Aggravated Assault Under Investigation

LUFKIN — Lufkin Police respond to an aggravated assault call Monday night. Officers arrested Gabino Alanzo outside of his home after he allegedly stabbed Eduardo Flores, his wife’s new boyfriend. Officials say Alanzo reportedly used a steak knife during the attack. He was booked into the Angelina County Jail charged with aggravated assault and two outstanding warrants.

Storms Cause Damage in East Texas


DALLAS (AP/STAFF) — Strong to severe thunderstorms moved through East Texas Monday afternoon. Twisted and leveled trees and downed power lines were left in their wake. The Department of Public Safety reports a confirmed tornado in the Troup area. Other possible tornadoes were reported in the Palestine area and in Upshur County.

The Crockett area appears to have been hard hit. Houston County Fire Marshal David Lamb says widespread damage was reported countywide, but the severity was unclear because many affected areas were without power. He said many trees had been blown down. He said there were no immediate reports of injury.

A man working for a tree service in Henderson County was struck by lightening. It happened at mid-afternoon Monday at Star Harbor. Euvaldo Dominguez, said to be in mid 20s, was taken to East Texas Medical Center in Athens and later transferred to the burn unit of Dallas’ Parkland Hospital. He is said to be in critical condition.

Hail also accompanied some of the thunderstorms. The largest appeared to be in the Mount Pleasant area which measured 1.25 inches. The largest rainfall was reported at Paris with 4 1/3 inches.

Student Gets Probation for Gun at School

TYLER – A student who took an old gun to Robert E Lee High School has been placed on probation. The gun, which probably wouldn’t have fired, even if had been assembled, was said to have been over 100 years old. Judge Floyd Getz placed the teen on deferred adjudication for 18 months. After that time, if he has abided by the terms of the probation, the case will be dismissed.

Bus Vandalism Suspects Head for Alternative School


KILGORE — The five Kilgore ISD students charged with vandalizing 39 school buses earlier this month have been transferred to an alternate facility to complete their school year. School officials say the students, who are all seniors, will still be able to graduate this year. Kilgore ISD Superintendent Jodi Clementes says the students will also pay for the more than $3,000 in damage to the buses on April 8th, forcing the school to close for the day. The case has been transferred to the Gregg County District Attorney’s office for all criminal charges.

Burned Church Reopens


TYLER — More than a year ago, the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Tyler was added to the long list of East Texas churches destroyed by arsonists. The picture shows what it looked like then. But on Easter Sunday, a new chapter began for the congregation. After months of construction, the installation of a brand new roof, and a high tech alarm system, the church officially reopened its doors for services. Members say they’re thrilled with the new building. Says one member, “We’re just so grateful that it worked out this way and everything just fell into place to rebuild. We’re just grateful that the community supported us so, from all over, and not just Texas, but (from all over) the United States, we received donations to help us rebuild this church.”

The church was one out of a string of ten suspected arson cases linked to two East Texas men, Jason Bourque and Daniel McAllister. Both pleaded guilty and will serve life sentences in prison for the crimes. The congregation met in nearby First Presbyterian Church while awaiting repairs.

Tyler Takes Part in Drug Take Back Initiative


TYLER — The Tyler Police Department along with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is hosting a Prescription Drug Take Back Day. This event will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Super One Foods located at 3000 WNW Loop 323 in Tyler. Police say there will be “no questions asked.”

According to authorities, the purpose of this National Take Back Day is to provide a venue for persons who want to dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs. Police say a prior take back effort was a huge success in removing potentially dangerous prescription drugs, particularly controlled substances, from the nation’s medicine cabinets. There were approximately 3,000 state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the nation that participated in the event. All told, the American Public turned in more than 121 tons of pills on the first National Take Back Day.

Due to what’s termed the overwhelming success of the first event, DEA has scheduled the second National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Police say it’s a great opportunity for those who missed the first event, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted or unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of them.

Police say the initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Each day, approximately, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.

Long Walk Aims to Raise Money to Fight Disease


LUFKIN — To raise money for an affliction called osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, a member of the Texas State Guard is marching from Lufkin to Conroe on foot. Captain Allen Rush of the State Guard’s Tyler Medical Response Group says he’s doing it because his great nephew, Jack Wolf IV, died of brittle bone disease at the age of five weeks. The distance between the two cities is 105 miles. Captain rush is trying to make 20 miles a day so he can make it to the Jack Wolf iv Memorial Foundation Golf Tournament Saturday in Conroe. You can go to http://www.jack-wolf.org for more information.

Police: Two Retailers Sell Alcohol to Minors during Sting


LONGVIEW — Police in Longview say a couple of retailers were cited for selling alcohol to minors. On Thursday, April 21, the Longview Police Department, partnering with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) and Longview Partners in Prevention, conducted off-premise and on-premise minor stings at area retailers. The purpose was to validate compliance with Texas law prohibiting the sale of alcohol to minors. 41 alcohol retailers were checked by the undercover teams. Police say the locations that sold to minors were Food Fast #18 at 1316 Alpine Road and Cheddars Casual Cafe at 3074 N Eastman Road.

At these locations, police say, the individuals that sold alcohol to the undercover minor were listed in offense reports for “making alcohol available to a minor.” This offense is a class A misdemeanor, and authorities say the reports will be filed with the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. In addition, the TABC issued administrative citations to each business.

Teen Dead After Truck Run Off the Road

NACOGDOCHES — A Nacogdoches man died Sunday evening after the vehicle he was traveling in was run off the road by a vehicle coming from the other direction. Justin Pete Powell, 17, died at 5:06 p.m. Sunday at a Nacogdoches hospital. Jerry Glenn White Jr., 19, is listed in good condition at a Nacogdoches hospital.

According to the Department of Public Safety, White was driving a 1996 Dodge pickup southbound on County Road 817, 19.6 miles north of Nacogdoches. Powell was his passenger. A green Jeep driving southbound failed to give up half the roadway and White took evasive action to avoid hitting the Jeep. White overturned, and Powell, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle. The driver of the Jeep fled the scene.

Restaurant Briefly Closed After Fire

TYLER — A fire at a Tyler restaurant temporarily shuts the business down. The blaze happened Sunday night around 9:30 at the Taco Bell on 5th Street. Fire officials say someone had discovered a cigarette in the flower bed outside of the fast food restaurant, causing the fire to break out in the mulch underneath the plywood and spread to the inside of the men’s restroom wall. The fire was contained quickly and no injuries were reported. The business re-opened for business at 10:45 Monday morning.

Nine Arrests After Prostitution Sting

LONGVIEW — Longview Officers went undercover to arrest known prostitutes last Friday. During the sting, which lasted for about six hours, eight people were arrested on prostitution related charges and one was arrested for burglary of a vehicle. The burglary happened in the area where the undercover operation was taking place. Those arrested during the sting included:

Teresa Bean, prostitution, possession of drug paraphernalia,
David Tabor, promotion of prostitution,
Ashley Senate, prostitution, fail to ID fugitive,
Stacey Garcia, prostitution 2nd offense,
Shawntel Wion, prostitution,
Terri Johnson, prostitution 2nd offense,
Shana Mestas, prostitution,
Marsha Craver, prostitution 2nd offense,
Dejuan Cheatham, burglary of vehicle, fail to ID.

One Dies in Upshur County Wreck


GILMER — One person has been killed in a one vehicle accident in Upshur County. It occurred shortly before 2:45 on Sunday morning. Dead at the scene was Anthony Melton, 25, of Gilmer. The Department of Public Safety reports Melton’s SUV left the road and he overcorrected. He came back across the road and the vehicle rolled over and hit a tree. State trooper Walter Smith said the accident happened east of Gilmer on Farm Road 1650, three miles west of Sharon Road.