Inside Today: Caretaker arrested in March death of disabled Oak Forest teen - Page 2
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Skate shop owner helps nab arson suspect By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com On the evening of Dec. 30, a series of fires broke out in the Oak Forest area, leading to thousands of dollars in damages and terrorizing local businesses. Thanks to the quick thinking and bold actions of a Houston resident and fellow small business owner Dan MacFarlane, the suspect in these fires was apprehended. MacFarlane, owner of Houston Skateboards and a former professional skateboarder, was dining with
a friend at Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine when the events unfolded. After dinner, around 7 p.m., the two friends headed next door to the former location of Surfhouse at 1737 W 34th St. “I had just finished eating and went over to [the former Surfhouse location] to check out some new features for skateboarding and film some video,” MacFarlane recounted. “While filming, I heard this demonic laugh and saw a man lighting a fire behind the building.” MacFarlane caught the culprit
in the act on his phone camera and alerted neighboring restaurants. Soon he smelled smoke and saw ashes raining from the sky. “I told the staff inside to check on the fire, but they were busy, so I decided to handle it myself,” he explained. A staff member from BB’s Tex-Orleans, armed with a fire extinguisher, came to help put out the small fire set in a plastic bucket, but Photo courtesy of Dan MacFarlane it quickly became clear that the situ- Houston Skateboards owner Dan MacFarlane ation was far worse. MacFarlane dis- is hailed a hero after catching an arson See ARSON P. 2
suspect who lit multiple fires in the Oak Forest area Dec. 30, 2024.
Oak Forest A CYCLING SENSATION musician keeps honky-tonk alive at RE:HAB By CHARLIE HARDWICK The Leader News Contributor
Greater Houston Partnership discusses 2025 economic outlook for the region
Page 3 Photo by Crystal Chan
Santa (aka the Oak Forest Homeowners Association) was good to the officers of HPD’s North Division Differential Response Team this holiday season.
Guest Column: Stay warm while cutting down on your electricity bill
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New bicycle patrol program set to increase police visibility, resident safety
Pet of the Week: Meet Marcos, a senior lap cat
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Art Valet: The brushstrokes and bold moves of Melinda Patrick
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The Houston Police Department’s North Division consists of numerous neighborhoods in a 51-square mile area north of 610, stretching just past 290 to the west, a little beyond Hwy 45 to the east and covering communities around 2/3 of the way up to the north belt. Coverage includes Oak Forest, Garden Oaks, Shepherd Forest, Candlelight, Crosstimbers, Airline, Mansfield and numerous other neighborhoods. The HPD footprint consists of multiple teams including Patrol, Tactical and Differential Response (DRT). According to Officer Christopher Cabrera of the HPD North Division’s DRT, Patrol is regarded as the backbone of the division, as all police academy graduates start there before being assigned a division and gain onthe-job experience to make an impact in divisions such as DRT. Patrol officers are responsible for responding to dispatch 911 calls, for burglaries, accidents and other crimes in progress. They initiate and execute the reporting on calls for service. Then as needed, calls are forwarded to the tactical
According to Cabrera, the DRT works with communities to improve quality of life and reduce crime by, among many other activities, investigating housing and business ordinance violations, narcotics and prostitution violations, and animal cruelty and code violations. “We also enforce nuisance violations, including trespass, homeless encampments, blocked sidewalks, noise and property maintenance,” said Cabrera. He said the main goal of his division and the subsequent addition of the bike patrol was to increase police presence, thereby benefiting neighborhoods, public parks, trails, See BIKE P. 5
See JACOBS P. 5
Proactive Policing and Community Engagement Screen shot from HPD Division Beat Map
The HPD North Division (peachcolored) includes all the neighborhoods located within the area depicted, including the Garden Oaks/Oak Forest area, and covers 51 sq miles.
team for investigation and processing. The patrol and tactical teams both serve very important policing function, but tend to be relatively reactive and compartmentalized. “The DRT, however, is a more proactive unit, with respect to contributing to and maintaining public safety,” Cabrera explained. DRT is a relatively unfamiliar term to the general public, so we asked what he
HISTORY LESSON Born in 1958 in Heights Hospital, Jacobs grew up in the Timber Grove neighborhood and attended Waltrip High School. In his early years Jacobs, like many boys at the time, was only interested in sports. In elementary school one of his childhood friends was Stewart Duvall, the little brother of famed Hollywood actress Shelley Duvall. Jacobs recounts one time in 1967 at the age of nine when he and his friend Stewart regretfully passed on an invitation by Stewart’s big sister Shelley to go see a band called The Monkees, who had a guy named Jimi Hendrix as their opening act. “I was only nine years old at the time,” Jacobs remembered. “Looking back, I wish someone would have grabbed me by the collar, shook me and said, you got to go see this. Stewart and I had no idea what we were missing and, in retrospect, we kick ourselves in the head now.” A year later, at 10 years old, Jacobs’ mother, Betty Jacobs, bought a guitar while on vacation in Mexico with his father, Turner Jacobs, hoping to get her son interested in music. Music was a part of the family as his dad could play some piano and sing while his mother knew some basic songs on guitar. “Mom brought this guitar back from Mexico and showed me how to play a few basic chords,” Jacobs explained. “Mom taught me how to read the chord book and I took to the instrument like a fish to water.” Jacobs said the family always sang around the house but his mother taught him how to find harmony and pitch in his voice. Jacobs often receives compliments
means by ‘proactive’ policing, what they do, and most importantly, how their efforts contribute to the safety of their division residents. He sat down with The Leader to provide an overview of his team’s responsibility in their assigned neighborhoods and introduce its new bike patrol and the respective benefits for the Oak Forest community and beyond.
By STEPHANIE SHIRLEY The Leader News Contributor
Native Houstonian and veteran musician Mitch Jacobs and his band keep the Gulf Coast vibe rocking at RE:HAB Bar on the Bayou every Wednesday despite the challenges of fighting cancer. From his teenage years at Waltrip High School in the late 70s and his time with mid-80s party band Romeo Dogs, to his solo act today, Jacobs has remained true to his roots. With a vocal style similar to Johnny Cash and an all-star cast of local musicians behind him, Jacobs presents a gumbo of Gulf Coast sound that gets people out of their seats and onto the dance floor.
Waltrip High School Ram Band safely returns from New Orleans January 18: Don’t miss the 2nd Annual Mix-MATCH Art Festival in Midtown
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THE INDEX. People ���������������������������������������2 Topics ����������������������������������������4 Classifieds ���������������������������������7 Local Culture �����������������������������8
By STEFANIE THOMAS & STEPHANIE SHIRLEY editor@theleadernews.com The Waltrip High School Ram Band’s much-anticipated trip to the Sugar Bowl festivities as well as a band competition in New Orleans took a harrowing turn early on New Year’s Day as the city was rocked by a terrorist attack in the French Quarter. While Houston ISD confirmed that the band members and chaperones were safe, the attack claimed the lives of at least 14 people and injured doz-
Photo by Stephanie Shirley
Waltrip High School students earned more than a dozen awards at a competition in New Orleans.
ens others. The attack, described by New Orleans Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick as the actions of a driv-
er who was “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did,” occurred around 3:15 a.m. on Bourbon Street, one of the city’s most
iconic locations for New Year’s celebrations. According to the FBI, the perpetrator, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar of Houston, drove a rented truck through the crowded street, then opened fire on law enforcement before being killed in a shootout. Two police officers were injured and the suspect was killed in the exchange. Band mom Ja’Nee Barton traveled with the Waltrip Ram Band and dance team, and reflected on the students’
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