of a possible drowning shortly before 8:30 p.m. in the 2800 block of Las Vegas Trail at the Warwick Apartments.
Adults at the scene told emergency crews that the boy had been pulled out of the pool before paramedics arrived, said Battalion Fire Chief Richard Harrison on Sunday.
Paramedics administered cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on the child before he was taken to the hospital.
No other details on the incident were released Sunday night.
_ Domingo Ramirez Jr.

FORT WORTH _ A thief is making it hard for a homeowner to herd some goats.
On Sunday, the 33-year-old homeowner reported to police that someone took his 50-pound white male goat from a grassy field at his home in the 2500 block of Mitchell Boulevard.
The value of the cud-chewing mammal: $100.
The homeowner told police that someone took the four-month-old goat sometime between 8 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday from his four-acre field.
The homeowner noted to police that it was the second goat that had been stolen in less than a week.
According to a police report, the homeowner said that someone took that goat and killed it sometime between 8 p.m. July 24 and 8 a.m. July 25. Blood and remains were found, but the goat’s carcass was missing, the report stated.
Police had no suspects or witnesses in the case.
_ Domingo Ramirez Jr.

  Authorities are seeking the public's help in identifying a homicide victim found dead last week in a wooded area of Ellis County.
  Two joggers discovered the woman's body around 11 a.m. on July 23 in a wooded area near the 1400 block of Black Champ Road, said Lt. James Saulter with the Ellis County Sheriff's Office. 
  Investigators believe the victim had been killed elsewhere, then dumped at the location.
  On Monday, sheriff's officials released an artist's rendition of the woman, along with pictures of tattoos found on her body.
  The woman is described as 5-foot-4-inches tall, 115 pounds and believed to be of African-American heritage. She was wearing a black or dark gray tank top, blue jean shorts and white Nike tennis shoes with purple shoe laces.
  It is believed she may have disappeared on or after the early afternoon of July 17.
  Investigators have scoured missing person reports from other agencies but have been unable to identify the woman. A preliminary investigation, however, does point to a connection with Dallas, authorities say.
  Anyone with information about the woman is asked to contact Investigator Joe Fitzgerald at 972-825-4928.

- Deanna Boyd

FORT WORTH — No one was injured Monday night when David’s Bridal in the 4400 block of Hulen Park Drive South was held up, a bridal shop spokeswoman said.

According to police, a gunman came into the shop about 8:50 p.m.

Charly Rok, a company spokeswoman, said an undetermined amount of money was taken from two registers.

She said company policy dictates that employees do not confront a robber "and they did the right thing."

— Marty Sabota