11:42 AM CST on Tuesday, November 22, 2005

By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA-TV

WFAA-TV

Believers gather around the tree to see the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Too often, red and blue flashes summon the curious to the scene of a crime in one Oak Cliff neighborhood.

However, Monday it was hope and a tree that drew the crowds.

The faithful began flocking to the 2900 block of South Edgefield Avenue after word spread that the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared in a tree's bark.

Gabriel Vasquez was among the believers who found hope in the pattern of tree bark.

"To me, it looks like the Virgin of Guadalupe," Vasquez said.

Gilbert Alejandro was one of the first to spot what many have called a miracle while sitting in his front yard.

Night and day since, the faithful have streamed down the street, and some have come in search of a personal miracle.

"I've been sick," said visitor Berta Molina. "That's why I came here."

Molina left her hospital bed and headed straight to the tree for a peace she said the Virgin had bestowed before.

"Things have happened in my past," she said. "She saved me."

As sunset began, the stream of people arriving continued. Some visitors came from outside the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

As crowds gathered in the yard with candles and flowers, many believers said the Virgin of Guadalupe's appearance was a lesson for every one.

"Because of all the violence that's here, it's a sign to help people change," said April Pena.

E-mail bhawkins@wfaa.com