A Texas man behind bars for allegedly molesting more than a dozen children was beaten to death last Wednesday.
Star Telegram reports Don Simpson, 76, was beaten to death inside the Tarrant County Jail, allegedly at the hands of 42-year-old David Faustino Flores. Flores was behind bars on charges of injuring an elderly person when the incident occurred.
According to court documents, Simpson, a former preacher, owned a children’s train and track station, “Mr. Don’s Whistle Stop,” that he operated from his back yard. Numerous children from the area stopped by to ride the train and play. In 2007, after decades of operating the train station and hosting children’s birthday parties, he was accused of sexually molesting one boy and 11 pre-school-age girls.
Earlier this month, Simpson was deemed competent for trial and transferred from the mental health hospital to jail.
The assault took place at around 2:20 a.m. Less than an hour later, Simpson was pronounced dead after authorities took him to the John Peter Smith Hospital. A medical examiner said Simpson died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Simpson’s friend expressed shock over the accusations against him, dubbing him a “great preacher.”
“He was a wonderful family man who was very kind,” family friend Frances Bobo said. “He so loved God and his family…..This man would never had done what he was accused of.”
Don’s Whistle Stop shut down in 2007 for operating without a business permit.
[Feature Photo: Pixabay]
