KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – A Mexican national has been sentenced for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm in the Eastern District of Texas, according to a press release from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

According to information presented in court, on August 5, 2024, Tomas Ocamp-Mondragon, 37, a Mexican national illegally living in Tyler, was stopped for a traffic violation in Smith County. It was determined that he was intoxicated, and he was arrested. During the arrest, a loaded firearm was discovered in his pocket.

Further investigation revealed Ocampo-Mondragon was a citizen of Mexico and had previously been found unlawfully present in the United States on September 14, 2019, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was also found to be in possession of a firearm during that encounter. He voluntarily returned to Mexico on January 3, 2020, and did not have permission to return to the United States.

Ocamp-Mondragon, pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on July 10, 2025. The case was a joint investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Department of Homeland Security, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

ATHENS – An Athens man has been sentenced to federal prison for habitual drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, according to a press release from Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

According to information presented in court, on October 19, 2023, James Kiser, 40, was arrested after selling approximately 34 grams of methamphetamine to another person for $500 cash. Further investigation revealed Kiser has 27 prior convictions for criminal offenses in Henderson and Smith counties.

Kiser pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on July 10, 2025.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble.

UPSHUR COUNTY – An Upshur County man was sentenced to 90 years in prison on Wednesday for the sexual assault of a young girl in 2024, our news partner KETK reports.

On Sept. 25, 2024, Upshur County District Attorney’s Office deputies were made aware that a woman found a video on her boyfriend’s, Gary Christopher Durham, hidden phone that showed him sexually assaulting her daughter.

Once the deputies arrived at the home, Durham arrived shortly after because the victim’s mother had called him at work to confront him. When Durham got there, he dropped to his knees and said, “I’m a monster.”

Officials said that the first assault happened on Oct. 1, 2022 when the child was between the age of eight or nine. Continue reading Upshur County man gets 90 years for sexually assaulting young girl

TIMPSON – Officials said an 18-year-old man was shot in the chest and leg in Timpson on Sunday night, but no arrests have been made, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

At around 10pm, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to gunshots on 216 Park Street in Martin Luther King Jr. Park, where they learned that 18-year-old Jakorvian Porter of San Augustine was being taken by a private vehicle to a Nacogdoches hospital.

Officials said Porter was admitted in critical condition but shortly after was care-flighted to a Tyler hospital.

“Porter is currently in stable condition, but suffered extremely serious wounds, having been shot in both the chest and one leg,” the sheriff’s office explained. “Three individuals were detained near the scene and questioned and released, during the early morning hours on Sunday.”

If anyone has any information on this ongoing investigation they are encouraged to contact the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office at 936-598-5601 or contact Criminal Investigation Division Captain Cameron Nichols.

TIMPSON – A Lufkin man was arrested for murder on Saturday after a gas station shooting in Timpson left one dead, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

Around 9:06pm, deputies from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office responded to gunshots on 674 North 1st Street at Bink’s Timpson Quick Stop. There, 45-year-old Tommie Lee Bryce of Timpson was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound.

Officials said that 40-year-old Jarrod Dukes of Lufkin was arrested for murder and is being held at the Shelby County Jail on a $200,000 bond.

If anyone has any information on this ongoing investigation they are encouraged to contact the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office at 936-598-5601 or contact Criminal Investigation Division Captain Cameron Nichols.

TYLER — Family members and friends of David Dykes are coming together today to honor his life. Dykes began preaching in 1970, and went on to serve as the senior pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church from 1991 to 2021. He then served as Pastor Emeritus of Green Acres. He was also the author of several books, including Handling Life’s Disappointments, Ten Requirements for America’s Survival, and Angels Really DO exist.

Dyke’s memorial service will be held at the Green Acres Baptist Church on July 9 starting at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers Dykes family requests that donations are made to the Green Acres Foundation.

Details into his death is unknown and his family requests privacy during this time.

TYLER– The tragedy in the Hill Country brings camp safety protocols to the forefront, the Camp Tyler director assures parents that emergency procedures are in place. Camp Tyler director, Kathy Lagesse, tells our news partner KETK she wants to ease parents’ minds this summer.

“What did happen at Camp Mystic touched the whole camp industry, Lagesse said. “Every camp I know is coming to task, going over their policies and procedures that we practice.”

Camp Tyler sits high off of Lake Tyler and according to Lagesse, they do not have flashflood issues.

“Our elevation is such that it would be just the most slim percentage that we would ever have any type of flooding at all,” Lagesse said. “You can visualize, see the slope that we’re on, so that is addressed. We know where the flood plain zone is.”

Most of the camps in Texas, including Camp Tyler, are aligned with the Texas Safety Youth Act and the American Camping Association. Continue reading ETX camp discusses safety protocols amid flood tragedy

TYLER – A man stole hundreds of dollars from a Zippy J’s in Tyler early Wednesday morning after shutting off the store’s power and claiming to have a gun that he was ‘not afraid to use.’

According to a report from our news partner KETK, at Zippy J’s #19 on 1610 South Vine Avenue in Tyler, a man shut off all power to the store before entering the north side of the building.

“With his hand in a backpack, he tells them he has a gun and he is not afraid to use it,” Zippy J’s clerk said. He stole about $700 from two registers.

The store clerk said the man ran across the street towards Tyler Bingo Hall after he obtained the money. As of now, the Tyler Police Department is unsure if the man had a gun.

SMITH COUNTY – According to a press release from Smith County, county Road 431, also known as Jim Hogg Road, is closed between CR 472 (just north of Interstate 20), and CR 41 (Sand Flat Road).

The road is expected to be closed for about two weeks. Detour signs have been set in place to alert drivers that alternate routes need to be taken while a drainage culvert is replaced on CR 431.

UPSHUR COUNTY – The man responsible for causing thousands of dollars of damage to Union Grove High School in January has been sentenced to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to criminal mischief on Tuesday, according to the Upshur County District Attorney’s Office and our news partner KETK.

The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene after receiving reports of vandalism at Union Grove High School. Once at the school, deputies observed considerable damage to the campus, including broken windows, destruction of the school’s trophy case, and other damage to school property, including water fountains and monitors. Continue reading Man sentenced to ten years for vandalizing high school

TYLER – Our news partner KETK reports that a man was arrested on July 1 in Tyler after admitting to a predator-catcher organization that he had videos and pictures of children being sexually assaulted on his phone.

According to a Smith County arrest affidavit, around 5:40 p.m., deputies responded to 4373 Gallion Circle, where a private organization, EDP Watch, used a decoy to locate a possible child predator attempting to meet with a 12-year-old girl. The organization said they used a decoy that posed as a 12-year-old girl to communicate with the suspect, Joel Gaona, and that they were set to meet him, but he didn’t show up.

The document explained that EDP Watch then went to Gaona’s home, and videoed the interaction in which he admitted to having child pornography on his phone. Goana gave his phone to the organization after he was told they had software that would erase everything off of it. Continue reading Tyler man arrested for trading child pornography

TYLER – After more than a year-long pause, the City of Tyler announced the official return of its curbside recycling program, beginning Monday, July 14. The service was temporarily suspended following a structure fire at Rivers Recycling in Kilgore, which handled the processing of materials collected through our curbside recycling program. This unfortunate incident resulted in significant damage and the closure of the plant. However, we are pleased to announce that a new facility, the Northeast Texas Regional Materials Recovery Facility (NETX), has officially opened its doors, and the City of Tyler has signed a contract with them to sort and sell all curbside recycling materials. Continue reading Curbside recycling service has resumed in Tyler

WOOD COUNTY – In response to the recent tragic flooding in Kerr County, first responders in Wood County organized a donation drive at the Mineola Football Stadium on Tuesday.

According to a report from our news partner KETK, for Agriculture Mechanics teacher, Mason Wintters, the flooding hit close to home. Wintters has family in Kerr County and has spent many family reunions in the area.

“Seeing this one is kind of like its hitting in your backyard, it’s tough to see your neighbors get hit especially with something so powerful,” Wintters said.

Mineola ISD Police Chief Cody Castleberry organized the donation drive to help those recovering from the rushing waters. Castleberry said that from 5 hours away it’s hard to know how to help, but this was his solution. Continue reading Wood County gathers donations for the Texas Hill Country

LINDALE — A Lindale veterinarian is asking East Texans to donate supplies that will help comfort animals that were affected by the recent floods in Kerrville and Central Texas. According to our news partner KETK, the Lindale Veterinary Clinic is asking East Texans to donate various supplies to the Kerrville and Texas Hill Country Flood Relief Donation Center in Lindale. One of the clinic’s veterinarians has ties to the area and wants to make sure that animals in need are not forgotten during rescue efforts.

The center is asking for the following supplies which will go toward assisting many animals caught in the recent flood: Continue reading Local veterinarian requests donations for animals affected by floods

HOPKINS COUNTY — Nearly three decades later an East Texas homicide case has come to a close after a search warrant was executed on Tuesday at the suspect’s house, where they located the firearm used in the murder.

According to our news partner KETK, the Texas Rangers reopened Geraldine Blackmon’s 1996 unsolved homicide case with renewed efforts, including interviewing witnesses, conducting extensive forensic analysis and examining new ballistic evidence. Earlier this year, officials recovered a firearm barrel that matched the bullet collected from the 1996 crime scene from William Doyle Magness’s residence. A search warrant was executed on Tuesday, where Magness was arrested without incident and charged with Blackmon’s murder.

“The arrest of Magness marks a significant step toward achieving justice for Blackmon and offers long-overdue answers to her family and the Hopkins County community,” the sheriff’s office said. Continue reading Authorities recover gun used in cold case, suspect arrested

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, officials took the next steps in revitalizing downtown Tyler on Tuesday when the Tyler City Council and Smith County commissioners coming together to help guide the future of the Rose City. The city and county leaders voted on and approved a new “lease and use” agreement for the downtown Tyler Public Square, which grants the city of Tyler access to the area.

Mayor of Tyler Don Warren said the city will be leasing the land from the county to help move the downtown improvement project forward, while also updating the city’s infrastructure.

The infrastructure improvements will be partially paid for by $10 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, which is included in the $23.6 million total funding from the city’s half-cent sales tax fund, along with contributions from Tyler Water Utilities, and an information technologies fund for a total investment of $25.6 million. Continue reading Tyler leaders move forward with downtown revitalization

RUSK COUNTY – 50 firearms, stolen property and suspected methamphetamine was seized from multiple East Texas homes by the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office last week, according to a report from our news partner KETK.

On July 1, Sheriff’s deputies searched a home in the 1600 block of East Main Street in Henderson, where they recovered 36 firearms, which were revealed to have been transported from a home on 8100 CR 334. Officials said during the search of the second home, 14 firearms, a stolen cargo trailer, body armor and meth were recovered.

Following the search, Bobby Blake Prior of Henderson, who was already in Rusk County Jail for a prior arrest, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, felony theft, unlawful possession of a firearm, and illegal possession of body armor by a felon on July 2.

He remains in Rusk County Jail with bonds totaling $55,000. The investigation remains active, and officials do anticipate more arrests will be made.

CHAPEL HILL — According to a report from our news partner KETK, a FedEx delivery truck driver has died after being ejected from their vehicle on Highway 64 near Chapel Hill on Tuesday.

Smith County Emergency Services District 2 said officials responded to the scene in the 16000 block of Highway 64 at around 1:26 p.m. on Tuesday. The driver was reportedly stepping out of their truck when another vehicle hit the truck and ejected the driver, fatally injuring them.

The identity of the driver has not been released to the media at this time.

SMITH COUNTY – According to a press release from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025, the Special Investigations Unit, along with Tyler DPS Criminal Investigations Division, followed up on a lead received from the Lindale Police Department in reference to illegal narcotics being shipped to an address in Tyler.

Investigators were able to establish probable cause for a search warrant for the address of 409 Sutherland Dr. A probable cause affidavit was presented to the Honorable 114th State District Judge Reeve Jackson. After reviewing the affidavit, Judge Jackson issued a search warrant.

On Thursday, July 3, 2025, Law Enforcement personnel executed the search warrant at 409 Sutherland Dr. During the search of the residence, Investigators located two kilos of cocaine, five pounds of marijuana, dangerous prescription drugs, two loaded handguns, and a loaded rifle. Also located was over $15,000 in US currency, a currency counter, as well as scales and packaging material used for re-distribution. Continue reading Smith County man arrested in drug investigation

GILMER — According to our news partner KETK, a 53-year-old man and an 11-year-old boy were killed on Sunday during a head-on collision with another vehicle on Farm to Market Road 852 in Gilmer.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Ignacio Aguillon Gonzalez and an 11-year-old boy died while heading eastbound on FM 852 in a 1997 Nissan pickup truck when a 2006 Cadillac Escalade crossed over the center stripe and collided head on with the Nissan. DPS said the Escalade contained a 16-year-old driver and two minors at the time of the crash. Officials are still investigating the crash and information regarding the survivors’ conditions are not available at this time.

ANDERSON COUNTY – The budget reconciliation bill was signed into law by President Donald Trump this weekend, leaving one East Texas organization concerned for the future of food aid for elder Americans according to our news partner KETK.

Tri-County Meals on Wheels serves more than 280,000 meals annually to senior citizens in Anderson, Cherokee and Rusk counties. This new budget suspension has caused them a $1,000 monthly loss of revenue, in a time when the service is needed. The program receives around five calls a week with seniors interested in receiving meal delivery but they may be redirected to a wait list. However the Meals on Wheels in-person cafeteria is continuing to serve lunch as usual.

The organization is encouraging the community to make monetary donations and to volunteer as Meals on Wheels delivery drivers. To learn more, visit Tri-County Meals on Wheels online.

TITUS COUNTY — A woman was charged with manslaughter last week after allegedly killing her daughter in a crash back in June.

According to our news partner KETK and the Department of Public Safety crash report, Margarita Josefina Barrera was driving her 2013 Nissan westbound on FM 899 with her 4-year-old daughter sitting in the third row of the car. According to the report, Barrera was distracted while driving due to another passenger asking for the music to be turned up. DPS said that Barrera was using her phone while driving the vehicle and was failing to drive in a single lane. Due to her distracted driving, Barrea eventually veered off the road and attempted to re-enter the roadway. Her tire caught the edge of the asphalt, causing the vehicle to overturn to its right side. Barrera’s daughter was ejected from the car and later died at Children’s Hospital in Dallas.

Further investigation revealed that the booster seat Barrera’s daughter was sitting in was not appropriate for her age. Following the investigation, Barrera was charged with manslaughter on July 2.

GILMER – A head-on crash in Upshur county has taken the lives of a 53-year-old man and an 11-year-old boy. It happened on Farm to Market Road 852 east of Lake Gilmer at around 1PM Monday. A full-sized SUV was driven by a 16-year-old boy from Gilmer and in the vehicle were 16 -year-old girl and 17-year-old boy, all from Gilmer. Coming the other way on FM-852 was a mid-sized pickup driven by 53-year-old Ignacio Gonzales. Also in the truck was an 11-year-old boy. The SUV crossed over the center stripe on the road and slammed into the pickup, killing both people on board. The investigation is continuing.

NACOGDOCHES – A multi-state offender was sentenced to eight years in prison on Thursday after forcefully spitting in the face of a Nacogdoches police officer in 2024, our news partner KETK reports.

According to the Nacogdoches County District Attorney’s Office, around 1 a.m. on March 16, 2024 police officers were contacted by a citizen that said a person, later identified as 38-year-old Darin Brian Pagel of Nacogdoches, was lying in their yard.

Officers found Pagel to be intoxicated and he was taken into custody for public intoxication when he became agitated. Officials said while Pagel was being searched he “forcefully spat at the officer.” Continue reading Nacogdoches man gets eight years after spitting on police officer

TYLER – A man was arrested on the Fourth of July after he admitted to kicking and striking his dog with a surge protector power strip in Tyler, our news partner KETK reports.

According to the arrest affidavit from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, on Friday around 3:30 a.m. Tyler Police talked to Bryson Joe Jeffery at his home on Broadway Avenue after he tortured his dog.

“Jeffery stated upon returning home he found his female dog had caused damage inside his residence which upset him,” the document said. “In frustration Jeffery began to torture the dog by throwing the dog across the home, kicking it, hitting it and striking it with a surge protector power strip which was located broken inside the home.” Continue reading Tyler man arrested after using power strip to strike his dog

TYLER — Our news partner KETK reports that J-Star Ministries of Harleton headed to Kerrville on Sunday afternoon with supplies for people in their hour of need after catastrophic flooding hit Central Texas on Friday.

Patrick Johnson is the founder of J-Star and he goes to the hardest hit areas around the nation to bring relief to families in need. When he heard the death toll rise in Kerr County, he broke down in tears and said he had to do something to help.

Months ago, the Kilgore Lion’s Club chose to honor J-Star at their convention and gifted him with cleaning supplies, toothbrushes, deodorant, first aid kits, water and nonperishables items. He will distribute those items in central Texas and is asking for more donations for an upcoming second trip to Kerrville.

Johnson first left for Kerr County on Sunday afternoon and will return back to East Texas with a more specific list for their needs. He told KETK News a big need will be shoes for all ages. Continue reading Local organizations lead disaster relief for Kerr County

LAKE PALESTINE – Smith County Emergency Services District 2’s Marine 166 dive and swift water rescue boat had an eventful day at Lake Palestine on Saturday, our news partner KETK reports.

According to the district, the boat first responded to a fire that happened at a private dock at around 7 a.m. on Saturday morning. Marine 166 was able to quickly respond and the fire was extinguished with help from Smith County Emergency Services District 2’s Battalion 1.

Later on Saturday, Marine 166 and Engine 166 responded to a boat that sank on Lake Palestine. The two boaters onboard were able to make it into shore uninjured but the district warned that the boat is sticking out of the water and is a hazard for any traffic through that part of the lake.

The boat sunk at Lake Palestine East in the cove behind Lakeway Habor, around 30 yards from the nearby docks. Texas Game Wardens have been contacted to help remove the boat.