American Airlines Celebrates 80 Years of Flight Attendants

Marc Fein, NBC 5 News

Eighty years ago today, on May 3, 1933, the first four American Airlines stewardesses graduated from training and headed out on their first flight.

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Friday is a very special day for Fort Worth-based American Airlines.  Eighty years ago today, on May 3, 1933, the first four American Airlines stewardesses graduated from training and headed out on their first flight.

So we thought, what better time to take a trip down memory lane.

Over the last 80 years things have changed quite a bit for stewardesses, now commonly referred to as flight attendants. The four original American Airlines stewardesses graduated after three days of training in 1933. In 1957 the airline opened the world's first school dedicated to the profession, the American Airlines Stewardess College. At graduation,  a "flyover" was not uncommon as part of the celebration.

Traveling the world has always been a glamorous profession. Fittingly, much of the evolution of the profession has had to do with the uniform; from the military look of the early years, to the cutting-edge style of Bill Blass's uniforms in 1972.

They also broke down barriers by being one of the first airlines to hire black stewardesses. They were also the very first to carry AED's on every single flight.

American said Friday it is excited to celebrate and honor the professionals who have been the face of the airline for the last eight decades, and for those to come.

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Massive Food Fight at Fla. High School Ends with Student's Arrest

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A student was arrested after a food fight escalated at Cypress Bay High School in the South Florida suburb of Weston, according to authorities.

A 17-year-old was arrested on one charge of battery and one charge of disorderly conduct Friday afternoon after a massive food fight that spilled out into the school's courtyard, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office.

Officials said school administrators witnessed a 12th-grader throw an object. When the assistant principal tried to stop the student, he resisted by pulling, pushing and striking the assistant principal, authorities said.

He was taken into custody by deputies, one of whom sustained a knee laceration and a twisted ankle, according to police. The student, who turns 18 Sunday, faces felony charges for striking a school employee and resisting arrest without violence, authorities said. BSO initially reported the student faced charges of resisting arrest with violence.

The student's sister said he threw a piece of bread.

"Everyone was throwing things and they told him to move away," she said. "Two of the security guards from Cypress tackled him, apparently, and they were ripping his shirt and they were throwing him everywhere."

One Cypress Bay student said the situation "turned just absolutely insane."

"Everybody just started throwing food and 15 minutes later I see the cops showing up," that student said.

According to another student, the fight began when someone started throwing apples. The students then moved outside to the courtyard and formed a giant circle where they were throwing water bottles and other types of food, he said.

The students said the scene was absolute chaos.

"It turned into a mosh pit for some reason in the middle of the riots and me and a bunch of friends got punched in the face and we started punching people," another student said. "They started chanting, 'Only at Cypress,' it was crazy."

Other students said a rivalry with Western High School sparked it.

"I think Twitter had a lot to do with it this morning because Western was talking about having a food fight and they're our biggest rivals, so I feel that Cypress wanted to do something bigger," one student said.

Some parents are saying the situation could have been controlled.

"Cypress Bay has at least five thousand students, and they need more security measures for one thing, but they need people in the cafeteria to not have this happen," mother Jan Silverman said.

The Cypress Bay principal is reviewing video and trying to determine who started the fight, said Broward School Board officials. It is still too early to determine whether or not there will be suspensions, they said.

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Missing NRH Teen, Man Found in Mexico

In a news conference Thursday, police said 14-year-old Ruby Contreras and 26-year-old Stephan Cox have been found in Mexico and are OK.

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North Richland Hills police say 14-year-old Ruby Contreras and 26-year-old Stephan Cox have been found in Mexico and are OK.

According to police, Contreras and Cox were both taken into custody by Mexican officials, though he wouldn't say where specifically.  Local law enforcement are now working to bring them both back to the United States.

North Richland Hills police gave high praise to Mexican officials for their assistance in the investigation, which officials said is active and ongoing.

"The officials of the government of Mexico have been more than accommodating with our investigation. We owe our gratitude to their efforts in locating these two individuals and working with us to bring them home," said investigator Keith Bauman, with the North Richland Hills Police Department.

Police said they are still working to determine what charges Cox is expected to face.

Contreras was last seen at North Oaks Middle School in Haltom City and has been missing for more than one week. Police suspected she was with Cox, an Ohio man who earlier this year was charged with unlawful sexual contact with a minor.

Police said Contreras and Cox took a Greyhound bus from Fort Worth to El Paso on April 24, stopping in Abilene during the trip. The photo of Contreras and Cox entering a convenience store in Abilene was taken at about 10 p.m. on April 24.

Prior to being located by Mexican officals, Contreras and Cox were last seen when they arrived in El Paso on April 25.

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Apartment Stabbing Suspect Arrested in Okla.

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Apartment Stabbing Suspect Arrested in Okla.

Oklahoma police have arrested a man Bedford police say fatally stabbed the mother of his child and her 8-year-old son Wednesday night before fleeing the state.

Suspect in Fatal Bedford Apartment Stabbing Arrested

Police have arrested a man they believe killed a 30-year-old woman and an 8-year-old boy Wednesday night in Bedford.

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Oklahoma State Police arrested a man overnight Wednesday that Bedford police say fatally stabbed the mother of his child and her 8-year-old son before fleeing the state in her car that same evening.

At about 8:40 p.m. Wednesday, police were called to an apartment complex on the 1400 block of Park Place Boulevard where a family member reported 38-year-old Cedric Ricks had attacked several people, including children.

When officers arrived, they found a woman, now identified as 30-year-old Roxann Diana Sanchez, and an 8-year-old boy, Anthony Reyes Figueroa, dead.  A 12-year-old boy was also injured in the attack, but survived, and was transported to Children's Medical Center in critical condition. Doctors said the boy suffered a brain injury in the violent attack, but remain hopeful he'll survive.

An 8-month-old child, now in the custody of Child Protective Services, was also in the apartment at the time of the stabbings and was not injured.

Police said Ricks and Sanchez were an estranged couple that had one child together, the 8-month-old found unharmed.

As officers investigated the scene, they learned the woman's car was missing and put out a multi-state alert for officers to be on the lookout for the vehicle.

About three hours later, shortly after 11 p.m., officers with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol stopped and arrested Ricks for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle about 70 miles north of the Texas-Oklahoma border in Garvin County.

While being held in the Garvin County Jail, three arrest warrants were issued for Ricks, two for murder and one for attempted murder. Each murder warrant had a $2 million bond while the attempted murder warrant had a bond amount of $500,000.

Ricks was arraigned on the charges Thursday afternoon.

Police are now working with Oklahoma authorities to transfer Ricks back to Texas, but he is fighting extradition. To get Ricks back in Texas, the Garvin County District Attorney will have to ask Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin to get a governor's warrant and force the extradition.  A judge advised the Garvin County Sheriff's Department that process may take as long as two months.

NBC 5 learned Thursday afternoon that a protective order that expired in January was the result of an assault that took place in Nov. 2012 where police said Ricks choked Sanchez.  After that incident, Child Protective Services became involved to determine the welfare of the children.

According to Judy Ramos with the Hurst-Euless-Bedford independent School District, the 8-year-old was in the third grade at Spring Garden Elementary and the 12-year-old is a sixth grader.  Both children have attended the school since 2011 and, in a letter sent home to parents Thursday, the principal said the boys' grandmother worked at the school. 

NBC 5's Amanda Guerra, Ray Villeda, Shane Allen, Greg Janda and Frank Heinz contributed to this report.  Editor's note: A previous version of this story said Bedford police arrested Cedric Ricks.  He was arrested by Oklahoma Highway Patrol. We regret the error.

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Man Who Breached Love Field Faces Federal Charge

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A man arrested after police said he drove past a security gate, onto the taxiway and into a hangar at Love Field Airport on Sunday is now facing federal charges.

In a criminal complaint released Wednesday, the FBI said that Ruben Jimenez Martinez, 36, knowingly violating a secured area.

According to the criminal complaint, Martinez pulled up to the Business Jet gate and began pressing buttons on the gate access pad while saying "in the name of Jesus, open the gate."

After one Business Jet employee opened the gate to address Martinez, another attempted to position his car between Martinez and the gate, but once the gate was open, Martinez slipped through and onto the taxiway, the FBI said.

Martinez then sped, at speeds estimated to exceed 100 mph, down the taxiway toward a hangar as the Business Jet employees gave chase and called the police.

Martinez then stopped at a hangar, got out and walked around before laying his body across two un-mounted aircraft tires.  Police arrived a short time later and took Martinez into custody, though he tried to pull away from them, according to the complaint. Martinez told the FBI he pulled away from the officer after he "tensed up and felt a sudden burst of strength."

The FBI said Martinez waived his Miranda rights and told them that "he had a vision given to him by God of this same place and that he believed God had directed him to Love Field."

Further, Martinez told the FBI that when in the hangar he dropped his keys, wallet and Bible before yelling three times, "in the name of Jesus."

He also told the FBI that he knew it was illegal to enter the airport the way he did, to be driving on the taxiway and to enter the hangar and resist arrest.

At last check, Martinez was being held in the Dallas County Jail on $250,000 bond.

The incident is at least the second high-profile breach of security at Love Field in recent years. In August 2010, a Dallas police chase of a man in stolen pickup truck ended at the airport.

Michael Lawrence Brown barreled through an airport fence and ended up on the runways. At the time of the incident, the airport said at the time that it had a Transportation Security Administration-approved security program.

NBC 5's Scott Gordon and Ray Villeda contributed to this report.

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Police Release New Photo of Contreras, Cox

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Search for Missing North Richland Hills Teen Continues

The search continues for a North Richland Hills teen who s been missing for a week.

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North Richland Hills police on Wednesday released a photo taken at a store in Abilene of a missing 14-year-old and the 26-year-old man believed to be with her.

Ruby Contreras, who was last seen at North Oaks Middle School in Haltom City, has been missing for one week. Police believe she is with Stephan Cox, an Ohio man who earlier this year was charged with unlawful sexual contact with a minor.

Investigators believe Cox picked Contreras up from school on April 24.

Her parents reported her disappearance that evening.

Police said Contreras and Cox took a Greyhound bus from Fort Worth to El Paso on April 24, stopping in Abilene during the trip.

The photo of Contreras and Cox entering a convenience store in Abilene was taken at about 10 p.m. on April 24. She is wearing different clothes than when she disappeared, police said.

The pictures seem to show that she is not being held against her will and that she may not have any idea she could be in danger, police said.

Contreras and Cox were last seen when they arrived in El Paso on April 25.

Police say they don't know how the two met but suspect they met in person for the first time on April 24.

Cox Faces Sex Charges With Pennsylvania Teen

Cox currently faces sex charges after a teen girl from Pennsylvania reportedly stole her parents' car to drive to Ohio to meet him.

The girl's parents told investigators that their daughter and Cox met online.

Court records show that Columbus, Ohio, authorities in January charged Cox with two counts of unlawful sexual contact with a minor.

Cox, who has been on house arrest since February, was supposed to have an ankle monitor.

He is due in court in Ohio on Tuesday.

The Texas Rangers, the North Richland Hills and El Paso police departments, the State Operations Center, the FBI and law enforcement agencies in Ohio are working on Contreras' disappearance.

Contreras Family "Scared for Her"

The Contreras family has been hanging up missing-person fliers all around North Richland Hills.

"I'm scared for her. I don't know what this man is telling her. I don't know what he's doing. I'm just scared for her," said her sister, Jiovanna Contreras.

Their father, Alfonso, has had several sleepless nights waiting for any word from his daughter.

"I don't know why this happened," he said. "I can't believe it."

Family members say they knew something was wrong when Ruby Contreras didn't walk through the door after school.

"She always came home at 4:12 p.m. every day," her sister said. "I was here waiting for her every day. She didn't come home that day."

Jiovanna Contreras says it is just not like her little sister to vanish. Her family reported the teenager missing last Wednesday.

The North Richland Hills Police Department originally called said that an Amber Alert had been issued in the case, but the Texas State Operations Center has refused to classify the case as an Amber Alert because of the lack of information on a vehicle in which she and Cox may be traveling.

North Richland Hills police say even though the case does not have an Amber Alert, they still need the public's help in locating her. Anyone with any information about Contreras or Cox should immediately call 911.

NBC 5's Eric King contributed to this report.

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Child's Rape Investigated at Dallas Middle School

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Child's Rape Investigated at Dallas Middle School

Some Dallas middle school students are afraid to return to class after chilling claims surface of a sexual assault on campus.

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Dallas police are investigating after a middle school student said she was sexually assaulted at gunpoint in a school bathroom.

The Thomas A. Edison Learning Center student said she was raped inside a girl's bathroom after school on Monday. The girl told police a man followed her into the bathroom, forced her to the ground and sexually assaulted her at about 5 p.m.

The girl ran to get help at a day care across the street. Michelle Brown, the day care owner and the parent of an Edison student, said the child's pants were ripped. She was clearly traumatized and very distraught, Brown said.

"It was just very, very devastating," Brown said.

Brown called 911 and the girl's mother, who was already at the school to pick up her child and had been unable to locate her.

"[The] mom, she just collapsed in the parking lot," Brown said.

The Dallas Independent School District said that all of the school's doors are locked by 4 p.m. The district said it reviewed the school's security camera footage but did not find video of anyone matching the description of the attacker.

Many parents and students didn't hear about it until they dropped off their children Tuesday morning.

"When I heard, I was crying," eighth-grader Denisha McDonald said. "I'm scared to even go to school."

"I'm like, 'Wow,' and thinking, 'Should I even send my daughter to school today?'" mother Jamie Lewis said.

DISD said it learned of the allegations Monday night, too late to notify parents before Tuesday.

"The district learned of the allegation around 7 p.m. Because of the time that the allegation was made, it was impossible to get a letter out to parents last night. A note will likely be sent home with students today as more details become available," DISD spokesman Jon Dahlander said.

The school sent the following letter home to parents Tuesday.

Dear Parents and Edison school community,

The safety of our students is our top priority here at Thomas A. Edison Middle Learning Center. When there are issues of concern, we feel it is important to share them with our parents and our school community so we can all work together to ensure that students and staff are safe.

The purpose of this letter is to notify you of an incident being investigated by the Dallas Police Department. An allegation was made yesterday that one of our students was assaulted on campus after school, and we are cooperating fully with this investigation.

I ask everyone to keep our fellow Eagle and the family in your thoughts and prayers. A crisis unit is available for any student or adult needing counseling regarding this matter. In addition, extra security will remain on campus.

Again, safety is our primary concern, therefore we are asking that students be picked up on time each day, that they wear their ID badges at all times, and that any suspicious people on campus or behavior be reported to school authorities immediately. Our staff is working diligently with the police department to ensure our school provides a safe environment for our students.

Thank you for your continued support of Thomas Edison Middle Learning Center. If you have additional questions or information you need to pass along, please contact me at (972) 794-4100.

Sincerely,
D. Spurlock, Principal.

The school has increased security has crisis counselors on campus to help students cope with the attack.

NBC 5's Lindsay Wilcox contributed to this report.

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Police Search for Missing NRH Teen

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Police Search for Missing North Richland Hills Teen

The North Richland Hills Police Department wants the public to help find 14-year-old Ruby Contreras. She's been missing since Wednesday and police believe she may be with 24-year-old Stephan Cox who they say is dangerous.

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North Richland Hills police want the public's help in finding a 14-year-old girl who has been missing since Wednesday.

Ruby Contreras failed to return home from North Oaks Middle School in Haltom City on April 24. Police they were notified at 8 p.m. that night of her disappearance.

Investigators said they believe she has left North Texas and could be with 24-year-old Stephan Andrew Cox.

Cox currently faces charges after a teen girl from Pennsylvania reportedly stole her parents car to drive to Ohio to meet him.

Court records show that Columbus, Ohio, authorities in January charged Cox with two counts of unlawful sexual contact with a minor.

Cox, who has been on house arrest since February, was supposed to have an ankle monitor. He is due in court in Ohio on Tuesday.

The Pennsylvania girl's parents told investigators that she and Cox met online.

North Richland Hill police said they do not believe Contreras had met Cox face-to-face before Wednesday but will not say how they met.

Police say Cox is dangerous and that Contreras is not safe with him.

Police believe they might be traveling west by bus service. Investigators have photographic evidence that the pair traveled to El Paso on a Greyhound bus that left from Wednesday from the downtown Fort Worth terminal.

The Contreras family told police that her disapperance is not normal behavior and that there is no reason to believe she ran away from home. The family said she did not take her cellphone with her and that they have never heard of Cox.

Ruby Contreras is 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighs approximately 95 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans.

Stephan Andrew Cox is 26 years old and is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds.

The Texas State Operations Center has refused to call Contreras' disappearance an Amber Alert because of the lack of information on the vehicle they may be traveling in, but North Richland Hills police say they are still working to classify it as an Amber Alert and the classification doesn't lessen the need for the public to help locate her.

The North Richland Hills Police Department is asking anyone with any information as to the whereabouts of Contreras or Cox to call 911 immediately.

NBC 5's Ben Russell contributed to this report.

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New Bridge to Ease Traffic, Spark Development

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A major part of the historic, 165-year-old Edwards Ranch in Fort Worth is about to change forever.

The changes have been in the works for decades but can finally happen after a major bridge project opened on Friday.

The Clearfork Main Street bridge connects Hulen Street and Bryant Irvin Road, making it a major arterial street in the heart of the city.

City officials cut the ribbon at a ceremony on Friday morning, and traffic was allowed over by early afternoon.

"It gives us another way to get between Bryant Irvin Road and Hulen, instead of just Vickery or I-30 right now, and you know what that's like," City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Zim Zimmerman .

The bridge is actually a twin set of spans that cross the Trinity River with a pedestrian bridge below.

"As you come across the Hulen bridge, this will be a major asset," Mayor Betsy Price said.

More importantly the bridge, coupled with the nearby Chisholm Trail Parkway, means development of the Clearfork section of Edwards Ranch can get started.

"This truly was the main piece that we needed to begin development, because it's really the first connection into the property," said Paxton Motheral, Cassco Development Co. vice president.

Cassco, owned by the Edwards family, plans on developing 270 acres of property, mostly south of the new toll road. The project will feature apartments, townhomes, retail and green space.

Infrastructure work on the project has been underway for the last seven years with help from the city but, in September, the first phase will begin. Construction on a 50-acre portion of the site should be completed by the end of 2014.

The project is one of many in the city's core, as development is just as important inside Loop 820 as it is outside.

"You never want a city to die from within. You never want all the development to be on the edges; you certainly want to keep your core city vibrant and strong," Price said.

"There's a lot of land yet to be developed inside the loop, and we're starting to try and focus on that before we really try to jump to the outskirts," Zimmerman said.

So while the bridge leads to very little right now, that won't always be the case.

"We want the city of Fort Worth to be proud of what's happening out here on the property," Motheral said.

The first residential phase will feature 398 units of townhomes, contemporary lofts and upscale apartments. The pedestrian bridge is set to open later this spring.

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Family Wants Charges in Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting

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The family of a man who was shot and killed by Dallas police officer is asking the department to take another look at the case.

Clinton Allen, 25, was killed March 10 during a disturbance call at an apartment complex in the 3300 block of Southern Oaks Boulevard.

"I am outraged that this policeman that has no respect for human life is back on the streets of Dallas with a gun again, and you should be outraged," said Allen's mother, Collette Flannagan.

She and the group Justice Seekers Texas say the police account of the shooting does not match up with the autopsy and toxicology reports.

They said that police initially said Allen was high on drugs. The toxicology report shows that the PCP and marijuana in his system was likely smoked two or three days before the shooting, Justice Seekers Texas said.

"Everybody was under the assumption that this was one of those cases where one of these young men were on drugs and they attacked a police officer but, from the information that we have and the witnesses, that is not true. That is a lie," said the Rev. Ronald Wright, director of Justice Seekers Texas.

Police said Allen was knocking on the door of a female resident and threatening her. He also sent her numerous text messages threatening to kick in her door, investigators said.

Officer Clark Staller responded after the woman, who knew Allen through mutual friends, called 911.

Police said Staller pulled his weapon and shouted at Allen to show his hands after he saw the man jump over a fence. Staller put his gun away and pulled out his stun gun when Allen complied, but Allen grabbed Staller collar, police said.

Staller shocked Allen twice during the ensuing scuffle, but the officer said it had no effect, police said. Staller said Allen began choking him and, in fear of his life, he pulled out his gun and fired, according to Dallas police.

The autopsy report shows that Allen was shot seven times four times in the chest, once in the abdomen, once in the arm and once in the back, his family said.

"Executed like a rabid animal. Who does that to another human being?" Flannagan said. "You can't even shoot an animal seven times and not go to jail."

His family said Allen was the father of twins younger than 2 years old.

Wright said Justice Seekers Texas has new witness affidavits from people who were in the area at the time of the shooting. He said he has forwarded the affidavits and the toxicology and autopsy reports to police department's internal investigations unit.

Wright said the group's next move would be to try to schedule a meeting with the district attorney in the hopes of getting the case in front of a grand jury.

"It was a grievous murder, and it's unfortunate this family has to go through this," he said.
Dallas police said the shooting is under investigation. When the investigation is concluded, the case will be forwarded to the district attorney's office for presentation to a grand jury.

Staller, who has been with the Dallas Police Department for nearly five years, has returned to his regular duties.

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