Pleasant Grove Street Corner Where 13-Year-Old Malik Tyler Was Murdered Has Long History Of Violence
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The street corner where 13-year-old Malik Tyler was killed Tuesday night has a long, notorious history of drug deals, fights and shootings.
In 2013, Craig Watson, 51, a homeless veteran, was sitting at the bus stop near the corner when he was shot and killed.
Three years later, in 2016, George Dennis went to get food at the Adams Food Mart convenient store when someone drove by and indiscriminately started firing.
The 31-year-old was hit and died a few months later from his injuries.
Malik Tyler is also the second young teenager to be killed at the location.
In 2016, 15-year-old Kalvin Hopson was fatally shot by a 17-year-old suspect.
Over the years, the city of Dallas has tried curb the crime in the area that often takes place in the parking lots of the convenience store and the self-service car wash that are located on the busy street corner.
The Dallas Police Department targeted the area with automatic license plate readers and installed a surveillance camera on a street light. The city also denied the Adams Food Mart convenience store a permit to sell wine and beer.
Neighbors, however, said these efforts have done little to make the corner safer.
In one of its latest attempts to reduce crime in the area, the city is suing the owner of the self-service car wash in the 9500 block of Bruton Street.
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The city wants the owner, Jerry Sliwa, to do more to prevent criminal activity on his property.
The 77-year-old bought the self-service car wash six years ago as retirement investment.
He told the CBS 11 I-Team in an interview earlier this year, "I didn't buy the crime with the car wash. I just bought the car wash."
Sliwa said he has done everything the city has asked him, including recently installing new security cameras that live streams the video so it can be monitored by a security guard.
Sliwa's attorney, Steve Raynor, met with city officials Tuesday.
Raynor said the city wants the security guards hired by the car wash to be more aggressive with looters.
In the past several months after the lawsuit was filed, Sliwa has put up cameras, extra lights, a fence, along with signage warning about loitering.
He also added a gate and started closing the car wash at 10:00 p.m. instead of keeping it open all night.
Dallas Councilman Kevin Felder said, especially with the current shortage of police officers, the Dallas Police Department cannot afford to be the private security for businesses.
Felder has championed the city's aggressive legal approach it has taken on owners of self-serve car washes with a history of criminal activity.
