A domestic dispute between a woman and her ex-boyfriend that broke out while she was picking up their child from his apartment on Saturday night ended with another man getting shot.
Arlington police arrested 27-year-old Axel Velazquez-Mejia on October 7 on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest. Velazquez-Mejia also had warrants in Mesquite and Dallas.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred in an apartment complex in the 2200 block of Waterdance Circle at around 9:45 p.m.
Velazquez-Mejia allegedly got into a heated argument with the mother of his child, who she had come to collect from his home that evening.
The woman’s 34-year-old boyfriend tried to intervene, after which time police say Velazquez-Mejia shot him. The unnamed victim was taken to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
As for Velazquez-Mejia, he allegedly fled the scene. Although he later agreed to return to the apartment complex after speaking to officers on the phone, he failed to stop when officers attempted to pull him over around Pioneer Parkway and Center Street.
It is unclear whether he posted bail or was transferred since he was no longer listed as in the custody of the Arlington Police Department on October 9.
Residents around the metroplex continue to be plagued by crime, especially in Dallas. A total of 20,404 assaults had been logged by the Dallas Police Department this year as of October 9, with over half — 10,472 — logged as family violence incidents.
The City’s crime analytics dashboard also indicated that 5,187 of all assaults were considered aggravated assaults. If found guilty, a perpetrator could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Assaults have been especially prevalent in downtown Dallas, where a study by the Metroplex Civic & Business Association found 12 times more assault offenses are logged than in Fort Worth’s downtown area, as previously covered by The Dallas Express. Cowtown reportedly maintains a special police unit that works alongside private security guards to patrol its city center.
Meanwhile, DPD has been facing a serious officer shortage. Despite a City report advising that a city the size of Dallas needs a force of about 4,000 sworn personnel, the department currently has fewer than 3,200 police officers on staff.
