Crime Wave

Police arrest person of interest in 9 South Dallas rapes

UPDATE: On September 12, Dallas police released a statement that Alan Mason is no longer a person of interest in this case. Another man, Van Dixon, was arrested September 10 after DNA evidence tied him to several of the sexual assaults.

Just two days after revealing to the public that a serial rapist was on the loose in South Dallas, police have taken "a person of interest" into custody. Alan Mason, a 29-year-old black male, is being questioned in connection with the crimes at Dallas Police headquarters.

No related charges are pending at this time, and Mason is said to be fully cooperating with the investigation. He was booked into Lew Sterrett jail at 9 am September 6 and is being held without bond.

After receiving an anonymous tip, police sent out an alert for Mason around midnight on September 6. He was taken into custody three hours later in the 2500 block of Summer Tree Circle in Arlington. At 5-foot 10-inches and 185 pounds, Mason fits the description of the alleged attacker. He also drives a 2001 silver Honda like the one believed to be used as a getaway car from several of the sexual assaults.

Mason was arrested without incident for outstanding warrants in McKinney and Mesquite.

Since announcing that seven unsolved sexual assaults in South Dallas were related, two more victims have come forward, bring the total number of crimes to nine. The crimes occurred between June 22 and September 1 in an area bordered by East RL Thornton Freeway, Haskell Avenue, Spring Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard.

The victims were attacked while walking in the early morning hours (between midnight and 6 am). The suspect uses a handgun to force his victims into a secluded area, where they are robbed and sexually assaulted.

In response to the violent crime spree, police have conducted community meetings and increased patrols. South Dallas residents have been asked to take special precautions to not walk alone in the area during early morning hours.

On Twitter Dallas police chief David Brown urged caution in the wake of the first arrest in connection with the series of crimes. He emphasized that Mason has not been charged.

@DPDChief we will keep you informed we won't rest till we have the right person but we won't rush and charge the wrong person

— Chief David O. Brown (@DPDChief) September 6, 2013

unspecified

E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

Unsplash

Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

politics