11-22-2007
2 men with guns bound guards, took 8 plasma TVs worth $5,000
2 men with guns bound guards, took 8 plasma TVs worth $5,000

12:00 AM CST on Saturday, November 24, 2007

By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News

Two gun-wielding robbers tied up three security guards at First Baptist Church in downtown Dallas late Thursday night and stole thousands of dollars in church property.

"They appeared to be very professional in how they approached it � in and out," said Sgt. Ross Salverino, a robbery unit supervisor. "They didn't say a lot."

Authorities said the robbers stole plasma televisions worth at least $5,000, and officials were conducting an inventory to determine whether anything else was taken from the church in the 1700 block of San Jacinto Street.

The robbery began about 11:30 p.m. Thursday when two men carrying semiautomatic handguns and wearing black fatigues entered the church and confronted a security guard, police said.

"They took her from the desk area and tied her up with rope," Sgt. Salverino said. "They placed her in a closet of one of the rooms."

A few minutes later, the two robbers encountered two other security guards who were making rounds. They tied them up and put them in another room.

Surveillance cameras captured the two robbers as they went room to room taking church property. Police say the thieves stole eight plasma TVs and a cellphone from one of the guards.

About 2 a.m. Friday, one of the security guards was able to untie himself and call for help.

Police had only sketchy descriptions of the two robbers but said one had a tattoo of the letter "J" on his right arm just above his wrist.

Police believe that a truck that was seen idling near the church a short time before the robbery and sped away when the guards tried to approach may have been connected to the robbery. The vehicle was described as a newer model, midsize four-door pickup, possibly a silver Dodge Dakota, with a fiberglass cover on the bed.

Police believe that there may have been a third robber in the truck.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 1-877-373-8477 or Dallas police at 214-671-3584.