DALLAS – The man arrested for the shooting of two Dallas police officers at a northeastern Dallas Home Depot store was previously wanted for stealing a car late last year.
Armando Juarez, 29, was booked into the Dallas County Jail late Tuesday after being arrested following a police pursuit. One of the officers he allegedly shot hours earlier, Rogelio Santander, died Wednesday morning. The two other victims – Officer Crystal Almeida and loss prevention officer Scott Painter – remained in critical condition.
According to Dallas County court records, Juarez pleaded guilty of stealing a car last November.
He was wanted Tuesday after skipping a sentencing hearing in February. Three people were shot as officers attempted to serve a warrant outside the Home Depot store in northeastern Dallas.
Juarez faced two years of deferred adjudication, a type of community supervision typically offered to first-time offenders, according to court records.
Police say Juarez was driving a white pickup truck. He allegedly led police on a chase in downtown Dallas, where he was taken into custody near the 3700 block of Versailles Avenue Tuesday night. A heavy police presence swarmed the area as the truck drove on sidewalks and streets in Highland Park, near Love Field Airport.
On Wednesday, WFAA has learned the license plates on that truck did not belong to that truck or Juarez.
Ricardo Hernandez got a call Wednesday morning from a detective notifying him of that license plate. "The officer called me, he said, 'Why are your license plates on this vehicle?'" said Hernandez.
Hernandez had to explain that his Ford F-550 had been stolen in December of last year. Ricardo never thought he'd hear about his license plates again. His truck was recovered 35 days later by pure luck. He told WFAA that he just happened to be driving through a neighborhood with his wife.
"When I look on the left...literally it was my truck," he said.
Ricardo would document his lucky find to Youtube on his channel Junk Guys DFW. The video shows that he called DPD and officers came by to take a report. It just so happens the home where his truck was parked belonged to Armando Juarez' grandmother. The grandmother had spoken to WFAA pleading for Armando Juarez to turn himself in.
Ricardo does not know if he'll get his old license plates back and said he doesn't even think he wants them. He says it connects him to a story that is slowly being uncovered and a story that also sadly ends with a death of a public servant.
A family member, who told WFAA she hadn't seen Juarez in a week, said he was unemployed. He used to work with his father as a bricklayer and forklift driver.
Juarez has two children and recently moved in with his girlfriend, who also lives in Dallas, the family member said. Police searched Juarez's grandmother's house Tuesday evening.
Juarez has been charged with aggravated assault of a public servant. His bond has not been set. Go here for the latest on the shooting.