By BJ Austin
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-730545.mp3
Dallas, TX – Dallas Detective Duane Boy says the home invasion ring started to unravel after the arrest of one of the two ringleaders in Cedar Hill.
Boy: I knew fairly early on that these were some pretty bad people.
Detective Boy says the arrested man agreed to wear a wire and help police - who busted the gang at a Wal-Mart Parking lot in far North Dallas - as they were staging for their next home invasion. Police reports say the gang members believed there was a safe containing 400 thousand dollars in the house.
Boy: They would, on many occasions, dress in law enforcement type gear. They would also tell them they had a warrant for their arrest.
Detective Boy says the robbers would then tie-up their victims -- and in some cases torture them. Police say no one was killed. Investigators say the gang cultivated information about people with property and large amounts of cash from various sources, including a defunct Dallas nightclub called Club X. Investigators say two, maybe three, suspects are still on the loose.
Police in 20 cities in half a dozen North Texas counties are working this investigation.