Man Accused of Pointing Gun at Officer Is Contrite

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An 18-year-old accused of pointing a gun at a Dallas police officer says he is apologetic for his alleged crimes, including one for which he has yet to be charged.

Darron Robinson will turn 19 on Saturday, a milestone he will mark in jail. He is charged with aggravated assault of a public servant and evading police.

"I just want to be at home," Robinson told NBC 5 in an exclusive jailhouse interview.

When asked how his life had spiraled, Robinson said he ignored the warnings from his mother and loved ones, who always told him to steer clear of older men on the block who were up to no good,

"I was being a follower; that's all I can say," he said.

Robinson admitted that he was scared and ran from police on Wednesday. An undercover Dallas police officer fired a shot while pursuing Robinson, a suspect in the armed robbery of a convenience store one day earlier.

"I just want everybody to know I ain't no menace or nothing like that," Robinson said. "I ain't trying to hurt anyone."

Robinson said he robbed the store but said he never pointed a gun.

"I used the gun but I never pointed it at his face," he said. "I just showed him that I had the gun."

As officers approached Robinson near the same store on Wednesday, he ran through an apartment complex. He said he still had the gun on him but denied pointing it at the officer,

"I grabbed it out my shirt, but just to throw it; never to hurt anyone," he said. "I was just trying to run away and get rid of the gun. I never pointed it at anyone. I threw it, and I just kept running while he shot at me."

According to police reports, Robinson ditched the gun, tossing it onto a patio in the apartment complex. He then hid beneath a car before police found him.

Robinson said he recently got a gun only for protection. He showed NBC 5 a fresh bullet wound in his lower back area, saying he was shot in recent weeks while he was passenger in a car. The shooter is still on the loose and neither he nor police know who is responsible, he said.

Robinson said he is afraid of guns and would never point them at anyone. All he could think to do when police came after him was to run and try to get rid of the weapon to avoid being charged with having a gun, he said.

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Town of West Sues Over Fertilizer Blast

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Search and rescue workers comb through what remains of a 50-unit apartment building (foreground) and the West Rest Haven Nursing Home the day after an explosion at the West Fertilizer Company destroyed the buildings April 18, 2013 in West, Texas. According to West Mayor Tommy Muska, around 14 people, including 10 first responders, were killed and more than 150 people were injured when the fertilizer company caught fire and exploded, leaving damaged buildings for blocks in every direction. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Officials of the small central Texas town devastated by an April 17 fertilizer plant blast that killed 15 people have filed suit against the plant owner and supplier.

The lawsuit filed Friday seeks unspecified damages from plant owner Adair Grain and CF Industries, which supplied agricultural-grade ammonium nitrate toe the plant. A fire at the plant ignited the explosive chemical, flattening homes, schools and businesses and killing firefighters and other first-responders fighting the fire.

The lawsuit filed in state district court in Waco alleges Adair Grain was negligent in how it stored the chemical and that CF Industries was liable for an inherently hazardous product.

Adair Grain spokesman Daniel Keeney and CF Industries spokesman Dan Swenson told the Waco Tribune-Herald that they hadn't reviewed the lawsuit and declined to comment.

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Alligator Found in "Doomsday Prepper's" House

Scott Gordon, NBC 5 News

Clayton Earthman was arrested on Wednesday after officers found bomb-making supplies in his car. Officers also found an alligator in Earthman's home.

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A man arrested Wednesday with bomb-making materials in his car had drugs and an alligator in his home, a federal agent testified Friday.

Clayton Earthman, 43, was arrested after police said he ran a stop sign near Fair Park.

An officer said Earthman had a gun in his car. A search later revealed he had bomb-making material and notes on how to make bombs, police said.

Earthman claimed to be a "Doomsday Prepper." A cable TV show by the same name profiles people preparing for the end of the world.

On Thursday, agents with the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives searched his house near Pleasant Grove.

They found 15 marijuana plants, bomb-making material, and an alligator, according to a Dallas police report.

Neighbors say they saw agents carry two alligators from the home on Woodard Avenue.

"That's scary," said neighbor Susan Collins. "We didn't know he had all that."

At his court appearance, a judge ordered Earthman held without bond because he was a danger to the community.

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Frisco's 911 Phone Lines Restored

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The Frisco Police Department said Friday afternoon that all of its 911 phone lines were down.

Frisco police announced that service was restored at about 10 p.m. and all 911 lines have been repaired and are now working.

All 911 calls were rerouted to the McKinney Police Department during the outage, which is then transferring the calls to Frisco police.

The department instructed people who needed to call 911 to call the non-emergency line at 972-292-6010 until the issue was resolved.

Frisco police said they do not know the cause of the problem.

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Good Samaritan Helps Deliver Roadside Baby

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Driver Helps Woman Delivery Baby on Side of Road

A Good Samaritan helped an expectant mother and her husband on the side of the road deliver their baby.

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A Good Samaritan helped a Gainesville, Texas couple welcome their first son a bit earlier than expected on Friday morning.

Baby Landon was born at about 7:30 a.m. just off the southbound lanes of Interstate 35W near Alliance Airport in Fort Worth.

The parents were planning to give birth in Fort Worth after recently moving from Arlington to Gainesville. 

Mom Karen Call - a certified EMT - was prepared in case the they didn't make it to the hospital.

"I brought two shoe strings and scissors, and some towels in case the baby came early," Karen Call said.

The couple didn't make it to the hospital.

Four people stopped alongside the road to help. One was them was Charles Harrell, owner of Tex Star Towing, who helped deliver the baby.

"I did what I had to do," Harrell said.

"I help everyone, that's why I started the business, so I could help people," Harrell said.

Harrell was bringing a stranded driver back from Oklahoma when stopped to help the expectant Calls.

"Just seen a car swerve off to the side of the road, seen a guy with a black blanket run out and the lady rolled out of the car," said Harrell. "And I went, 'she's having a baby.'"

Armed with blankets and gloves of his own, Harrell and his passenger sprung into action.

"The husband was kind of panicking and we just told her to push and everything will be all right," Harrell said.

About 10 to 15 minutes after pulling over, at 7:28 a.m. according to MedStar's 911 log, baby Landon was born.

"It was a beautiful baby, it didn't really set in until I got back into the truck to leave," Harrell said.

Mom and baby are doing fine now at Texas Health Harris Methodist.

When asked whether he'd ever delivered a baby before, Harrell smiled and simply said, "some puppies."

Landon is the couple's second child. The two already have a 17-month-old daughter.

The family expects to be back home in Gainesville by the end of the weekend.

NBC 5's Eric King contributed to this report.

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FBI Makes Arrest in "Mesh Mask Bandit" Case

Kevin Cokely, NBC 5 News

The FBI says Luis Delgarza, photo inset from October 2012 arrest by Dallas Police, is the "Mesh Mask Bandit" responsible for more than a dozen bank robberies across North Texas. He was arrested and charged with robbing a Wells Fargo Bank in Farmers Branch on April 22.

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The FBI says it has finally arrested the North Texas man believed to be the "Mesh Mask Bandit."

The FBI said Luis Delagarza, 59, of Farmers Branch, has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with committing armed bank robbery.

Delagarza was once considered one of the most dynamic local leaders in the Latino community.

"This was somebody that associated with some of the most important people in Dallas," said Carlos Quintanilla, Accion America president and longtime community activist.

NBC 5's sister station Telemundo interviewed Delagarza several years ago about immigration reform.

The FBI said a witness identified Delagarza from a photo lineup.

According to the FBI's complaint and affidavit, the witness saw the face of the man who robbed a Wells Fargo Bank in the 13000 block of Josey Lane in Farmers Branch on April 22.

The bank is blocks from Delagarza's home.

The witness reported seeing the man's face both before he pulled on his dark mask and entered the bank with a handgun and after the robbery, when he removed the mask outside the bank.

"The identification of the 'Mesh Mask Bandit' by the FBI's Bank Robbery Task Force was the result of collaborative local and federal investigation across nine cities," said Diego G. Rodriguez, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Dallas Field Division. "The arrest of this dangerous individual illustrates the effectiveness of task forces, the support provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office and cooperation within the law enforcement community."

The FBI had dubbed the bank robber the Mesh Mask Bandit because of his mesh mask that hid his face.

The Mesh Mask Bandit was linked to robberies at 19 banks in North Texas since New Year's Eve.

Bank customers said they are relieved an arrest has been made.

"I'm glad they caught him," Brandon Vidal said. "It's a good thing. Put him away."

Delagarza made his initial appearance in federal court Friday. A judge ordered that he remain in federal custody.

He will be back in court on Tuesday.

Delagarza was arrested twice before on charges of speeding and theft.

Previous Reports:

NBC 5's Kevin Cokely contributed to this report.

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Safe Room Program to Open Wait Lists

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After a flurry of applications forced a North Texas agency to close a storm shelter rebate program, a new waiting list for applicants in multiple counties is rolling out.

The North Central Texas Council of Governments will open an online wait list for Safe Room program rebates June 21-30.

All 16 counties in the NCTCOG region will have wait lists open in a rolled-out schedule. Once a wait list has been opened for a specific county, it will not close.

To be placed on the wait list, applicants will need to provide their name and address at www.nctsaferoom.com once the wait list for their county opens.

Those without Internet access can call 817-695-9235 and leave a voice mail with their name, phone number, address and county. All submissions online or via phone will have a time and date stamp, the NCTCOG said.

Here is the list of each county's open date and time:

• Collin County: Friday, June 21 at 7 p.m.
• Dallas County: Saturday, June 22 at 8 a.m.
• Denton County: Sunday, June 23 at 8 a.m.
• Ellis County: Monday, June 24 at 7 p.m.
• Erath County: Monday, June 24 at 7 p.m.
• Hood County: Tuesday, June 25 at 7 p.m.
• Hunt County: Tuesday, June 25 at 7 p.m.
• Johnson County: Wednesday, June 26 at 7 p.m.
• Kaufman County: Wednesday, June 26 at 7 p.m.
• Navarro County: Thursday, June 27 at 7 p.m.
• Palo Pinto County: Thursday, June 27 at 7 p.m.
• Parker County: Friday, June 28 at 7 p.m.
• Rockwall County: Friday, June 28 at 7 p.m.
• Somervell County: Saturday, June 29 at 8 a.m.
• Wise County: Saturday, June 29 at 8 a.m.
• Tarrant County: Sunday, June 30 at 8 a.m.

Safe room rebate program officials said the wait lists will help the NCTCOG assess demand for the program and allow them to communicate the need to federal funding sources.

The NCTCOG said the safe room program is not retroactive, meaning applicants must be approved before installing a storm shelter.

Those who have already applied to the safe room program will be notified that their application has been received and do not need to apply again. The NCTCOG will contact applicants who join the wait list after the program receives additional funding. Organizers say the process could take three to 18 months.

The Metro Safe Room Rebate Program is funded by a $1.395 million Federal Emergency Management Agency grant.

The rebate program offers residents living or developing in North Texas counties a chance to qualify for half the cost of construction for an individual safe room, up to $3,000. But the rooms must be from a vendor approved by the National Storm Shelter Association or the American Tornado Shelter Association to qualify for reimbursement.

NBC 5 Investigates first told you about the federal funding May 23.

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Girl at Center of Lung Transplant Controversy Out of Coma

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Ten days after a successful double-lung transplant surgery, 10-year-old Sarah Murnaghan is out of a coma and responding to questions, according to a family spokesperson.

Murnaghan received her new lungs on June 12, after spending three months at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with end-stage cystic fibrosis.

The Newtown Square girl made headlines after her parents battled national policy over how children under 12 are placed on the waiting list for donated lungs.

Her new lungs came from an adult donor, after a judge decided that the under 12 rule could be modified in her case-- a decision that put her on the adult list.

The transplant isn't a cure for cystic fibrosis, but it can extend her life by years.

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Successful Surgery for Sarah Murnaghan

New Lungs Buy Time But Don't Cure Cystic Fibrosis

Judge's Ruling Challenges U.S. Transplant System

Sarah Celebrates From Hospital Bed After Court Win

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San Francisco Church Hoping to House Dead Pets in Basement

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During his lifetime, Saint Francis of Assisi was famously devoted to animals. Paintings and statues depict the saint frolicking with birds, dogs and other beasts.

The lore of San Francisco's namesake seemed an ideal fit for a city where dogs outnumber kids. Inside the National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi in San Francisco's North Beach, tributes to the saint's life abound, especially in its annual blessing of the animals.

On a recent weekend, the shrine's rector Father Gregory Coiro blessed some 500 pets during the two-day stretch.

"Mostly dogs," said Coiro, wearing a brown robe and tangled beard. "But there were a few cats and a few angora rabbits."

The Shrine has long opened its doors to living pets in the spirit of Saint Francis. But now, it's also opening them to the dead. In a newly discovered grotto beneath the shrine's front steps, Coiro has envisioned the building of a columbarium to house the ashes of the dearly departed of the pet world.

"The people who bring their pets here can be Catholic or they can be non-Catholic," said Coiro. "Cause afterall, the animals have no religion."

Currently the concrete pillared cave looks like the ruins of a Roman temple.

Though work on the site has not yet begun, the Shrine recently released a brochure with depictions of glass-walled partitions where pets' ashes will be interned.

Visitors will be greeted by a large portrait of Saint Francis himself, and a video monitor will play video loops of pets enshrined in the space. In another corner, a large memorial will pay tribute to police and rescue dogs, like those who searched for survivors and bodies amid the rubble of the Twin Towers in New York on 9/11.

"As somebody walks through and visits the columbarium it'll be like an on-going history of people involved with the shrine; animals that have been involved in families lives," said Bill McLaughlin, a church volunteer who's helping organize the construction.

Some of the shrine's neighbors have complained they weren't notified in advance of plans to store ashes amid hundreds of businesses. Fabio Giotta, one of the owners of nearby Caffe Trieste said he was surprised by plans to build a "pet cemetery in a national shrine." Coiro said the shrine hasn't yet applied for permits from the city.

Both the San Francisco Health and Planning Departments referred calls on the matter to each other. A Health Department Spokeswoman said the department was only interested in dead animals when people ate them.

Coiro admitted the columbarium would also help generate money for the upkeep of the shrine.

He said the church hadn't determined the fees for housing pet cremains, although the brochure was seeking donations to the project in the $1000 to $40,000 range.

Coiro said he was moved by his childless sister who considered her dogs family, and was distraught when they died.

"I understand for many, many people, their animals are very dear to them," said Coiro.

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Fired Employee Shot and Killed Former Boss: DPD

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Dallas police say a man who was fired from his job at a barber shop shot his former boss late Friday afternoon.

Just after 5 p.m. Dallas police officers were called to a shooting at Roman's Barber Shop in the 300 block of West Jefferson Boulevard.

Police say 29-year-old Alejandro Fernandez had been shot and died later at Methodist Central Hospital.

Witnesses told homicide detectives 30-year-old Charles Dewayne Hooks walked into the barber shop and shot Fernandez. Hooks had been fired by Fernandez earlier in the day according to police.

Hooks was arrested and has been charged with murder.

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