Man Who Killed Officer In Drunk Driving Accident Was Arrested In May For DWI, But Released A Day Later

SANSOM PARK, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Sansom Park Police said today that a man suspected of killing a Euless detective in a drunk driving accident last month had been arrested in May for DWI, but was released without being charged.

The mishandling of the case and others led two Sansom Park officers to resign, including the chief of police.

On May 16, a Sansom Park officer conducted a traffic stop at 3920 Boat Club Road that resulted in Dylan Molina's arrest on suspicion of DWI.

This was the same street where Molina would kill Detective Alex Cervantes months later after once again driving drunk.

Detective Robert Payne was assigned to Molina's case. However, for reasons that are currently unclear, Payne instructed that Molina be released the following day. He was not charged at the time.

Exactly four month later, on September 17, Payne was placed on administrative leave after multiple complaints that he had mishandled cases. The Mayor and City Administrators met with then Chief Carolyn Gilmore about those complaints.

She denied they had any viability, but Payne resigned from the Sansom Park Police Department on September 21. Eight days later, Chief Gilmore also immediately resigned from the department.

Then, on October 5, Sansom Park Police hired a private investigative consultant to analyze Payne's former cases.

On November 30, this investigation uncovered more information about Molina's case, including the lab results from the consensual blood draw provided by Molina. The results of that test showed that at the time of his May 16 arrest, Molina's blood alcohol concentration was over twice the legal limit.

Those test results had been emailed to Detective Payne on June 8.

Upon this discovery, Sansom Park PD immediately met with the Lake Worth Police Chief to share the discovery and to request the body camera footage from their officer who assisted in the investigation.

The Sansom Park Police Investigator moved forward with this investigation and gathered all information related to the May 16 arrest of Dylan Molina for DWI. The case was finally filed against the suspect on December 16, seven months after his arrest.