DALLAS COUNTY, TX - A Dallas County jury has found 26-year-old Peyton Gamel Zachry guilty of Interfering with an Emergency Request for Assistance following a violent incident involving his girlfriend, who is from Missouri, during a visit to Dallas.
Prosecutors said the defendant and the victim had been dating for three years. At the time of the incident, the victim was staying at an Airbnb while completing a summer law school internship. Zachry traveled to Dallas to spend the weekend with her, but the visit quickly escalated into an argument.
According to testimony, the argument turned physical when Zachry threw a wine bottle at the victim and shoved her to the ground. The victim attempted to call 911 for help, but Zachry ran outside and forcibly grabbed the phone from her, cutting off the call for assistance.
Police did not arrive at the scene for nearly two hours. During that time, prosecutors said Zachry continued the assault by choking the victim, spitting on her, breaking furniture inside the Airbnb, and yelling at her. When officers eventually arrived, Zachry attempted to portray the victim as the aggressor.
Zachry was arrested for Assault Family Violence Impeding and Interference with an Emergency Request for Assistance. The assault charge was later no-billed by a grand jury, but the interference charge proceeded to trial.
The jury deliberated for just 30 minutes before returning a guilty verdict. Zachry elected to have the judge determine his punishment.
On November 19, 2025, Judge Shequitta Kelly sentenced Zachry to 12 months of probation. The sentence also includes restitution, completion of a Battering Intervention and Prevention Program (BIPP), and a written apology to the victim. Zachry received credit for 180 days already served in the Dallas County Jail.
The case was prosecuted by lead attorney Cierra Arguijo, with Victoria Crosby serving as second chair. The investigation was handled by the Dallas Police Department, with assistance from DA investigators Mindy Fancher and Lt. James Hammond, and DA legal assistant Shakita Purifoy.
