DALLAS — David Stewart, 27, and his girlfriend Jimena Nunez, 24, were the parents of two daughters, ages 3 years old and 8 months old. This weekend, they were getting ready to celebrate their little girl's 4th birthday.
Stewart's mother said he loved his two daughters.
"That was his life," his mother, Latoya Stewart said. "Those little girls and his girlfriend. He was a great dad."
Wednesday afternoon, Dallas police officers found the young couple shot to death. Their daughters were found safe at their Northeast Dallas apartment.
"I did hear where they said when someone got there, they were just in there playing with toys. You know, just saying mommy and daddy won’t wake up,” said Latoya.
The Dallas Police Department (DPD) said the couple may have been killed Sunday night.
WFAA has learned from sources that on Sunday a neighbor called 911 at 11:58 p.m. She told police she heard four shots, followed by banging and what sounded like fighting. But officers weren’t assigned the call until nearly two hours later at 1:45 a.m., and officers didn’t get to the apartment until nearly 2 a.m. Officers knocked on the door and left.
"I don’t know why they didn’t try to go in, or try. I just feel if you get a call like that and somebody heard shots, you should go in, and go in the apartment and go see,” said Latoya.
"Responding officers knocked on the door several times, and announced themselves as police. Officers also listened at the door for sounds coming from inside the apartment and didn’t hear anyone inside. There was no sign of a forced entry into the apartment,” said Dallas Police Department spokesperson Kristen Lowman.
Sources said police went back to the apartment on Wednesday, when a neighbor called and said the oldest child was walking around outside and they stopped to ask her where her parents were. She led them to the apartment.
David Stewart's mother wonders what if police had found them sooner.
"Did they just immediately pass away? Or did they suffer for a day? Or bleed to death? I don’t know. But I feel like if the police and ambulance would have gotten there, maybe they could have at least gotten them to the hospital,” said Latoya.
DPD said when the call came in Sunday night, they had more than a dozen other "priority 2" calls already holding and responded as soon as there were officers available.
The department has struggled with longer response times. Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia has previously said he needs more officers to respond to priority 1 and 2 calls like this one. So, Garcia is looking at creating a civilian group that would respond to lower priority non-emergency calls to free officers up for the more urgent calls.
Thursday, DPD said officers are still searching for Stewart and Nunez's car, which is missing from the apartment complex parking lot. Police asks if anyone spots the 2014 black Nissan with Texas license plate HNT9708 to contact Detective Yahir Perez at yahir.perez@dallascityhall.com or 214-671-4735.
Crime Stoppers will also pay up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest and indictment for this crime. If you have information and would like to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 214-373-8477, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.