KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW — Longview police have identified a pedestrian who was struck and killed over the weekend. On Friday around 7 p.m., officers were dispatched to a pedestrian/motor vehicle accident in the 1500 block of East Marshall Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found Christopher Moody Smith, 58, of Longview had been struck by a 2008 Ford Mustang driven by 53-year-old Brenda Himel of Hallsville. The victim was taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center. The victim later died from his injuries. Himel and her 16 year old passenger were also transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center by private vehicle with non-life-threatening injuries.

During the investigation officers learned that the pedestrian had stepped into the roadway into oncoming traffic. A witness stated that the victim had been seen earlier in the evening walking down the middle of East Marshall Avenue. Toxicology reports are pending as well.

JACKSONVILLE – A 73-year-old man is in a Tyler hospital after interrupting a burglary on his own property near Jacksonville. It happened around 1:30 Saturday afternoon on County Road 3303, just west of Jacksonville. Cherokee County officials say while checking on his property, the man apparently interrupted 2 Hispanic men burglarizing a storage building on the land. The property owner blocked the men in by parking his truck in the opening of the gate. Then, officials say, the burglars shot the man at least twice, threw him from his truck, backed his truck out, and then escaped in their car.

“He was able to identify the vehicle just as being a smaller 4-door sedan; it was a dark color…maroon or dark green in color, he wasn’t really sure,” said Captain John Raffield with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Dept. The victim says it was a newer style license plate containing 3 characters separate from the last 4 characters. He told officials the second part of the license plate numbers started with N4 (XXX-N4XX). A passerby found the man on the ground and called 911. He’s now in ICU at a Tyler hospital. Anyone with any information on the incident should call the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department at (903) 683-2271.

SMITH COUNTY – One person is injured in a major wreck involving a Smith County sheriff’s deputy. KETK reports it happened at the intersection of Chickasha and FM 2493 in Smith County, around 8 o’clock Friday night. Two vehicles were involved– a car and a county vehicle. Smith County officials say a car pulled out in front of Deputy Jeff Hobson. They say the car was attempting to make a u-turn and hit the deputy’s unit in the process. The driver of the car was taken to the hospital; the deputy was not hurt. Officials say alcohol may have contributed to the crash. The accident remains under investigation.

TYLER – One man was sent to the hospital after a rollover accident on FM 14 off Loop 323 in Tyler. According to KETK, it happened a little after 10 Friday night. Officials say a man traveling south on FM 14 was driving fast when he veered off the road. He became airborne after hitting a culvert, struck a tree, then overturned in the roadway. According to officials, Tyler Fire and the Red Springs Volunteer Fire Department used the jaws of life to free the man. Neighbors say the man may have been in his mid-twenties and was conscious. Officials say they are still investigating the incident and planned to question the driver today.

TYLER — Tyler police investigate a major Friday afternoon traffic accident. At 1:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 300 block of N. Palace in reference to the wreck. During the investigation, officers determined Ramona Carrillo, 32, of Tyler, was operating her 2007 Ford Fusion northbound on Palace at the intersection with W. Front St. For some reason, police say, Carrillo’s vehicle accelerated quickly through the intersection against a red light and ran off the right side of the roadway.

Carrillo’s vehicle struck a utility pole and a fence, and then rolled over onto the driver’s side of the vehicle. Two vehicles in the parking lot at this location were struck as well. When the utility pole was struck, a line from the pole went down across the roadway. Oncor Electric Delivery personnel arrived quickly and cleared the roadway of the live power line. Carrillo was transported to Trinity Mother Francis Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police say the investigation will continue so as to ascertain the reason Carrillo was involved in this crash.

TYLER — The city of Tyler is letting people customize their own neighborhoods. It’s called “neighborhood conservation districts,” according to KETK — and for the first time, someone’s taking advantage of the idea. Minimum two-acre lots, homes set back from the roads, and roofs at a 20-degree pitch are just some of the restrictions that some who live on Cumberland Road want in an ordinance. One resident says it’s a way to protect the neighborhood and preserve what she calls its unique characteristic — “the country-like feel.” She says 81 per cent of her neighbors signed a petition to take the ordinance to city council. But one neighbor who refuses says, “It’s a free country,” and he’s not about to sign any paper that tells people to limit what they do with their homes.

TYLER — The Tyler Independent School District confirms the bus involved in a Friday afternoon wreck is from TISD. The wreck happened in the 15000 block of Highway 155 South, near County Road 196. Fire marshals say the wreck was between a school bus and a car. According to KETK, there were 31 students on the bus at the time of the wreck, and school officials say both the bus driver and students are OK. As a precaution, one student was taken to a local hospital to be checked out. School officials say the passengers on the bus are students of Jack Elementary School. The TISD transportation department contacted and brought another bus to the scene to finish the route and get the children home quickly.

PITTSBURG – Earlier this week, an environmental group claimed that Pilgrim’s Pride is one of the biggest water polluters in Texas. According to Environment Texas, the two chicken processing plants operated by Pilgrim’s Pride and Sanderson Farms are responsible for 20 per cent of the state’s water pollution. Now East Texas-based Pilgrim’s Pride says that’s not true. A spokesman for the company tells KETK any sort of water waste discharge is closely monitored and meets Texas environmental standards.

TYLER — A teen accused of fatally stabbing a Tyler teacher will undergo more psychological tests. Byron Truvia’s attorney, Jim Huggler, says Truvia will be sent back to Vernon State Hospital as early as next week. The incident took place in September of 2009 inside a classroom at John Tyler High School. The victim was Todd Henry (pictured).

TYLER – Tyler police are investigating the robbery of three residents of the Varsity Place Apartments, 3400 Varsity Drive. It happened just before 8:00 Thursday night. The men told officers there was a knock at the door and when one of the men said, “Come in,” two black men entered. One pulled a small handgun and demanded the victims’ wallets, cell phones and electronic gaming system and games. After getting the items, they fled the apartment. According to Sgt. Robert Phillips, no injuries were reported.

TYLER — Tyler dentist Charles Robinson, who is accused of secretly videotaping a 40-year-old woman and her 15-year-old daughter for the past 3 years, is being sued by the victims. Their lawyer says the women are suffering physical as well as mental distress.

The lawsuit says that the “Plaintiffs seek unliquidated damages…for physical pain and suffering in the past and future, emotional pain and mental anguish in the past and future, lost wages and wage earning capacity and medical expenses…necessary for the treatment of such injuries and mental scars which in all responsible probability will be incurred by and on behalf of the plaintiff’s in the future.”

Sheriff J.B. Smith says cameras were found inside the woman’s home. They say they were focused in both the bedrooms and bathrooms of the woman and her daughter, who rented from Robinson. Robinson has been charged with possession of child pornography, a third-degree felony, and improper visual recording, which is a state jail felony. His bonds total $250,000.

TYLER – Numerous awards were handed out Thursday night when the Smith County Sheriff’s Department held its 8th annual banquet. This will be the final one headed up by Sheriff J.B. Smith, who has announced his retirement. Among those honored last night:
*Officer of the Year – Jeff Hobson
*Plain Clothes Officer of the Year – Clint Benson
*Rookie of the Year – Theresa Smith
*Civilian Employee of the Year – Hattie Boyd
*Dispatcher of the Year – Christy Parks

CANTON — Two persons have been arrested in connection with arson and burglaries that occurred November 27th Van Zandt County Road 2314. Based upon a Crimestoppers tip, authorities were able to get a burglary of a habitation warrant.

With the assistance of family members, Chad Eric Darby, 35, turned himself in at the Van Zandt County Justice Center. A 13 year old Juvenile was arrested at a residence in Kemp in connection with the series of burglaries and is currently being housed at the Van Zandt County Juvenile Detention Center. The Investigators recovered over $50,000 of electronics, jewelry, firearms, tools and other miscellaneous items from two separate residences located in Kemp and Van Zandt County. The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office believes the recovered items will also result in solving other burglaries in the area.

TYLER — An Award of Appreciation has been presented to A Peete Elementary student whose actions saved his family’s lives. It was LaKeith Coble, 8, who woke his mother to let her know their house was on fire. The fire was reported around 3:30 last Sunday morning in the 1800 block of West Jackson Street. Investigators determined the cause of the fire was a faulty space heater. The home did not have smoke detectors so the youngsters’ quick actions can be credited with saving his family.

TYLER – Officials say two Mexican nationals residing illegally in Tyler were sentenced to federal prison Thursday for drug violations in the Eastern District of Texas. Jose Francisco Moreno, 23, pleaded guilty on June 2, 2010, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 87 months in prison. Armando Velazquez-Castro, 24, pleaded guilty on July 14, 2010, to the same charge and was sentenced to 120 months behind bars. Each man was also ordered to submit to a forfeiture judgment in the amount of $10,000.

According to information presented in court, on Nov. 2, 2009, Moreno and Velazquez-Castro were arrested and found to be possession of 4 ounces of methamphetamine, which they intended to sell to others in the Tyler area. Further investigation revealed that the men were involved in a conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. Moreno and Velazquez-Castro were indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 6, 2010 and charged with federal drug trafficking violations. It was also determined that the defendants are illegally in the United States. They will both be deported to Mexico after completing their prison sentences.