The operation is the first major enforcement push under new Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux.
DALLAS — Dallas Police arrested 98 people as part of a month-long warrant roundup called Operation Justice Trail—an aggressive effort to get violent offenders off the streets.
The operation is the first major enforcement push under new Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux, who says the goal is to send a clear message: Dallas is not a safe haven for repeat offenders. WFAA sat down with the chief to talk about the operation.
“Look, it went extremely well. We did a 30-day operation on Operation Justice Trail,” Comeaux said. “Yes, we specifically targeted some individuals who had a lot of prior arrests, but also they had felony warrants, so they were wanted right now and they were still walking the streets of Dallas.”
Police say the 98 suspects arrested had more than 700 prior arrests combined. Many were wanted for murders, robberies, aggravated assaults, and a significant number for domestic violence.
“Look, first of all, what we’re doing is we’re gonna keep everybody safe, and we want everyone out there to know we are working extremely hard to keep everyone safe and to get those off the street that don’t deserve to be on the street,” Comeaux said.
Among those arrested was 17-year-old Juan Andrew Saucedo, charged with capital murder in the shooting death of 14-year-old Adam Gutierrez.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by WFAA, Gutierrez was lured to a home on Exeter Avenue in March under the pretense of selling a THC vape pen to another teen, identified as Andrew Gallegos, who police say acted as an accomplice.
Gutierrez was accompanied by his sister, girlfriend, and a friend, who stayed in the car outside the home. The affidavit states that after initially meeting at the car, Gallegos texted Gutierrez from inside the house, prompting the 14-year-old to come to the door.
Shortly after Gutierrez entered the home, the three girls said they heard a gunshot and yelling. When one of them approached the window, she saw someone—later identified as Saucedo—point a gun at her. The girls ran away and called family members.
Hours later, Gutierrez’s body was found in the alley behind the home, stripped down to his underwear and missing a gold bracelet and pinky ring. The medical examiner confirmed he had died from a shotgun wound to the abdomen.
The affidavit outlines a disturbing motive: “The murder was in retaliation for the complainant taking a gun that belonged to suspect Juan Saucedo.”
Gallegos later admitted to detectives that Saucedo had previously asked him to help sneak into Molina High School with a knife to stab Gutierrez, but that he refused to go along with the plan. Instead, the two lured Gutierrez to the Exeter Avenue home during spring break.
“The suspect walked towards the complainant and said, ‘Hey, b—- a–,’ and then fired the shotgun one time,” the affidavit says.
Gallegos told detectives that after the shooting, Saucedo stepped on Gutierrez’s head to ensure he was dead. He then dragged his body to the alley and removed his clothing and jewelry.
In his interview with WFAA, Chief Comeaux emphasized that this operation is just the beginning—particularly as the summer months, historically marked by a rise in violent crime, get underway.
“We are going to continue this throughout the summer months. We are going to make sure everyone is safe in Dallas. But not only that everyone is safe in Dallas, but I need everyone to start feeling like they are safe… and operations like this will make everyone know and understand that they are safe.”