The suspect in the red jeans is Zantrell Sauls. The other suspect is an unnamed minor. (Photo from DPD)
UPDATE:
Monday evening, Dallas Police took Zantrell Sauls, 17, into custody on felony aggravated assault charges after he allegedly took part in beating area theater director Derek Whitener in the Target parking lot on Haskell. The other suspect in the crime, a juvenile police have not named, was arrested last weekend.
It is unclear why police released the name of one juvenile suspect and not the other. In Texas, youth age 15 and up can be tried as adults if they are arrested for felony crimes.
Whitener is healing nicely after spending several days in the ICU with a fractured skull, according to a GoFundMe page that has been updated by his friend Brina Wingo. This morning, she posted, “Last night was another great night for Derek. First, they caught the second attacker! So grateful to the Dallas PD for their tireless work on this case! Second, Uptown Theater held a fundraiser in his honor. There were some amazing performances, but the best part? Derek was in the audience. He insisted he would only stay for 30 minutes, but he stayed for the whole show. I know he was exhausted because of it, but I have no doubt it was healing for his soul. I know I keep saying it, but thank you, thank you, thank you all for your continued support and outpouring of love for Derek. It continues to move and inspire.”
The original post, below, went live at 10:59 a.m. Jan. 28.
A teen who wore a gorilla mask when he allegedly took part in a violent attack in the Target parking lot on Haskell has been arrested, police say. They are still searching for the other suspect, who wore red jeans and a black hoodie, along with a gorilla mask, during the Jan. 14 crime.
Derek Whitener suffered a fractured skull when the two suspects beat him with a wooden rod after he shopped at the store around 11 p.m. He required surgery, but is now out of intensive care and in stable condition, according to a GoFundMe page that raised more the $100,000 after getting a boost from some high-profile celebrities.
Police have not named the suspect in custody because of his young age. The man still at large is described as 18-20 years old, 5’9” and 150 pounds who wore white Nike shoes and cared a black backpack. Anyone with information can contact Detective Hubner in the assaults unit at 214.671.3639 or Crime Stoppers at 214.373.TIPS (8477), and will pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest.
