Security guard dragged, fatally shot in Dallas parking garage

Police are asking the public for help to catch the suspect. (WFAA, BRIANNA SMITH, ANONYMOUS SOURCE, CNN)
Published: May. 22, 2023 at 4:16 AM CDT|Updated: 7 hours ago
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DALLAS (WFAA) - Police are looking for a gunman who shot and killed a security guard in a Dallas parking garage. Investigators say the guard confronted the suspect after he allegedly broke into several vehicles.

Police say Adalberto Santiago, a 34-year-old security guard, was trying to stop a man from breaking into cars late Friday afternoon in a parking garage in Dallas’ Preston Center West.

Security footage shows a gold sedan pulling out of a parking space on the top level of the parking garage with Santiago hanging out of the driver’s door. The sedan then crashes.

A few moments later, Santiago can be seen running behind the car and collapsing, and the car speeds off.

Officers who responded to the parking garage found Santiago with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.

Police found the sedan abandoned over 12 miles away in a closed business parking lot.

An employee at a nearby business says she remembers hearing six gunshots that afternoon. She also says that Santiago had been patrolling the area for the past few months and described him as someone who seemed kind and dedicated to his job.

“It’s terrible. I mean, the guy was trying to do the right thing, the security guy, and he ended up losing his life trying to help protect us and keep us safe,” said Dallas resident Carmen Coker.

She moved to the area just a few weeks ago.

“I’m a little more cautious than I used to be because you hear about it happening so much more frequently,” Coker said.

Another Dallas resident, Jose Vega, makes a trip to the shopping area about twice a month, and after learning what happened, he says his biggest concern is for his family.

“I do have my daughter, and we do come here frequently. So, just to know that, it is a little bit scary,” he said.

Those who live nearby also report seeing a rise in vehicle break-ins.

Police are continuing to investigate the case, and they are asking the public for help to catch the suspect.