Suburban Crime Spree

Police search for suspects in crime spree that spooked Dallas suburbs

UPDATE: Johnisha Ann-Marie Williams, 19, was arrested on December 8 by the Flower Mound police department. She was charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon in connection to the invasion on Suncrest Drive, and is being held on a $50,000 bond. Flower Mound police believe the offense is related to the crimes in Allen. One suspect is still at large.

Anyone with information can call the Flower Mound police department at 972-539-0525 or the tip line at 972-874-3307.

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An atypical series of crime sprees hit some of Dallas' most northern suburbs over the weekend, involving robberies, home invasions, carjackings, and victims being bound with duct tape and held at gunpoint.

Given the similarity of the crimes, police think they may be related.

The first took place in Allen on Saturday, November 6, between 7:45 and 9 pm, when a trio of men conducted two home-invasion aggravated robberies — one in the 1400 block of Rio Grande Drive and the other in the 300 block of Wrotham Lane.

According to the victims, there were three heavy-set black male suspects, wearing ski masks, gloves and long-sleeve shirts. The victims were bound with duct tape and held at gunpoint while the men searched for jewelry, cash and other valuables. No one was injured.

At one house, the suspects entered through an open garage door. At the other residence, they broke into the home through the front door. They drove a black four-door sedan, and possibly a new black panel van as well.

A second, similar spree took place in the Carrollton-Flower Mound-Lewisville area on Sunday, December 7.

The first was a home invasion in Flower Mound at 9 pm in the 5600 block of Suncrest Drive. Four suspects wearing masks and carrying handguns entered a home occupied by a family of six. One was assaulted; CBS said the person was punched. Flower Mound police arrested one person at the home.

According to Carrollton police, the other three suspects were then involved in a carjacking in Lewisville. Two were arrested, one after a foot pursuit in Carrollton, and officers are looking for another suspect. He is described as a black male, 5-foot-9 and weighing 155 pounds, last seen wearing a gray or white shirt and black windbreaker pants.

The Allen Police Department Criminal Investigation Division requests that anyone who witnessed any suspicious circumstances regarding these incidents call the CID unit at 214-509-4329. To do so anonymously, text your tip to 847411 with keyword ALLENPD and your information. All information shared with TIP411 is anonymous.

If you see an occupied black sedan with or without a black panel van in your area, report it to Allen Police dispatch at 214-509-4321.

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E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

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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.

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