Dallas police have issued a public alert advising people to be on the lookout for a suspect who allegedly gunned down two people in Oak Cliff.
Omar Hernandez, 30, is being sought by police in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred between the 2700 and 3400 blocks of Britton Avenue on October 8.
One of the victims was 29-year-old Martha Perez Enriquez, a mother of three children. She died at the scene. The other victim was a man who has yet to be identified by police. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Police said the incident began in front of a residence. Hernandez exited a vehicle and approached both victims as they stood outside the home. A heated argument allegedly broke out, and the suspect purportedly began shooting.
“[The] female victim was able to drive her vehicle, with the other victim inside, down to this location here,” said Det. Kenneth Castoral of the Dallas Police Department, speaking with Fox 4 News KDFW. “The car strikes a parked vehicle and then overturns.”
The male victim exited the crashed vehicle and went to get help. However, Hernandez had allegedly followed them down the street.
Video footage taken from a surveillance camera in the vicinity of the crash location showed what happened next.
The video released by police allegedly shows Hernandez exiting from the front passenger side of a white SUV and walking over to Perez Enriquez’s crashed vehicle before firing a gun multiple times at her.
“We need to know where [Hernandez] is. Anybody that knows where he can be located, anybody that knows him. Also, we’re also looking for the driver of that white SUV,” Castoral said, per Fox 4. He said the SUV could be a Chevy Suburban or a GMC Yukon.
Hernandez, described as 5’4″ and 200 lbs, faces charges of murder and aggravated assault.
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for anyone who provides information leading to Hernandez’s arrest. However, such tips must be given to the organization directly by calling 214-373-TIPS (8477) or submitting a form online at P3tips.com.
Perez Enriquez’s family started a GoFundMe campaign to help collect money to send her body to Mexico for burial in a family plot.
The incident occurred in Council Member Carolyn King Arnold’s District 4.
According to the City’s crime analytics dashboard, District 4 has seen 30 of the 198 criminal homicides that occurred citywide this year as of October 12. Murders have been up by roughly 10% in Dallas year over year.
In September, District 4 saw a disagreement over sunglasses and drugs escalate into a fatal stabbing, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Rodney Brooks, 58, was allegedly stabbed to death by Randell Wilson, 51. Wilson told police Brooks had tossed his sunglasses off a bridge when he had tried to trade them for drugs.
DPD has been dealing with a severe staffing shortage in recent years. Despite a City analysis stating Dallas needs a force of about 4,000 officers, it currently maintains fewer than 3,200. Police response rates have suffered as a result, as covered by The Dallas Express.
Downtown Dallas has been bearing the brunt of the police shortage, logging much higher crime rates than Fort Worth’s downtown area, which is reportedly patrolled by a special police unit and private security officers.