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Man accused of robbing 3 Dallas stores in 5 days
Javier Dominique Suttles, 26, has at least 13 arrests since 2014. He was on probation when he allegedly robbed three stores in Dallas over the course of 5 days in May. The case was used as an example of a new initiative by Dallas ATF and Dallas police as it looks to curb violent crime across Dallas.
DALLAS - A new initiative announced by Dallas ATF and Dallas Police looks to curb violent crime across Dallas.
The plan is to prosecute violent offenders, especially repeat offenders in the federal system.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in North Texas is top five nationwide when it comes to getting convictions in gun crime cases.
Most of those cases are from repeat offenders.
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Javier Dominique Suttles, 26, was pointed to as an example by U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton.
Suttles has at least 13 arrests since 2014.
Javier Dominique Suttles
He was most recently placed on deferred adjudication and probation for robbery and aggravated robbery.
"He was given these chances, but he did not take advantage of them," said Simonton. "Instead, the federal complaint in this case details that Mister Suttles allegedly went on to commit three armed robberies over the course of just five days in late May."
Suttles is accused of robbing a Braum's and Metro PCS store on Inwood Road.
"Each time he brandished a handgun with an extended magazine and menaced the store's employees," said Simonton.
The government says in one of the instances he threatened to kill the employee. In another, he warned that he would shoot up the entire store.
"In one particularly awful incident Mister Suttles, apparently frustrated that there wasn't more cash on the premises, allegedly ordered the employee into the bathroom and forced the employee to strip naked," said Simonton. "Luckily, that person was able to escape safely from the situation before being seriously hurt."
Suttles faces up to 27 years in federal prison if convicted.
Operation Take Aim, an initiative by the Dallas ATF and Dallas Police, looks to focus on violent repeat offenders who bring terror.
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"What's more Texas than having a milkshake and a cheeseburger at a Braum's. until this dude walks in," said Jeff Bosek, the Special Agent in Charge at the Dallas ATF. "He walks in and he points a gun at somebody that causes lifetime trauma. Every one of these cases that we work together on causes trauma to someone, somewhere. We're committed to putting these people in jail."
Dallas Police will use criminal history data to identify those who might be a high risk to re-offend, hoping to turn them in a different direction.
"It doesn't matter if they commit acts of violence themselves, with a gang, a crew or whoever they hang out with, we have made it our business to learn about individuals causing violence in Dallas," said Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia. "We've also made it our business to make sure that they have resources to succeed."
The new safety net cast by Chief Eddie Garcia is called "focused deterrence." Think of it as an intervention by police and community groups.
More information about it is expected to be released soon.