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TYLER — Seferino Bautista-Renteria, 36, who was originally sentenced to 60 years in state prison following the murder of 19-year-old Rawly “Eli” Sanchez, has been given an additional 15 years following connected charges.

On the night of July 4, 2024, Sanchez and his friends made a U-turn in their truck behind Bautista-Renteria’s auto shop, Bautista Auto. According to our news partner KETK, while the truck was turning behind the shop, the driver reported seeing a person with an AK-47 style rifle who started shooting. Sanchez was hit in the back of the head by a bullet while sitting in the back of the truck. Sanchez’s friends immediately took him to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Law enforcement spoke with witnessed and identified Bautista-Renteria as the shooter. He was detained and booked into the Smith County Jail with a warrant for first degree murder and a $1 million bond. Continue reading Additional 15 years for auto shop owner in murder case

MARSHALL — Our news partner KETK is reporting that a search is underway in Marshall following a shooting on Sunday night that resulted in the death of a 48-year-old man.

The Marshall Police Department said officers responded to the shooting around 8:56 p.m. in the 1900 block of Bean Street. When officials arrived, they found the body of a man, identified as Carlos Dewayne Hill, 48 of Marshall. A preliminary investigation indicates that the person involved fled the area before officers arrived.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Marshall Police Department at (903) 935-4575 or Marshall-Harrison County Crime Stoppers at (903) 935-9969.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Hill,” said Marshall Police Chief Cliff Carruth. “Our investigators are working diligently to identify and locate the person responsible for this senseless act of violence. We are asking anyone with information to come forward and assist us in bringing justice to the victim and his family.”

TYLER – Amazon has opened its first fulfillment center in East Texas, just in time for the upcoming busy holiday delivery season. The building sits on 30-acres of land and has a 140,000-square feet floor plan. President of the Tyler Economic Development Scott Martinez has been with this project since it was just a daydream.

“Seeing this project come to life and in a timeframe that was just so quick, this whole construction was less than 12 months,” Martinez said. “It’s almost like seeing a child born and start growing. So it’s been very fulfilling.”

According to our news partner KETK, Monday’s ribbon cutting on the new Tyler facility was attended by several local officials including Tyler mayor Don Warren, State Rep. Cole Hefner and State Senator Bryan Hughes.

For better traffic flow, the company also paid for a new traffic signal and turn lanes nearby. The facility is in its third week of operation, with employees fulfilling shipments overnight and loading trucks early morning. Continue reading Amazon opens first Distribution Center in Tyler

TYLER – Tyler drivers have probably noticed a new site to see off Broadway Ave, as the construction gets underway for Parkside North, a new 92-acre development.

“What you’re seeing right now is just all of the foundational work,” Genecov president & CEO Ray McKinney said. “So you’re putting in storm sewers, which is how the rainwater gets funneled into a certain place, and so those are storm sewer pipes that you see there. All of that’s being done, the dirt works being done to flat it out so that you can build something on it because nobody wants to walk on a parking lot.”

Our news partner KETK is reporting that the Genecov Group is ready to get started on their new phases of development. The plan includes three types of areas to be built.

“The first part is the part that you see up here on the front is at the pad side, stretching from one end down to the other,” McKinney said. “Mostly, you’re looking at restaurant-type users.” Continue reading Developer gives update on Parkside North project

TYLER — A woman involved in an incident with Tyler Police Department where she discharged an officer’s gun has been sentenced to 40 years in prison according to our news partner KETK. Brianna Erwin, 33, was involved in an altercation with Tyler PD in May of 2025 when officers responded to a theft call at a Dollar General. Erwin, one of the suspects in the theft, resisted arrest causing an altercation between her and an officer. According to Tyler PD, Erwin grabbed an officer’s firearm during the struggle and discharged the weapon. Erwin was booked into the Smith County Jail on an outstanding warrant.

On Monday, at the 7th District Court, Erwin pleaded guilty to multiple charges connected to the May incident. Erwin received 12 months for possession of a controlled substance, 8 years for harassment of a public servant and 40 years for aggravated assault of a public servant.

The three sentences will be served at the same time so Erwin is expected to serve 40 years in prison. She was also ordered to pay $180 in restitution to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Our news partner KETK has confirmed that the suspect involved in the Oct. 17 triple homicide in Mabank has died. The suspect, Christopher Kyle Reid, is accused of having killed three people at around 2:30 a.m. at the Cedar Creek Cove Subdivision in Mabank. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found the bodies of a woman and a man with apparent gunshot wounds.

Another woman shot at the scene was transported to a hospital, where she died. The deceased have been identified as: Kimberly Simpson, 51, Connie Patrick, 72, Ronny Hammonds, 57.

The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said that Simpson and Connie were both shot multiple times, along with Hammonds, who also had injuries from blunt force trauma and multiple stab wounds.

Two other victims, ages 24 and 70, were hospitalized. The 24-year-old has since been released from the hospital, while the 70-year-old remains hospitalized but is awake and responsive, the sheriff’s office confirmed. Continue reading Henderson County triple homicide suspect dies

SMITH COUNTY — Early voting continues this week at five polling locations throughout Smith County. Current totals as of Tuesday are, 5,381 in-person and mail-in ballots have been cast.

There are 17 Texas Constitutional Amendment Propositions on the ballot for the November 4 Election, as well as several city and school elections throughout Smith County. Smith County Elections Administrator Michelle Allcon is urging voters to do their research on the propositions before coming to the polls. Click here for that information.

CITY/SCHOOL ELECTIONS:

The City of Whitehouse and the East Texas Municipal Utility District, as well as the Arp, Troup and Whitehouse Independent School Districts will all be holding special elections on November 4.

Early voting is being held October 20-31, at five polling locations in Tyler, Lindale, Noonday and Whitehouse. Continue reading Early voting runs through Friday

UPDATE: The Nacogdoches Police Department has arrested Hector Cuarenta, 17 of Nacogdoches, in connection with the shooting deaths of three people on Friday.

Cuarenta was wanted in connection to the deaths of three people on Hackberry Street on Friday but turned himself into Nacogdoches PD on Sunday night. Cuarenta was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and has been booked into the Nacogdoches County Jail.

NACOGDOCHES COUNTY — As of 11:58 a.m., Fredonia Elementary has been placed on secure status, due to a shooting in the area confirmed to be a triple homicide. No one is allowed to enter or exit the campus until the secure status is lifted. Continue reading UPDATE: Teen arrested for killing three in Nacodoches

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1, raising the stakes for families nationwide as the government shutdown drags on.

The new notice comes after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, flowing into November. That program helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA notice says. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.” Continue reading No federal food aid will go out Nov. 1

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, the Tyler Police Department had officers out in the community to take unwanted medications from East Texans as a part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events have recovered more than 20 million pounds of unused medications since 2010 as a way to help prevent drug misuse.

“Events like this help because it is pretty dangerous to flush any medication, flushing it down the toilet or even leaving it in the counter for your children or some other relative to find expired medication,” said Tyler PD community response officer Bianca Smedely.

Anyone who needs to dispose of unwanted pills or expired education medications but couldn’t make it out to Tyler PD’s event on Friday can find a list of more than 30 drop box locations online.

TYLER – As the United States government shut down threatens SNAP food benefits, the East Texas Food Bank is preparing to step up for East Texans who rely on the program’s assistance.

According to our news partner KETK and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, November’s SNAP benefits won’t be sent out if the government shut down continues on Monday. East Texas Food Bank CEO, David Emerson, explained that they’re already preparing to meet a greater demand for food.

“So we’re already buying more food in anticipation of this,” Emerson said. “So we always have truckloads coming in on a regular basis and just this week alone, just yesterday I ordered $200,000 more food, that we’re going to have to go out and purchase, that we weren’t planning on purchasing.”

Medicaid, WIC, TANF and CHIP benefits will reportedly be unaffected if the shutdown continues on Monday but the more than 41 million Americans who use SNAP will lose access to the program unless the government acts by Monday. East Texans can visit the East Texas Food Bank online to learn more about their services.

HENDERSON – The Henderson Police Department is currently investigating a shooting that injured a child on South Main Street on Friday.

According to our news partner KETK and the Henderson PD, officers responded to a reported shooting in the 800 block of South Main Street at around 12:26 p.m. on Friday. Once Henderson PD officers arrived on scene, they found a child who who had been shot.

EMS responded to the scene and transported the child to a local hospital for treatment. A Henderson PD official told KETK News that the child is currently in stable condition.

The shooting is currently being investigated as an accident and Henderson PD said there’s no threat to the public at this time.

LUFKIN – Our news partner KETK is reporting that the Lufkin Police Department is currently searching for a missing 12-year-old girl who was last seen on Mitchell Street on Thursday. 12-year-old Zahariah Freeman was last seen at her grandmother’s Mitchell Steet home between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. in Lufkin on Thursday.

Zahariah is described as a 5-foot-tall Black girl with brown eyes and black hair who weighs around 100 pounds. Lufkin PD said she often will wear blue sunglasses.

Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to call Lufkin PD at 936-633-0356.