Former Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst arrested in Dallas, accused of assaulting woman

Former Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst was arrested Tuesday in connection with the assault of a woman in Dallas near Love Field.

Dewhurst, 75, faces a misdemeanor assault charge, which is a Class A misdemeanor.

Detectives with the Dallas Police Department’s public integrity unit are conducting the investigation.

Dallas police responded to a disturbance call shortly before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 3300 block of West Mockingbird Lane.

When they arrived, Dallas police met with a woman who had been physically assaulted by a man she knew, according to police reports. That man was later identified as David Dewhurst.

Dewhurst was later arrested and taken to the Dallas County Jail.

Dallas police did not identify the woman.

In October 2020, a Harris County grand jury declined to indict Leslie Caron for injuries sustained by Dewhurst in Houston, according to court records.

In May 2020, Caron, 41, was charged with injury to an elderly individual. The grand jury returned the decision on Oct. 15, 2020, meaning jurors didn’t find evidence to support an indictment, in effect ending the criminal case against Caron.

Dewhurst, 75, told investigators Caron kicked his ribs while he sat on a couch and attacked him again several days later, again kicking his ribs, throwing a pot that hit his elbow and biting his arm as he defended himself, officials said. An X-ray showed two fractured ribs.

Caron denied attacking Dewhurst and told investigators that he was injured while moving items at his warehouse, police said. She said Dewhurst assaulted her, but police did not find evidence to confirm the accusation, according to court documents.

Dewhurst served as lieutenant governor from 2003 to 2015. He lost re-election to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Dewhurst ran for U.S. Senate in 2012, losing to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

This story contains information from Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives.