Oak Ridge Today

Man accused of robbing store with large knife, warrant says

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Yorlin Alverez Castillo

Yorlin Alverez Castillo

An Oak Ridge man remained jailed on Friday on a charge that he robbed the Tienda Nony Marketplace on Bus Terminal Road with a large knife on Monday afternoon, authorities said.

Yorlin Alverez Castillo, 23, is accused of robbing the store at about 1:06 p.m. Monday, according to an arrest warrant filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court.

A store employee told police that she had her 11-year-old son at work with her at the time, and the boy was behind the counter with her. Castillo allegedly came in the front door armed with a large knife, a deadly weapon, “placing the victims in fear,” Oak Ridge Police Department Detective William Weaver wrote in the warrant.

The employee told Weaver that Castillo’s face was covered with a bandana, and he wore a gray sweatshirt and sweat pants.

“He went up to the counter and stated, ‘It’s a robbery,'” the warrant said. “The victim stated, ‘Yorlin, don’t do this, my son is here.'” [Read more…]

Report: Scammers extorting money after claiming missed jury duty

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge officials say unknown suspects have been contacting residents claiming to be representatives of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department and claiming to be contacting people who failed to show up for jury duty. The suspects have allegedly extorted money from victims in return for supposedly excusing them from jury duty, a press release said.

The press release said that anyone who is asked to pay money in return for being excused from jury duty should contact their local law enforcement agency immediately. Oak Ridge citizens are encouraged to report any suspicious activity to (865) 425-4399, or dial 911 if it is an emergency.

Firefighters, business owner to lead fire safety seminar for businesses

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Josh Waldo

Josh Waldo

A business owner and firefighters from Oak Ridge and Clinton will lead a fire safety seminar for businesses in Clinton on Tuesday.

The seminar is titled “Fire Safety and Prevention in Your Workplace and Business.” It will be led by Chip Dooley, owner of Life Safety Inspections in Oak Ridge; Josh Waldo, deputy fire chief for the Oak Ridge Fire Department; and Daniel Adams, firefighter for the Clinton Fire Department.

The seminar is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, at the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce in Clinton. It’s part of the Chamber’s summer business safety series, and it’s sponsored by Life Safety Inspections.

“The best way to practice fire safety is to make sure one doesn’t break out in the first place,” a press release said. “This means being aware of potential hazards in your business.” [Read more…]

Cocke County says case closed after widow releases suicide note, but parents dispute note

Posted at
By 9 Comments

Alexander John Heitman

Alexander John Heitman

Officials say it was suicide. But the parents are skeptical.

So questions linger almost four years after Alexander John Heitman, 29, of Knoxville, was found dead in Cocke County after being reported missing by Oak Ridge Schools. Heitman reportedly died on Tranquility Ridge Drive outside Newport on July 25, 2011. Officials said it was suicide, a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

But Heitman’s parents, Don and Annette Heitman of Adams, Wisconsin, find it hard to believe. They aren’t the only ones. Some current and former Oak Ridge residents, including City Council member Trina Baughn, are also skeptical of the official cause of death.

Heitman’s widow, Kristie Heitman, is not. In February, she released a suicide note that she believes Alex, who was the supervisor of business and support services for Oak Ridge Schools, wrote the day before he died.

Neither is Cocke County Sheriff Armando Fontes. In March, he said the case is closed, and there is no reason to continue pursuing it. Investigators found no evidence that anyone else was involved, Fontes said.

But Don and Annette continue to seek answers. They started a website in October 2013 and used it to raise questions about the case. They’ve also asked for the death investigation to be re-opened, hired attorney Hugh Ward to help them, and won the support of Baughn and others. They’ve also asked the FBI to investigate. [Read more…]

ETTP emergency exercise to be held Tuesday, June 16

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

An emergency exercise will be conducted at the East Tennessee Technology Park in west Oak Ridge beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16.

The emergency exercise is being conducted by URS-CH2M Oak Ridge, LLC, or UCOR.

The exercise, which should conclude no later than 1 p.m., is being conducted in coordination with the U.S. Department of Energy and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, a press release said. It will involve participants from multiple state agencies; the city of Oak Ridge; and Anderson, Knox, Loudon, and Roane counties. [Read more…]

Garbage truck overturns in Oliver Springs

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oliver Springs Waste Connections Truck

Photo by Kenneth Morgan

 

Note: This story was updated at 5 p.m.

A Waste Connections truck overturned on Tri County Boulevard at Windrock Road at about 6:30 a.m. Monday, authorities said.

Oliver Springs Police Chief Kenneth Morgan said the driver, Timothy Goodale, was taken to Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge with minor injuries.

Approximately 35 to 40 gallons of diesel fuel leaked onto the ground from the loaded truck, with some flowing into Indian Creek, Morgan said. Cleanup was provided by Waste Connections and performed by Hepco.

The Oliver Springs Police Department responded to the crash, and the Oak Ridge Fire Department HazMat team was called to help the Oliver Springs Fire Department.

Here are photos by Morgan and fire photographer Tom Scott.

[Read more…]

ORFD uses boat, cell phone signals to rescue mountain bikers lost at Haw Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Fire Department and Haw Ridge Rescue

The Oak Ridge Fire Department used cell phone signals and a search crew in a boat to rescue three lost mountain bikers at Haw Ridge Park on Sunday night.

 

Note: This story was updated at 3:45 p.m. June 15.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department used cell phone signals and a search crew in a boat to rescue mountain bikers lost at Haw Ridge Park after dark on Sunday.

Dispatchers received a call that the three young men were lost at about 10 p.m. Sunday. Three firefighters launched a large rescue boat stored at East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, by about 10:45 p.m. from a boat ramp at Solway Park, which is near Haw Ridge Park.

Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley said the three had stayed on the trails past sunset and became disoriented.

“Without flashlights, they were unable to find their way back to the parking lot, so they called 911 for assistance,” Kerley said. [Read more…]

Police: Man riding dirt bike reported as stolen drops it in front of patrol car, flees

Posted at
By 1 Comment

Seth Davis

Seth Davis

An Oak Ridge man riding a dirt bike reported to be stolen from Staples lost control of the motorcycle and dropped it in front of a police patrol car before fleeing Thursday evening, authorities said.

Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Sherrill Selby observed two dirt bikes on South Benedict Avenue at about 7:45 p.m. Thursday, and they were “riding wheelies at a high rate of speed,” according to warrants filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court.

In the warrants, Officer Scott Carroll said the defendant, Seth Montez Davis, 19, rode toward him. When Davis saw him, Carroll said, “he locked up the brakes and slid into my lane of traffic.”

After Davis dropped the bike, he ran behind a home on South Benedict, Carroll said. The officer said he chased Davis through a field and back up to South Benedict, where he was caught. [Read more…]

Report: Police arrest felon who possessed AK-47

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Police Department Logo

Oak Ridge police investigating a disturbance on Tuesday morning arrested a convicted felon who was asleep in a bedroom with an AK-47 rifle within reach, authorities said.

The Oak Ridge Police Department responded to the Highland View home at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. They had received a report that there was a man in the roadway causing a disturbance and impeding traffic.

When police arrived, the man told officers that he was the victim of an armed robbery that had occurred at the home earlier, a City of Oak Ridge press release said. [Read more…]

Fugitive wanted on attempted murder charges apprehended Tuesday, police say

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Michael Q. Ray

A fugitive wanted on several counts, including attempted first-degree murder, was apprehended in Oak Ridge on Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

Michael Q. Ray was taken into custody without incident at 101 North Walker Circle, the Oak Ridge Police Department said.

The ORPD said Ray had been sought on multiple counts for charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. Those charges stemmed from a June 3 incident at the McKenzie Acres Apartments on Utica Circle in which multiple gunshots were fired, a press release said.

The operation to apprehend Ray involved several ORPD elements that included Criminal Investigations and Patrol Division personnel, as well as Special Weapons Team personnel, the City of Oak Ridge said in the press release.

“The investigation into the shooting at the McKenzie Acres Apartments remains ongoing, and no further information will be released at this time,” the release said.

Fire destroys AC mobile home

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

A Sunday evening fire destroyed a mobile home on Cedar Grove Lane in Anderson County.

The fire was extinguished by crews from the Marlow Volunteer Fire Department with assistance from both the Clinton and Oak Ridge fire departments, and no injuries were reported.

The resident of the mobile home, Michelle Turnbill, told an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputy that she had grilled hot dogs on a small grill on the front porch. She said she checked it when she was done to make sure that the coals were out, and she told the deputy that it appeared to be cool to the touch. After going back inside, she heard what sounded like the grill turning over, and she looked out to see the indoor/outdoor carpet on the front porch ablaze.

She and her family made it out safely and called 911. She told investigators that there had been three dogs and a cat inside the home at the time of the fire, but the report does not indicate their fate.

Man arrested for alleged robbery in hotel parking lot

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Jhavon T. Parker

Jhavon T. Parker

An Oak Ridge man allegedly robbed three people in a hotel parking lot on Monday and was arrested a short time later, authorities said.

The alleged robbery occurred at the Holiday Inn Express at about 11:49 p.m. Monday, according to the Oak Ridge Police Department.

The three victims told officers that a male had robbed them at gunpoint and fled on foot, a City of Oak Ridge press release said. More officers responded, inspected the area, and conducted interviews.

The press release said Jhavon T. Parker, 19, of Oak Ridge, was arrested a short time later and taken to the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton, where he was charged with three counts of aggravated robbery. [Read more…]