Controversy over proposed street renaming for Dallas Police Murder victim Santo Rodriguez

There’s a new effort in Dallas to rename a street for 12-year-old Santos Rodriguez who was murdered by a Dallas Police officer 50 years ago.

What might otherwise be an easy decision is complicated by the location. The plan involves six miles of Jim Miller Road in Pleasant Grove between I-30 and Loop 12 Great Trinity Forest Way. Opponents don’t want Pleasant Grover tarnished by the police murder that happened many miles across town.

Rodriguez was in the back seat of a police squad car being questioned by Officer Darrell Cain for a theft the child did not commit. Cain accidentally shot Rodriguez in the head with a gun the officer said he thought was unloaded as the boy's brother David Rodriguez watched. 

The officer, now deceased, received just 5 years in prison for the crime which shocked and angered the community. It happened in the Little Mexico neighborhood which is now Uptown Dallas. A statue of Santos Rodriguez stands in Pike Park on Harry Hines Boulevard and the recreation center there has also been named for the boy.

But supporters of a street renaming say the terrible incident has been largely forgotten by Dallas residents who do not visit that park.

“It’s actually really appalling how many people don’t know. So that means our city hasn’t done a good enough job,” City Council Member Adam Bazaldua said.

He is one of three council members whose districts include portions of Jim Miller Road who have supported launching the city review process for the street name change.

“Raising awareness and making sure the story of Santos Rodriguez is told and remembered for generations to come of our city,” Bazaldua said.

Residents and business owners along Jim Miller Road would be forced to change their addresses.

Alfredo Rosales, a customer at one of those businesses Tuesday and a businessman himself, said he thinks it would be worthwhile.

“This neighborhood has a lot of Hispanic people so I think it would be good, yeah,” Rosales said.

A representative of the victim’s mother Bessie Rodriguez told NBC5 Tuesday that she strongly supports naming a street for her son, which she wanted to see done long ago.

Reverend Ronald Wright, a Pleasant Grove area activist, said has heard from many people opposed to changing this street.

“Now, our hearts and prayers go out to the young man this happened to and that’s unfortunate,” Wright said. “This incident didn’t take place in Pleasant Grove and thus really has nothing to do with it. So if we’re going to name something for the young man let’s do it where it took place.”

Another name change for Botham Jean who was murdered by another Dallas Police officer happened on Lamar Street where that crime occurred. It also happens to be the same street where Dallas Police Headquarters is located.

“Black, White and Hispanic are against them changing the name of Jim Miller and saying it didn’t happen over here so we don’t want anything negative over in this part of Dallas,” Wright said.

Councilman Bazaldua said city officials will listen to citizens in the review process, but that a street to honor Rodriguez does not need to be where the shooting occurred.

Because Jim Miller Road crosses I-30, Bazaldua pointed out that travelers would see the name and could also be exposed to the history behind it.

“I don’t believe that the significance of raising awareness for such a story of our city’s history needs to be confined to one location geographically or another,” Bazaldua said.

A public meeting for the first stage of city review for the name change request by a panel of the Dallas Plan Commission is set for 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16 at Dallas City Hall.

People connected with the issue said Jim Miller was a Dallas County Commissioner in the 1950s. A small portion of the existing street north of I-30 would still be named for Miller if the change is made.