Father of 3-year-old boy fatally shot in car in Dallas arrested on evidence-tampering charge

The father of a 3-year-old boy who was fatally shot in Dallas last week now faces an evidence-tampering charge.

Police announced late Wednesday that Jalexus Washington Sr., 27, had been arrested because he concealed a firearm after the shooting of Jalexus Washington Jr. (Police said the father’s name is Jalexus, but jail records and public records showed it as Jaxleus.)

A public defender listed for Washington in court records could not immediately be reached for comment.

Jalexus Washington Jr. was fatally shot the morning of May 28.

His mother, 26-year-old Lacravivonne Washington, told police the shooting was the result of a road-rage incident after she left a doughnut shop about 9:40 a.m. with three children, ages 2, 3 and 4. She arrived at Medical City Dallas Hospital in North Dallas about 20 minutes later, and the boy was pronounced dead there.

Police said they could not find evidence of a road-rage shooting, however, and the child’s autopsy revealed he had been shot in the head at close range, ruling out the possibility of gunfire from another vehicle.

When authorities searched the car, they found a handgun in the glovebox “where the children could easily reach it,” according to an arrest-warrant affidavit. There were no child safety seats or restraints in the car, police said.

Police later found another handgun in the possession of Jalexus Washington Sr. and determined it was the weapon that had killed the boy. Police said Lacravivonne Washington had purchased both firearms on March 4.

Authorities have not said whether they believe Jalexus got hold of the gun and shot himself or whether someone else in the vehicle shot him.

The boy’s parents were taken into custody on March 30.

Lacravivonne Washington was arrested on counts of endangering a child and tampering with evidence; authorities later filed two more child-endangerment charges against her. She was being held Wednesday at the Dallas County jail, with bail set at $50,000.

Records show she also has outstanding warrants out of Carrollton for failure to use a child safety seat and speeding. An attorney listed for her in court records has not responded to a request for comment.

Jalexus Washington Sr. was initially arrested on a charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon and was released from custody after posting $1,500 bond. He was back in the Dallas County jail Wednesday, and his bail had not been set.

Four of the Washingtons’ children — ages 2, 4, 7 and 9 — were removed from their home by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and placed with a relative.