An Arlington business owner who was arrested on a murder charge after a verbal exchange with a former employee turned violent last week is likely getting out on bail on Monday.
Javier Arredondo, 42, called 911 and requested assistance at his tattoo shop on the 900 block of W. Division Street around 2:15 p.m. on August 15, reported CBS News Texas. Arredondo made the call after a recently fired employee refused to leave the building.
As police were in transit, they were informed of reports of shots fired at the same location.
When officers arrived, they found a 46-year-old with a gunshot wound. It was the former employee who had just been fired. The victim was later pronounced dead at the scene.
According to police, the two men had a “tense verbal exchange” prior to the shooting, which initially prompted Arredondo to call 911, per CBS.
Arredondo allegedly instructed other employees to exit the building during the exchange, leaving just him and the former employee alone in the building.
Police claimed that Arredondo fired several shots at the victim.
The Dallas Express reached out to the Tarrant County Corrections Center. An employee confirmed that Arredondo was charged with murder and said he was being released on a $100,000 bond.
Violent crime has been a serious issue in the metroplex, especially in Dallas, where the Dallas Police Department (DPD) is currently short 900 officers. A City report advises that a city of Dallas’ size needs around 4,000 officers to adequately police the city.
The shortage has been especially felt in Downtown Dallas, which has logged considerably more criminal incidents than Fort Worth’s downtown area. Fort Worth is patrolled by a dedicated police unit that often works alongside private security guards.
As of August 19, there have been 159 criminal homicides committed in Dallas, up by 6% year over year, according to a DPD report.