Oak Ridge Today

Man dies, others injured in multi-vehicle crash at Midtown Community Center

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Midtown Community Center Crash Reconstruction

A man died and at least a half-dozen people went to the hospital after a mutli-vehicle crash in the parking lot of Midtown Community Center after fireworks in Oak Ridge on Saturday night. Above, an accident reconstruction team works in the pouring rain at Midtown Community Center on Robertsville Road at about 2 a.m. Sunday. At right is Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Grant Gouldie.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:15 p.m.

One person died after a multi-vehicle crash in the parking lot of Midtown Community Center sent at least a half-dozen people to the hospital after fireworks in Oak Ridge on Saturday night, authorities said.

The man who died has a Knoxville address, but police aren’t identifying him yet because family members are still being notified. It appeared that the man was on foot at the time of the crash, authorities said. The man who died was with his wife and children, Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi said.

Akagi said at least six people, including two children, were sent to three hospitals in three ambulances. The injured were taken to Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge and Children’s Hospital and University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. Their names and conditions weren’t immediately available.

Akagi said a pickup involved in the crash hit several vehicles, although it’s not clear how the man who died was injured.

It’s also not clear how fast the red Dodge pickup truck was going or whether it was backing up, he said. Witnesses said the truck had been parked at the east end of the parking lot facing east, or away from the entrance, and the driver backed up to leave as soon as fireworks were over. Witnesses said the truck was in reverse and driving fast. So far, authorities have been unable to confirm that.

“We don’t know what happened,” Akagi said.

But the truck’s back end appeared to have struck at least one vehicle.

Akagi said there were at least a half-dozen vehicles involved in the crash. He said he didn’t know if any other vehicles were moving at the time of the collision. [Read more…]

Police search for suspects after robbery at check cashing store on Friday

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ORPD Matthew Johnston, Brandan Sharp, and Ray Steakley at Manhattan Apartments

Oak Ridge Police Department officers set up a perimeter around one building at Manhattan Apartments on North Purdue Avenue after a robbery was reported at the nearby Check Into Cash on South Illinois Avenue on Friday afternoon. Pictured above from left are Matthew Johnston, Brandan Sharp, and Ray Steakley.

 

The Oak Ridge Police Department is searching for two suspects in an armed robbery at a check cashing store that led officers to set up a temporary perimeter at a nearby apartment complex on Friday.

The robbery at Check Into Cash at 361 South Illinois Avenue was reported about 3:15 p.m. Friday.

“Several officers and detectives arrived on scene within minutes of being dispatched and immediately initiated a search for two suspects described as a black male and black female, who were armed with handguns and had reportedly fled the business on foot,” the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release.

“Officers canvassed the area and talked with an eyewitness who stated both suspects were last seen running between buildings at the Manhattan Apartment complex in the 200 block of North Purdue Avenue,” the release said. “A section of North Purdue Avenue was temporarily closed while police established containment around the three apartment buildings the suspects were believed to have fled. No suspects were located, and the investigation is still ongoing at this time.” [Read more…]

Police investigate robbery at check cashing store, set up perimeter at apartment building

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ORPD Matthew Johnston, Brandan Sharp, and Ray Steakley at Manhattan Apartments

Oak Ridge Police Department officers set up a perimeter around one building at Manhattan Apartments on North Purdue Avenue after a robbery was reported at the nearby Check Into Cash on South Illinois Avenue on Friday afternoon. Pictured above from left are Matthew Johnston, Brandan Sharp, and Ray Steakley.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 7:15 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Police Department on Friday afternoon was investigating a reported robbery at a check cashing and payday loan store on South Illinois Avenue, and officers set up a perimeter at a nearby apartment building.

The robbery was reported at about 3:15 p.m. Friday at Check Into Cash at 361 South Illinois Avenue. Officers said it wasn’t clear what was taken.

Police set up a perimeter around a building at the nearby Manhattan Apartments on North Purdue Avenue, and several officers were carrying AR15 rifles as they appeared to conduct a search in and around the three-story building. But it wasn’t immediately clear if they were looking for a suspect or something else. [Read more…]

Man accused of robbing store with large knife, warrant says

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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…]

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

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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…]

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

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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

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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

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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.

Man arrested for alleged robbery in hotel parking lot

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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…]

Two arrested for alleged narcotics, weapons possession

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Christopher Cody Samuelson

Christopher Cody Samuelson

Two men who allegedly possessed illegal drugs and firearms were arrested at an Oak Ridge motel on Friday morning, authorities said.

The Oak Ridge Police Department investigated possible drug activity around Days Inn on South Illinois Avenue at about 10:11 a.m. Friday, June 5, a press release said. Several officers responded, and when they arrived, they detained Christopher Samuelson and Anthony Gallaher, both 30-year-old Oak Ridge residents.

The search of a hotel room resulted in the seizures of suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a handgun, and currency believed to be derived from the sales of narcotics, the press release said. Another pistol was allegedly recovered from a vehicle linked to both men that was parked near the room. Officers also conducted a parole search of a residence in Oak Ridge and recovered additional narcotics, the release said. [Read more…]

Driver taken to hospital, power out after van hits utility pole at Family Clinic

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DEEM Van Crash at Utility Pole at Family Clinic

The driver was taken to the hospital and power was temporarily out near the Family Clinic of Oak Ridge after a DEEM van, pictured at center behind the Oak Ridge Electric Department truck, crashed into a utility pole at New York and Vermont avenues on Saturday morning. Above, a tow truck, right, responds to remove the van, and the Oak Ridge Electric Department, foreground, responds to repair the pole. (Photo by Daniel Powers)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 7:43 p.m. June 8.

The driver was taken to the hospital and power was temporarily out near the Family Clinic of Oak Ridge after a van crashed into a utility pole at New York and Vermont avenues on Saturday morning.

The crash was reported at about 9:05 a.m. Saturday.

Kristin Nevius said she was driving a Chrysler Town and Country van southbound toward Oak Ridge Turnpike on New York Avenue when the other van narrowly missed her vehicle and crashed into the pole while headed north on New York Avenue. Nevius and passenger Peggy VandenBurg and Nevius’ two children were not injured, but they said they were upset by the close call and subsequent crash. [Read more…]

AC woman faces DUI, other charges after allegedly hitting parked car, metal rail

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Michelle E. Slaughter

Michelle E. Slaughter

An Anderson County woman accused of striking a parked car on East Pawley Lane and a metal hand rail on Outer Drive in Oak Ridge on Wednesday now faces several charges, including driving under the influence.

Michelle E. Slaughter, 27, of Dutch Valley Road, told Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Ben Higgins that she had three shots of vodka and one beer at a friend’s house, according to warrants filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court. Slaughter said she doesn’t normally drink, and she had not eaten anything all day.

In the warrants, Higgins said ORPD Officer Ray Steakley was helping Slaughter while she walked after a stop at Outer Drive and Key Springs Road, and she appeared to be uneasy on her feet and had trouble walking on her own. [Read more…]