Today is
Sunday July 26, 2026
TYLER — Tyler Police are investigating a Monday night shooting that left two people dead and one injured. It was reported just before 10:00 on W. Dobbs. 51-year-old Charlie Verdell and 17-year-old Daquan Munson were killed. Arriving officers found Verdell on the front porch; he died later at a hospital. Munson and his mother, 32-year-old Ladidre Patrice Blevins, were found inside. Munson was dead at the scene. Blevins remained in a hospital at last report; her condition was not immediately released. A witness told officers they saw a black male with a gun running from the scene. Authorities announced Tuesday afternoon a suspect is in custody in the case. Arrested in Longview was Tony Waters, 55, of Kilgore.
TYLER — The Tyler ISD Board of Trustees will address how it will move forward with the Robert E. Lee High School name change discussion during its Monday meeting. A statement from board president Rev. Fritz Hager Jr. released Thursday evening says the item is for discussion only. No decisions have been made and no action will be taken. There are several options the board could choose from after the consultation. Hager says most of the discussion has focused on making a change, but not how to go about the process or what the new name might be.
TYLER — A Whitehouse woman has pleaded guilty to federal violations. Shelly Hunter, 47, pleaded guilty July 16 to interstate transport of stolen funds. According to information presented in court, from March 2005 until February 2017 Hunter was employed as the Business Office Manager for Peltier Chevrolet, Inc. in Tyler. Beginning March 2011, Hunter embezzled and stole funds belonging to the dealership. Hunter used the stolen funds to pay her personal credit cards. In some instances, she mailed checks to pay her accounts. She also directly wired funds from the dealership’s bank account to her credit card accounts. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A theft suspect has been added to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office’s Most Wanted list. According to our news partner KETK, Broderick Walker is wanted for theft of property. Smith County judicial records list numerous convictions for Walker, including possession of marijuana, failure to appear, driving while intoxicated, theft of property, criminal trespass and fraudulent use/possession of identifying information items. Walker also has other outstanding warrants from the SCSO and the Tyler Police Department. If you know of Walker’s whereabouts, please contact the SCSO at (903) 566-6600 or the TPD at (903) 531-1000.
SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man is scheduled to appear in court for a jury trial Monday for allegedly recording a female coworker while she was in the restroom. Victor Antonio Cruz-Castellanos, 30, is charged with invasive visual recording in a bathroom/dressing room. A jury trial wa scheduled for 10:00 a.m. in the court of 241st District Judge Jack Skeen. According to our news partner KETK, the incident reportedly occurred in December 2017. Tyler police said a woman was going into the restroom when Cruz-Castellanos asked if he could go in before her. Cruz-Castellanos then allegedly put a cellphone in a cabinet across from the stall in order to record her. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES — Authorities have recovered the body of a man who drowned Thursday afternoon at Lake Nacogdoches. According to our news partner KETK and Nacogdoches Police, around12:50, 911 dispatchers received a call about a man who went under the water in the west swimming area at Lake Nacogdoches. When first responders arrived at the scene, the man showed no signs of life. The identity of the victim has not been released. Police say the investigation is ongoing.
HARRISON COUNTY — A Harrison County grand jury this week indicted Miguel Rabadan, 59, of Longview, on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The indictment says on May 13, Rabadan injured a man by hitting him in the head with a garden hoe. According to our news partner KETK, the victim told police that he and Rabadan had been drinking together at their mobile home park when Rabadan became angry that the other man’s dog had bitten him on his foot four weeks earlier. The man told police that Rabadan started screaming, picked up a garden hoe and hit him in the head with the blade.
TYLER — A lip sync battle among police departments has swept social media. The Tyler Police Department has posted an epic video of their own. Tyler police joined other agencies in competing in an unofficial contest to highlight public safety and improve law enforcement’s image. The phenomenon has spread through challenges issued to other departments. The Facebook post has 1.4 million views and has been shared more that 49,000 times, so far. #LipSyncChallenge Watch video on Facebook
SMITH COUNTY – A man identified as Anthony Watkins, 59, of Dallas has died in an accident that caused traffic problems in Smith County. That’s according to our news partner KETK. Interstate Highway 20 at the Toll 49 bridge was reopened Monday afternoon. According to the Department of Public Safety report, a truck tractor struck the bridge. Traffic had to be rerouted on the service road until the interstate was reopened. According to Kathi White with TxDOT, the south end of the bridge shifted about three inches during the crash. It has been inspected by a bridge engineer, who says there is some minor damage that will necessitate repairs but it does not affect the strength of the bridge. Repairs will be conducted by the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority, which is responsible for Toll 49.
CHEROKEE COUNTY — The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a Tyler man. The body of Olen John Defoore, 38, was found in a car off County Road 3306 Friday, July 6. Officials said they do not believe foul play was involved. Defoore’s body has been sent for autopsy. Additional details were not immediately available.
HENDERSON COUNTY — Two people have been arrested for possession of methamphetamine after they were stopped for littering. It happened Monday in Gun Barrel City. According to Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, Naomi Butler, 26, of Malakoff, and Joshua Fry, 25, of Athens, were taken into custody. They both reportedly admitted to possessing marijuana. A search of their vehicle yielded a quantity of methamphetamine hidden behind the driver’s seat. Butler also admitted to concealing meth on her person and surrendered it to the officers. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS — A west Texas doctor faces up to five years in federal prison. Dr. Frank Gonzales Jr. is an Odessa chiropractor and has agreed to plead guilty to his part in a $200 million bribery and kickback scheme. A Ft. Worth surgeon, Shawn Henry, has pleaded not guilty in the same case involving hundreds of referrals for surgery at Forest Park Medical Center in north Texas. Several other people have also entered not guilty pleas, including Doctors Gerald Foox, of Tyler and David Kim, of Southlake. The Forest Park Medical Center closed its 5 north Texas locations and filed for bankruptcy in 2016.
TYLER – Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones. Motorists should prepare for a slow-down on I-20 when the eastbound inside lane will be closed for approximately three days near the Van Zandt/Kaufman County line for work on an ongoing safety project. The lane closure is set for 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, Monday thru Wednesday.
In Tyler, daily lane closures are again being implemented on the Spur 248 widening project. The contractor will be conducting seal coat and paving operations which will cause brief delays for traffic. Summer seal coat operations continue in the Tyler District. Motorists should expect lane closures and delays during this work to seal and protect roadways from water, and provide a longer life cycle. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY — Longview police arrested a 52-year-old Longview man early Friday on suspicion of threatening a man with a pipe after waking up the victim and his wife, according to a report. According to the Longview News-Journal, Anthony Scott McClung was being held Friday on a $20,000 bond in Gregg County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon family violence, according to the report and jail records.
KILGORE — A 34-year-old Kilgore man has been arrested on suspicion of paying $120 for nude photos of a teenage female relative. According to our news partner KETK and the Longview News-Journal, Carlos Lynn Rios was held Tuesday in the Gregg County Jail on $25,000 bond, charged with possession with the intent to promote child pornography. His arrest came almost three months after the victim’s mother went to the White Oak Police Department on April 9 to report her daughter returned from school April 2 with $120, police said. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE — A man has died after being hit by a train in Kilgore while he was walking along the tracks. He has been identified as Jeremy Nathan Owens, 38, of Kilgore. The accident happened around 5:00 Sunday afternoon near Longview Street. Authorities say Owens was walking east when hit by the east bound Union Pacific train. Kilgore police say the conductor sounded the horn when they saw a man on the tracks. The accident remains under investigation.
GREGG COUNTY — The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an aggravated robbery. Officials said just after 1:30 Saturday morning, a Rudy’s Taco employee was closing the store on Old Highway 135 South, in Kilgore, when he was approached by two armed men. The suspects took multiple items, including a significant amount of cash from the restaurant and employees, then fled on foot. One victim said he saw two white passenger cars leaving the area from across the road just after the robbery, which he believed may be involved. EMS transported a juvenile victim to an area hospital for non life-threatening injuries received from being struck by one of the suspects. The suspects were said to be black males, dressed in dark clothing.
GREGG COUNTY — An East Texas man, who had a case dismissed against him in connection with a shootout at a Waco restaurant in May 2015, has been arrested on multiple charges including attempted capital murder of a peace officer or fireman. According to our news partner KETK, Jason Alan Dillard, 42, of Winona, was arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety Friday morning. He was booked into the Gregg County Jail on numerous charges including: Evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, unlawful carrying of a weapon, driving while intoxicated (3rd or more), reckless driving, failing to signal during lane change, speeding in a construction zone and deadly conduct (discharge of a firearm). Dillard’s case regarding the Waco biker shootout was dismissed May 4, by McLennan County prosecutors.
DALLAS (AP) – Police say three Dallas officers have been arrested and charged with gambling promotion following an investigation by the department’s public integrity unit. Dallas police announced the arrests Thursday afternoon and say all three officers surrendered to local authorities. All three have been charged with gambling promotion. One of the officers was also charged with money laundering and engaging in organized criminal activity. An email sent to city council members says arrest warrants on the three were the result of an investigation into a Dallas officer who was arrested in December. The three officers are on administrative leave and Dallas police declined to provide further information on Thursday’s arrests. One city council member called the arrests “alarming and embarrassing.”
GREGG COUNTY — A Longview teen is behind bars in connection to an aggravated assault in Jefferson Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, Deontra Tyre Lilly, 17, was arrested at an apartment complex on Hawkins Parkway around 7:00 p.m. Tuesday. Lilly was arrested by U.S. Marshal Violent Crimes Task Force agents while he was attempting to leave the scene in a car police believe was involved in an aggravated assault. Lilly was booked into the Gregg County Jail on an outstanding Marion County warrant for aggravated assault and reckless discharge of a firearm. Bond has not been set.
GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man suspected in a Southeast Texas homicide was found dead of an apparent suicide at his home Thursday evening. According to the Longview News-Journal, Longview police spokesman Sgt. Shane McCarter said officers, including members of Longview SWAT units, converged on a home on America Drive to serve an arrest warrant for Richard Dubreuil, 60. After getting no response, officers gained entry to find Dubreuil deceased. Authorities contacted local police earlier Thursday after learning that the suspect lived in Longview.
OVERTON — Police are investigating after a man in a wheelchair was struck and killed by a Union Pacific train in Overton Thursday afternoon. According to our news partner KETK, the man was hit by a cargo train at the intersection of West Henderson Street and Commerce Street. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released.
LONGVIEW — A Longview man was being held Thursday in the Gregg County Jail in the kidnapping and shooting of an ex-girlfriend who was found dead Tuesday in a Fort Worth neighborhood. Jamie Devon Brown, 38, is facing a capital murder charge with bail set at $150,000. A passing motorist called 911 after spotting the woman’s body in a grassy area next to the eastbound lane of Bellaire Drive at the intersection of Ranch View Road early Tuesday morning. A police report identifies the victim as Kelly Lawson, 36. Lawson died from multiple gunshot wounds.
ANGELINA COUNTY — Lufkin Police arrested the resident of a home that burned down last week and charged him with causing the fire. According to our news partner KETK, Charles Edward Wachal was arrested June 18 on one felony count of arson in connection to a June 14 fire in Lufkin. He was booked into the Angelina County Jail and released Wednesday on a $100,000 bond. Wachal also said he had previously had a fire in his apartment in Houston in 2017 due to what he said was a faulty outlet and electrical wiring. Investigators determined the Lufkin fire was also electrical in nature. Wachal had been treated several times for minor chemical burns over the past 6 or 7 months. Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL — Marshall police are asking for the public’s help in locating a fugitive. Oscar Lavelle Smith Jr., 26, of Marshall, is wanted on an aggravated assault warrant from an incident June, 18. When officers arrived on the scene they found a victim suffering serious but non -life threatening injuries. The victim was transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Marshall for treatment. Smith is described as a black male, about 5’7†and weighs around 155 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. Contact the Marshall Police Department at 903-935-4575 or Marshall/Harrison County Crime Stoppers at 903-935-9969 with any information.
NACOGDOCHES — Members of the Nacogdoches Fire Department have returned home after fighting a massive wildfire in West Texas. According to our news partner KETK, they helped battle the nearly 20,000-acre Scenic Loop Complex Fire in Jeff Davis County. Nacogdoches firefighters put their lives on the line hundreds of miles from home fighting the immense wildfire sparked by a lightning strike on June 5. “Fort Davis requested a strike team and we were just one of the strike teams from the east branch that deployed,” said Chuck French, Nacogdoches Fire Department Battalion Chief. Other departments from the eastern branch represented in Jeff Davis County were Texarkana, Mount Pleasant, Lufkin and Beaumont. Nacogdoches fire served as the “mop-up” crew. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY — A Kilgore man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for bank robbery. According to our news partner KETK, Michael Duntae Fagans, 40, pleaded guilty in the 188th District Court in Longview Tuesday to the February 9, 2017, robbery of Austin State Bank in Longview. He waived all rights to appeal as part of his plea. Two other defendants in the case are awaiting sentencing.
TYLER — The Tyler ISD board has voted to table the the issue of changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, the board met late into Monday evening to consider the issue. A number of Tyler ISD residents attended the meeting to give public comments on the issue. The question of whether to change the name of the high school named for the Confederate general has been a fraught one in Tyler, with citizens, alumni, students, parents and educators lining up on both sides. The TISD administration had urged the board to resolve the issue at this meeting. The board has until October, when construction on the schools begins, to make a decision on the name. Board members told KETK they would have a decision by the deadline. They said they want community members to continue to leave input into the matter.
TYLER — The man wanted in a Sunday morning hit and run that left an 11-year-old dead has surrendered. Tyler police said Josue Alejandro Prado Ramirez (pictured), 21, Athens, turned himself in to the Henderson County Jail around 7:30 Monday night. A warrant had been issued for Ramirez following the death of Damarion Williams. Williams’ body was discovered in the median of Highway 271 just after 8:00 Sunday morning. Officials believe the boy was walking near the roadway when he was stuck by a vehicle. The victim’s mother had called police to report her son missing around 3:00 Sunday afternoon and investigators determined it was the same person. Witnesses gave information that led to Ramirez. Ramirez was charged with accident involving death. Bond was set at $250,000.
CHEROKEE COUNTY — State Troopers responded to a single vehicle crash Sunday morning that left two people dead. It happened around 6:00 on FM-235 in Cherokee County. Troopers said a GMC Yukon was traveling west at an unsafe speed and failed to negotiate a curve. The vehicle left the roadway, over-corrected and rolled several times. Both occupants were ejected. The driver, Uriel Torres, 20, of Cedar Creek, and passenger Jose Arredondo, 22, of Jacksonville, were pronounced dead at the scene. They were not wearing seatbelts. The crash remains under investigation.