North Texas Crime Commission receives $5K donation to give to Dallas couple who called 911 on wanted man
DALLAS - The North Texas Crime Commission explained why by law it could not give reward money to a husband and wife whose 911 call helped catch a kidnapping and sexual assault suspect.
The commission plans to honor Kenyatta and Briana Jordan next month. But on Tuesday, it wanted to help in what the commission calls a one-in-a-million event.
This is the story of Kenyatta and Briana Jordan who spotted Leonard Lamar Neal at a Dallas DART bus stop. He was wanted for kidnapping two small children and sexually assaulting one.
The couple called 911 and even followed the bus until police pulled up.
Neal might still be on the run without their involvement.
"I think that is courage. I think that is community. I think that is what the city of Dallas needs," said Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins.
But the Jordans were not eligible for the Crime Stoppers reward because they did not call the anonymous tip line.
FOX 4 viewer Cliff Freeman and his wife gave the couple with six kids $5,000 of his own money to say thank you, and Six Flags gave them park passes.
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FOX 4 viewer gives reward to Dallas couple who helped catch kidnapping suspect
After FOX 4 reported on Crime Stoppers' refusal to issue a reward to a couple who was key to Dallas police arresting a most wanted fugitive, a FOX 4 viewer stepped up to do what he says Crime Stoppers failed to do.
"So when this situation came out, we said, ‘How can we help these good people? But that money's not available," said David Dean, chairman of the North Texas Crime Commission.
The reward was not available because since its inception in New Mexico in 1976, Crime Stoppers policy enforced by state law has been to protect the public by keeping them anonymous.
"You put people in harm's way. Bad guys know where they live. They've brought forward something that might put them in jeopardy, et cetera, et cetera. So it’s always the tenet of Crime Stoppers," Dean said.
Friday, an anonymous donor gave the North Texas Crime Commission $5,000 for the Jordans.
"We didn't know anything about no money. We was just trying to do something right to get a bad person off the street," Kenyatta said. "We appreciate it. I’m not ashamed to say that the donations and everything, it is needed. It was needed. We appreciate it."
Calling the family heroes, Wingfield’s Burgers owner Tony Woods also contributed to the Jordans and called out others tired of crime to do the same.
"And I also want to challenge the business leaders in our city. Let’s step up. Let’s step forward and make sure this is a year-long celebration of this family," Woods said.
A family who got a man on the Texas Ten Most Wanted List in custody.
"I think that we should come together to be better for our kids," Briana said. "I think our kids deserve a better place to grow up in. And so I think that we should be able to do that."
Crime Stoppers and Mayor Pro Tem Atkins plan an education campaign so folks will know exactly how Crime Stoppers works.