KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW — After less than a year at the Humane Society of Northeast Texas, Executive Director Mark Salazar resigns. Salazar is leaving the position for a similar job with the Los Angeles Animal Service. Salazar joined the Longview-based agency in February and was promoted to executive director in May.

TYLER — Tyler’s Salvation Army is expecting to feed at least 1,500 people this Thanksgiving. Hundreds of East Texas volunteers gathered to help prepare the feast. It all takes place at the Salvation Army Community Center on North Spring and starts at 11:30 this morning.

WASKOM — A Harrison County youngster has been killed when the go-kart she was driving was hit by an 18-wheeler. Killed was Dystine Renee Disotell, 9, of Waskom. The youngster, who was said to have had no experience driving the go-kart, drove the vehicle into the trucks path on Texas Avenue in Waskom. The accident happened shortly before 11:15 Wednesday morning. Disotell, who suffered multiple injuries, died about and hour and a half later at LSU Hospital in Shreveport.

TYLER — Tyler police ramp up their investigation of a child’s death, with a suspect now sought. On Wednesday, police investigators received the results from the autopsy on one-year-old Jeremy Silva. The autopsy indicated that the cause of death was from a torn atrium in his heart, as a result of blunt force trauma to his chest. The report also indicated that Jeremy had suffered prior abuse, including several broken ribs and previous bruising to his body. Investigators have obtained an arrest warrant for capital murder on Simon Lopez, a 26-year-old from Tyler. Bond was set at $2,000,000 by Judge Jack Skeen. Lopez, the boyfriend of Emma Torres, lived with her and two children at 114 N. Ross.

Investigators have not been able to locate Lopez and request the public’s help with any information on his whereabouts. Lopez is believed to be driving a 1995 Gray, Lincoln Town Car, 4-door, Texas license plate BZ9P316. You’re asked to contact the Tyler Police Department at 531-1000 or Crime Stoppers at 597-CUFF with any information you may have concerning this case.

Torres, 19, has been charged with abandoning or endangering a child, which is a state jail felony. KETK reports she’s now out of jail on bond. Investigators say Torres had left Jeremy and a four-year-old alone in her residence while her boyfriend took her to work in Lindale Tuesday morning. Officers were called to Mother Frances Hospital around 6:30 Tuesday morning, where they found Jeremy. His aunt had picked him up at his residence and taken him to the hospital. Investigators say the youngster, who showed signs of physical abuse, was pronounced dead by emergency room personnel.

LANEVILLE — The case against a suspected wife-beater comes to an end with the suspect’s death. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office received information about the location of Ernest Maynard Brinkmann, who was wanted for aggravated assault. Brinkmann was on the run after officials say he severely beat his wife. The sheriff’s office requested help from a Texas Department of Public Safety Aviation Unit in catching the 68-year-old. Once the DPS unit arrived in the area of his house, Brinkmann was spotted on his property on County Road 4170 South in Laneville. After further investigation by the Rusk County Criminal Investigation Unit, Brinkmann was discovered to have suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. At approximately 11:15 a.m., Brinkmann was pronounced dead by Darlene Childress, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4.

The sheriff’s office got an aggravated assault call Saturday morning from Brinkmann’s residence. Deputies found a 63-year-old woman who had been assaulted in her home. The woman was admitted to a local hospital because of the injuries she sustained from the assault. She told deputies her estranged husband attacked her, gathered some of his belongings — including a gun — and left the house. Authorities say Brinkmann drove away, and investigators obtained a warrant for his arrest.

LONGVIEW — Longview police are offering safety tips as Thanksgiving rings in the holiday season.

Driving Safety Tips
• Make sure all vehicle occupants wear their safety belt.
• Leave the proper amount of space between your car and the car in front of you. (One car length for every ten miles per hour).
• Adjust your speed to road, weather and traffic conditions.
• Plan regularly scheduled breaks when traveling long distances.
• Have your car serviced before undertaking a lengthy trip.
• Plan on needing extra time to get to your final destination.
• Don’t drink and drive. If you plan on celebrating with alcohol, plan on staying over or plan on having a designated driver.

Shopping Safety Tips
• If you plan on shopping sales well into the night, do not shop alone! Taking along a shopping buddy will not only make your shopping experience more enjoyable, but it will make it safer as well.
• When shopping, be sure your wallet and purse are secure on your person and closed—never leave them unattended in a shopping cart or in a dressing room.
• Be sure navigation devices, cell phones and other electronics are not in view in your vehicle. Secure them in the glove compartment or out of sight.
• Be sure packages are out of view or secured in the trunk, and be sure to always keep your vehicle windows closed and doors locked. Nothing is more attractive to a thief than an unlocked vehicle or a vehicle filled with recent purchases.
• Carry a cell phone with you in case of emergency.

Home Safety Tips
• Never leave your doors and windows unlocked.
• Never leave your drapes/curtains open, even when you are home.
• If you are traveling during the holidays, be sure to stop the paper and mail delivery or have a trusted neighbor or friend pick them up daily.
• Keep your garage doors closed.
• Leave on outside lights. This deters burglars by eliminating their hiding places.
• Don’t leave empty boxes/sacks on the curb for trash pickup. This is an advertisement to the thief of the new items you may have gotten over the holiday season.
• Report all suspicious activity to the Police Department at 903-237-1199.

LONGVIEW — Police in Longview said Wednesday afternoon that vandals threw eggs and shot pink paintballs at approximately 15 cars in the Wildwood area overnight. The Police Department received numerous complaints from citizens stating that their cars had been vandalized by an unknown suspect or suspects. A local car dealership in the same area also reported that around 10 of their vehicles had been shot with what appeared to be pink paint balls. Anyone with information can contact the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1199.

ANGELINA COUNTY — A pregnant woman who tied up her 3-year-old special needs stepson and beat him with a pole earlier this year accepted a five-year prison sentence Friday. Juana Salinas, 24, pleaded guilty to the charge of injury to a child last week, according to Angelina County prosecutor Julie Alston. She faced up to life in prison.

Salinas was arrested in July for tying the boy, who does not communicate through speech, to a closet clothes rack and using his father’s belt to beat him, according to previous reports. The belt had a large, western buckle on it, causing bruises all over the boy’s body. She also force-fed him, scratching his neck and bruising his face.

Another small child at the home told investigators Salinas beat the child because he would not eat and then left the boy hanging in the closet for a “long time.” Alston said it is difficult to prosecute cases like these, as the only witness was another small child and the victim was not able to communicate what happened to him. The boy is now living with his biological mother and has recovered from most of his injuries.

GILMER — A two vehicle accident north of Gilmer has left one person dead and one injured. The wreck was reported shortly after 6:15 Tuesday night on State Highway 155, about 11 miles north of Gilmer. Dead at the scene was Elisha Gilliam Sablan, 33, of Avinger. Injured was the driver of the other car, Ann Laura Yazak of Alba. She is listed in good condition at Tyler’s Mother Francis Hospital. The head on collision remains under investigation.

TYLER — A firearms violation is sending a Henderson county man to prison for 75 months. Robbie Devon Wilkins, 31, of Athens, was sentenced in Tyler federal court Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Michael Schneider. Federal prosecutors say last December, Wilkins sold a semi-automatic rifle to another individual for $500. The rifle had been stolen during a burglary of WULF Outdoor Sports store in Athens on December 14, 2009. Wilkins admitted that he knew the rifle was stolen property when he sold it. Wilkins was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 6, 2010 and charged with federal firearms violations.

TYLER — Smith County sheriff’s deputies are credited with saving a woman from her submerged car. The Department of Public Safety reports the woman’s car, for some reason veered off Lake Placid Road, struck a bridge culvert and ended up in the water. The accident happened around 10:00 Tuesday night. The woman was not seriously injured and is being treated at Mother Frances Hospital. The accident remains under investigation.

TYLER — Smith County is putting the old Carlton Hotel up for sale. Now known as the Smith County Office Building, the 90,000 square feet, multi story building on West Elm Street now only houses the administrative offices of the sheriff’s department. They will be moving out early next year. Bids for the building will be accepted by the county through 2:00pm on Wednesday, January 5th.

TYLER – City crews are getting ready today for the Christmas season, placing an approximately 28-foot tree on the square. The tree was donated by Jackie and Debbie Merket of Merket Christmas Tree Farm in Beckville. Crews will place the finishing touches on decorations next Monday and Tuesday. The activity is in preparation of the 25th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony to be held Thursday, December 2nd.

TYLER – A 43-year-old Athens man has been sentenced in Tyler to federal prison for child pornography violations. James Clifford Hendrix pleaded guilty on June 2, 2010, to possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Schneider.

According to information presented in court, on Aug. 15, 2008, Hendrix mailed his laptop computer to a computer repair business in Florida. During the repair, employees discovered images of child pornography and notified law enforcement authorities. A federal search warrant was obtained and executed at Hendrix’s home, during which an additional computer was located which also contained child pornography images. An analysis of the computers revealed approximately 42 videos and 49 photographs of child pornography. Some of the material depicted children less than 12 years of age engaged in sadistic or masochistic conduct. Hendrix was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 4, 2009.

TYLER — The City of Tyler Traffic Engineering Department has begun installation of new poles and traffic signals in the downtown. The installation of the signals at 14 intersections is expected to take 4-6 weeks. Funding for the project came from a $1,005,700 U.S. Department of Energy grant to improve the efficiency of vehicular traffic in the downtown area. The plans call for the replacement of the existing signal equipment including poles, signal heads, control boxes, wiring, pedestrian signals and communication systems. “The poles and signal heads for this project were selected to match the historic ambience of the downtown,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “The enhanced performance as well as the historic appearance is a tremendous improvement in the downtown.”

Currently, the system is operated on a fixed time basis, which cannot be adjusted to meet varying traffic demands. The new system will utilize camera detection that officials say will allow for more efficient operation. The camera detection identifies a waiting vehicle and changes the signal as warranted. This allows the more heavily traveled corridor to have the majority of green time. “The equipment now in use dates back to the 1950’s,” said Traffic Engineer Peter Eng. “As these signals age and become inoperable, it has been increasingly difficult to locate replacement parts as they are no longer manufactured. This funding will allow the complete replacement of these obsolete signalized intersections.”

The grant was part of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG), authorized in Title V, Subtitle E of the Energy Independent and Security Act (EISA), signed into law on Dec. 19, 2007. This grant was made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.