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NACOGDOCHES — The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Department has released a collection of details gathered in an aggravated kidnapping/sexual assault case that shocked East Texas this past May. The incident occurred between 11:30pm on May 17, and 5:00am on May 18. The kidnapping took place along Farm Road 343 near the Red Flat area of northwest Nacogdoches County. Although numerous tips were received and examined shortly after the attack, no arrest has been made in this case. Authorities say they are releasing this information as a reminder of this search and have included some additional information in hopes that it may generate additional suspect leads that could aid in locating the person responsible for this assault.

The suspect parked beside a residence located along FM 343 after dark, entered the residence through an unlocked front door and forced two women in the home to lie on the floor. He then handcuffed one of the women and removed her from the home at gunpoint. The suspect forced her into his pickup truck from the driver’s side, drove a short distance from the residence and then blindfolded the victim.

The suspect initially headed toward Cushing and drove for 10-12 minutes from the time he kidnapped the victim. He made several turns during that drive and he could have easily traveled near the towns of Cushing, Lilbert, Sacul or Douglass during that time frame. However, it is just as likely that the suspect randomly drove around the Nat or Flower Mountain area of the county long enough confuse the victim and then stopped at a residence much closer to the location where the victim was kidnapped than the drive time would have indicated. He then led the victim into a residence and sexually assaulted her multiple times over a period of 4-6 hours. Following those sexual assaults, the suspect returned his victim to the pickup and drove for about 20-30 minutes to a remote area of Rusk County near Farm Road 225 and U.S. Highway 84. He then released the victim and abandoned her on foot.

The house where the victim was carried was probably either a peer/beam house or possibly a manufactured home. The driveway leading to the house was about 50 yards long. The ground where the suspect parked was “powdery” sand with small pebbles. There were at least two dogs in the yard (medium sized with short hair). The victim was removed from the driver’s side of the truck and was led in a diagonal direction onto a hard surface, believed to have been a concrete walkway. She was then led up 2-4 wooden steps and onto a wooden deck. The deck was thought to have narrow boards with slight spacing between each board. She was then led onto what she believed to be a concrete pad that led to the door of the residence. The step entering the doorway was slightly elevated. Although the suspect had a key to access to the residence, it was likely that he did not own or have primary control over the residence.

This attack did not appear to have been random in nature. The suspect seemed familiar enough with the area and the location of the kidnapping to have known that a female victim would have been present in the home without the threat of a man being at the residence.

The suspect was a white male. Although he could be in his mid to late 20s, it is believed he is between the ages of 30 – 45. He had an average build and was thought to be between 5′-05″ – 5′-10” in height. The suspect had a fair complexion and was believed to have a pudgy mid-section with some hair growing on his stomach. He had light colored eyes and light colored eyebrows. The suspect spoke in a deep, loud, raspy sounding voice and exhibited a frequent “smokers cough”. On the night of the assault, the suspect had a scruffy beard & mustache with possible graying in the beard. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans, pull-on style work boots and a black cap. He used a blue and white bandana to cover his face. The suspect was armed with a handgun and used a set of handcuffs during the attack. The handgun was believed to have been a dark blue semi-automatic pistol.

The suspect was driving a dark colored single cab or extended cab pickup truck, believed to have been a ½ ton Dodge Ram made between 1994 and2001. The interior of the vehicle had carpet on the floor and the seat was a bench seat covered with vinyl or leather. The truck had loud sounding exhaust pipes. Authorities say the vehicle may not have belonged to the suspect but was one he could have had access to use.

Anyone with possible information may contact the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office through one of the options listed below:

Dispatch Number: 936-560-7777
FAX Line: 936-560-6446
Email Tip Line: ncsoinfo@nac-sheriff.com

Or contact Nacogdoches County Crime Stoppers at 936-560-INFO.

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at events and work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

SMITH COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations in various locations on Farm Road 756 (Paluxy Drive) north of FM 346, followed by the same work on Farm Road 2661 between State Highway 31 and State Highway 64 west of Tyler. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to begin pavement repair operations on State Highway 31 between Trinidad and Malakoff, followed later in the week by the same work on SH 31 Business and State Highway 19 Business in downtown Athens. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

WOOD COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to be at work on the following roadways in and around Wood County:
*State Highway 154 east of Farm Road 2869;
*Farm Road 778 between Quitman and U.S. Highway 80;
*Farm Road 69 north of Farm Road 515;
*Farm Road 2966 north of Quitman; and
*U.S. Highway 80 east of Farm Road 14.
Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

ANDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations on U.S. Highway 287 in Cayuga. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

RUSK COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue resurfacing operations on State Highway 42 between Farm Road 13 in Price and Farm Road 1513 near New London. A second crew will be performing pavement repairs in various locations on State Highway 322 south of the airport. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to make edge repairs on Farm Road 773 in Ben Wheeler between State Highway 64 and Farm Road 279. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to begin several weeks of edge repairs in various locations on U.S. Highway 175 between Jacksonville and Poynor. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

CANTON — A one vehicle accident in Van Zandt County had left one person dead and three injured. The wreck occurred around 8:30 Friday morning on U.S. Highway 64, Just east of Van Zandt County Road 4126. Killed was Shonnie Bryan, 39, of Hobbs New Mexico. Bryan died about an hour after the accident at a Grand Saline hospital. Injured was Breanna Yates, 15, Hannah Tamez, 7, of Canton, and Shaila Bryan, 17, of Hobbs, New Mexico. The Department of Public Safety says Bryan’s car was east bound on Highway 64 when it left the road and hit a concrete culvert. The report said the driver was not wearing a seat belt.

CHANDLER — Fire has damaged the community center in downtown Chandler. It was reported around 12:30 Saturday afternoon. No injuries were reported. It is thought the fire started in a garage area where a turkey fryer had been used. Damage was extensive.

ALTO — Investigators are trying to determine the cause of a Cherokee County fire that killed two persons. The fire was reported late Thursday night on Rusk Street in Alto. Killed were Charles Edward Griffin, 66, and Gladys Tyler Griffin, 61.

LUFKIN – Lufkin police continue their investigation of the death of a woman who was struck by a car while standing in a driveway. Iris Simmons Rigsby, 75, of Lufkin, was pinned between two cars in a driveway on James Street early Thanksgiving afternoon. She died the next day at a Lufkin hospital. Another woman hot by the car suffered minor injuries and was treated and released from the hospital. The car was driven by J.W. Samuel, 78, of Beaumont. He told investigators he accidently hit the gas instead of the brake.

LONGVIEW — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Weatherford International Ltd. of Longview with one alleged willful, 30 alleged serious and two alleged repeat violations following a safety and health inspection at the company’s facility in Longview. Proposed penalties total $261,500.

“This company jeopardized the safety of its workers by exposing them to hexavalent chromium hazards, which could possibly result in severe and adverse health effects,” said Stephen Boyd, OSHA’s area director in Dallas, Texas. “OSHA’s safety and health standards must be followed to prevent injuries and fatalities.”

OSHA began its inspection on May 24 at the company’s facility on Farm Road 2751 after receiving a complaint alleging workers were experiencing headaches and nosebleeds from exposure to hexavalent chromium during chrome plating and cleanup operations. A willful violation was issued for failing to ensure employees’ airborne exposure to hexavalent chromium did not exceed OSHA’s permissible exposure limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plain indifference to employee safety and health.

The serious violations include failing to train workers on OSHA’s hexavalent chromium standard, failing to implement proper hygiene practices and housekeeping procedures, and failing to have high temperature alarms on hardening and tempering tanks. A serious violation is one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

Repeat violations include failing to provide adequate point of operation guarding on lathes, and failing to ensure containers used for dipping and coating operations were marked and labeled. A repeat violation is issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.

The company, which manufactures oil well rod pump barrels and plungers, has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s Dallas Area Office or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

HENDERSON — Another East Texas city took a stand against synthetic marijuana called K2. A Tuesday night vote by Henderson’s city council outlaws K2 in that community. Henderson joins a growing number of East Texas cities saying no to the synthetic drug, including Tyler, Longview, Troup, Overton and Bullard. Some other towns are also considering a ban.

CANTON (AP) – An East Texas man has died after suffering a heart attack when he tried to help his mother-in-law stave off an attack by her neighbor’s pit bulls. Van Zandt County Sheriff Pat Burnett said the mother-in-law tried to intervene when the pit bulls attacked her two dogs Thursday, but was knocked down and bitten by one of the pit bulls. Burnett said the pit bull that bit the woman was stabbed and killed with a pocket knife by her son-in-law, who later had a heart attack while the woman was being treated. Burnett says paramedics could not revive the Van Zandt County man. He said the woman was hospitalized and the pit bulls were to be tested for rabies. Burnett said no charges were immediately filed.

NACOGDOCHES – Two persons have been killed and one injured in a two vehicle accident in Nacogdoches County. The wreck was reported around 1:45 Thursday morning on State Highway 7, four miles east of County Road 341. Killed were Johnny Ikner IV, 27, of Nacogdoches and Guadalupe Martinez, 30, of Center. A passenger in Martinez’s pickup, Eva Maria Flores- Garcia, 24, of Center, is in stable condition in a Nacogdoches hospital. According to the Department of Public Safety, Ikner was westbound when his car crossed the center line and hit Martinez’s pickup head on.

TYLER — A home southwest of Tyler has been destroyed by fire. The fire on Rebel Road was reported around 4:30 Thursday afternoon. The Noonday Fire Department and up to three others extinguished the blaze. No one was at home when the fire broke out and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

TYLER — Two Tyler burglary suspects are in custody. The two were arrested following an auto burglary around 4:00 Thanksgiving morning in the 2900 block of McDonald Road. According to police Sgt. Michael Burge, the two men are accused of burglarizing a pickup. The electronic equipment the men are accused of taking was returned to the pickup’s owner.

TYLER — It took a small army to feed the thousands who turned out for the annual Thanksgiving Day dinner hosted by Tyler’s Salvation Army. Over 200 volunteers helped prepare the meal, which included around 900 pounds of turkey and all the timings, and then serve it. The final tally showed around 2,000 people were served Thursday, which is an increase over last year’s figure.

TYLER — Local plumbers say the day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for them. It’s because after the holiday meal, people get rid of waste in lots of ways, like the kitchen drain, the garbage disposal, even flushing it down the toilet. One plumbing company says people think disposals and toilets are trash cans. Tommy Griffin with Rudd Plumbing says East Texans putting bones down the kitchen disposal keep him busy. He says putting too much food in the disposal stops up the kitchen sink drain, sometimes moving down and stopping the main sewer. Griffin’s advice: use lots of water when putting anything down the disposal.

NACOGDOCHES — Black Friday discounts could mean saving money here and there. But according to KETK, for shoppers in Nacogdoches County, buying locally puts them in the running for bigger prizes. The Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel reports Nacogdoches County organizations and businesses banded together to offer extra incentives for the “Shop Nac First for the Holidays” contest. For every $25 spent at any store in the county, shoppers enter for a chance to win from more than $2,000 in prizes. If you’d like to know more, check out the Daily Sentinel.