2 arrested for string of robberies near Oak Cliff schools
DALLAS - Dallas police believe they’ve arrested two of the four robbery suspects who have been targeting and terrorizing students in Oak Cliff.
The two suspects have been identified as 17-year-old Roshun Dixon and 18-year-old Christopher Wade. They are each facing three counts of robbery. Dixon's mugshot isn't available because he is still considered a minor and wasn't booked into the Dallas County jail yet.
Police said Dixon and Wade were positively identified by victims and witnesses. Dixon also confessed to one robbery and Wade confessed to three robberies.
There have been six armed robberies of students near Kimball and Roosevelt high schools, as well as Holmes and Stockard middle schools, since last month. All of the victims have been Hispanic, and the suspects have taken their cellphones at gunpoint.
In another related case, a woman in Cockrell Hill was robbed and forced to hand over her cellphone. She believes the robbers may have thought she was a student since she was carrying a backpack.
Police released pictures of a car used in the crimes. It is believed to be a black Chevrolet Cruze. They also released a picture of one suspect believed to be part of the group robbing students.
“A lot of what they were doing is targeting phones, iPhones in particular. They were stealing phones and roughing them up in the process,” said Dallas PD Lt. Michael Woodbury.
It's been a week since Adriana Morales and Diana Guerra's 12 and 13-year-old sons were robbed at gunpoint while waiting for a ride home from school. They were just a block away from Stockard Middle School getting ice cream. And though there have been two arrests, both mothers say their families are still on edge.
“It's hard. It's been an emotional rollercoaster all week. It's hard to concentrate,” Guerra said. “But there's still two more out there. Right now, they say they're okay, but they're really not ok. I think once they hear they've been caught, it'll be some relief. Until they're all caught, I think it'll be better.”
Dallas ISD says the two suspects are former students who both withdrew more than a year ago. FOX 4 sources confirm police also impounded a car similar to the model described by victims in the robberies and recovered some property.
Guerra and Morales are unsure if the two arrested are the ones who robbed their sons, but they say at least one of them matches the description their sons gave.
Since the robbery near Stockard, Morales and Guerra have changed up their afternoon routine to pick up their kids at school. Both parents hope to work with DISD to find other ways to keep students safe going to and from school.
“These guys don't understand it not only affects the kids. It affects everyone around them,” Guerra said. “We're worried 24/7. Worried what's gonna be next. What's gonna happen.”
Dallas police say the arrests are not connected to the recent incident involving gunshots near Sunset High School.
Police have not said if the arrests are connected to a similar armed robbery of a young mother in Cockrell Hill.