Murder Suspect's Family Says Woman Who Hired Her Was New Friend
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DALLAS (CBSDFW) - 23-year-old Crystal Cortes is being held at the Dallas County Jail on $500,000 bail. Since Dr. Kendra Hatcher's murder one week ago, Cortes remains the only person police have arrested in the case. Investigators say Cortes admitted to her role as the driver of the Jeep Cherokee caught on surveillance video, but she says those most responsible for the murder are still free.
Police say the woman who loaned Cortes that Jeep led them to her, but Cortes says that woman was the one who offered her $500 to drive an unidentified man to rob Hatcher. Court documents describe the woman as the ex-girlfriend of Hatcher's boyfriend. Relatives of Cortes say the ex-girlfriend is someone who had only recently befriended Cortes and asked her to run errands for her.
Family members say during the investigation police interviewed Cortes' six-year-old son. The boy remains in protective custody. Now relatives tell us Cortes has asked them to make returning the boy to the family's custody their top priority.
A spokesperson for the Department of Family and Protective Services confirms Cortes' son remains in the care of foster parents. It will be up to a judge whether he can be released to the family after a hearing sometime in the next two weeks.
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