HOWE, TX — Three volunteer firefighters affiliated with the Howe Fire Department were arrested and charged with multiple felony counts of child sex abuse involving the same 16-year-old victim, a junior firefighter who began volunteering at the department in January 2022.
David Yosimar Perez-Glass, Dalton Joe McCaslin and Joshua Todd Ryals face charges ranging from sexual assault of a child to indecency with a child involving sexual contact. The arrests came after a Texas Rangers investigation that began when the victim reported the alleged abuse to Howe police in May 2025. Two of the suspects had recently received awards for their service — Perez-Glass was named Firefighter of the Year by Howe in 2022, while Ryals received Paramedic of the Year from the Melissa Fire Department on March 16, just days before his arrest.
Court documents reveal that Perez-Glass allegedly began harassing the victim within her first month at the department, with behavior that escalated when they were alone at the fire station. The victim told investigators that despite saying she was a virgin and did not like what he was doing, Perez-Glass allegedly assaulted her more than 20 times over the course of a year. According to arrest affidavits, he repeatedly threatened to rape her, kill her and “do things to her parents” if she reported their interactions. The alleged assaults reportedly ended when the victim turned 17 and Perez-Glass no longer wanted to engage in a relationship because she had reached the “legal age.”
McCaslin allegedly had what court documents described as a “consensual” sexual relationship with the girl beginning in December 2022, when she visited an apartment he shared with another firefighter in Van Alstyne. During a police interview in March, McCaslin confessed to having sex with the victim when she was 17 and admitted to receiving nude photographs of her on Snapchat, though he said the images were deleted. Ryals allegedly admitted to inappropriate contact with the victim while alone at the Howe Fire Station. According to affidavits, during one encounter he stopped and said, “You’re sixteen, what am I doing?” before continuing with the sexual interaction.
The case reveals a pattern of alleged predatory behavior within the fire department, with court documents stating that Perez-Glass and other members kept a timer on their phones tracking the victim’s age and counting down to when she would turn 18. A witness who was a firefighter at the department tried to report Perez-Glass’ inappropriate sexual advances but was allegedly reprimanded by Howe Fire Department administration for jumping the chain of command. The victim told investigators she believed there had been more than 30 sexual encounters with the three suspects combined during the period of alleged abuse.
All three suspects have been employed at other fire departments across North Texas. Perez-Glass has worked at the Irving Fire Department since 2023 and was placed on administrative leave following his arrest. McCaslin has worked with the Allen Fire Department for over two years and was placed on administrative leave March 25. Ryals resigned from the Melissa Fire Department the week before his arrest. The City of Howe posted an opening for Fire Chief on March 17 after the previous chief, Robert Maniet, unexpectedly resigned in February with no reason given for his departure.
Perez-Glass and McCaslin each face three counts of sexual assault of a child, while Ryals was charged with two counts of indecency with a child involving sexual contact. All three were booked into the Grayson County Jail on March 26. The Howe Police Department said in a statement that no city employee was directly involved and that the Texas Rangers were contacted early in the investigation to ensure an independent review by highly skilled investigators. The department emphasized that the matters did not involve any patient and that immediate action was taken upon learning of the allegations.
The case remains under investigation, with authorities working to determine if there are additional victims or suspects. Court proceedings are expected to begin in the coming weeks, with all three defendants facing potential prison sentences if convicted of the felony charges.
