By Bill Zeeble, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-994966.mp3
Dallas, TX – Dallas Police have arrested two boys so far in the alleged murder of a 19 year old DART rider. KERA's Bill Zeeble reports the suspects are between ages of 12 and 14.
Because they're minors, police are releasing no names or pictures of the two in custody. They say this is what happened. Passenger Octavius Lanier was being harassed by 4 to 5 boys onboard the DART train. When Lanier got off at the MLK DART stop near Fair Park, they jumped him and pushed him against the departing train. Caught between the platform and rail car, Lanier was dragged for yards and his leg was severely injured. A short time later, he was pronounced dead at Baylor hospital. Brianna Hicks says she was on the train when it happened. She didn't see the assault, but wonders if the train conductor could have stopped.
Brianna Hicks: Maybe if he would have been watching he probably would have seen everybody trying to flag him down to stop. He dragged him pretty far.
Hicks says she works in a hospital, so knew immediately the victim's injuries were extreme.
Hicks: You can't really do anything once you're in that position because he's stuck. It happened pretty fast. There were some big injuries and you really can't stop the bleeding from an artery like that. He just bled out.
Some media report that Lanier's femoral artery was severed. A DART rider who lives near the station, says he was not surprised by the crime or the young age of the alleged assailants. He didn't want his name mentioned.
No Name: Surprised? No, because it's the neighborhood, it happens out here every day. Can't change the neighborhood. It's the people in the neighborhood. You take a chance each day you walk out your door. Of what's going to happen.
A DART video may have captured the assault. Police say they're still looking for others involved in this murder.
