Multiagency unit trailed, jailed 13 D-FW slaying suspects in recent weeks

06:48 AM CDT on Wednesday, July 5, 2006

By HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News

In the last two weeks of June, 10 Dallas murder suspects were swept into custody by area law enforcement officers who specialize in tracking down hard-to-find fugitives.

Trent Touchstone, supervisory deputy marshal of the Dallas-Fort Worth Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team, or FAST, said the string of arrests wasn't part of a particular blitz; rather, there happened to be a recent rash of homicides about which investigators were able to gather good information.

"It seems to be as we grow, we get better," Marshal Touchstone said of the two-year-old task force, which is managed by the U.S. Marshals and staffed by about 13 local agencies. "It's not a marshal service thing. It's a group thing."

The Dallas arrests were:

•Dashonda Davis, Mishelle Ivery, Davion Rouchon and Kevin Wilkins, wanted in connection with the slaying of Tony Lyles on June 26;

•Elton J. Cheeks and Terrance Staples, wanted in connection with the death of Alisa Villarreal on June 20;

•Timothy B. Thomas, wanted in connection with the death of David L. Cruz on March 4;

•Joseph Campa and Vanessa Gonzalez, wanted in connection with the death of Silverio Estrada Jr. on May 15; and

•Durrel Preston, wanted in connection with the death of Ericka Bingmon on June 9.

In the same period, FAST made three Fort Worth homicide arrests.

Sgt. Larry Lewis, a Dallas police homicide supervisor, said FAST has been a crucial partner to the resource-limited homicide unit.

"We can call them at a moment's notice, any time of the day," Sgt. Lewis said. "Especially when we know a suspect has fled our jurisdiction, they're very good at going over and tying in other jurisdictions."

He recalled one time a suspect was arrested in Seattle, and other times in which suspects were followed to Canada or Mexico.

Sgt. Lewis estimates that as many as 50 percent of Dallas homicide cases are forwarded to FAST for assistance.

Marshal Touchstone said the relationship goes both ways, as the task force often gets help from Dallas police. Occasionally, one group will step on another's toes, but Marshal Touchstone said communication has improved over the past two years.

Since 2004, D-FW FAST has made more than 3,883 arrests. Of those, more than 200 have been for murder.

The task force is composed of about 40 law enforcement officers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Marshal Touchstone said the specialization of the group helps investigations run more effectively.

"The task force was designed for the apprehension of fugitives," he said. "That's all we do."

E-mail hyan@dallasnews.com