Latest news with #SmithCountySheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Smith County officials seek help finding critically missing woman
SMITH COUNTY, Texas (KETK) – The Smith County Sheriff's Office is searching for a missing woman last seen on Sunday. The Smith County Sheriff's Office said they received a missing persons call on Sunday at around 11:30 p.m. Deputies responded to an area near Garden Valley Golf Course, where they found the missing person's vehicle. Van Zandt County deputies search for murder suspect due in court Hyemin 'Katherine' Wee is described as an Asian woman, 5 feet 2 inches, 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Officials said she could be wearing a black or dark gray V-neck T-shirt. Wee has made recent suicidal statements. 'At this time, multiple law enforcement agencies and fire departments are in the area searching for Hyemin Wee,' Smith County officials said. 'The search area includes Garden Valley Golf Course, the surrounding wooded areas and residential areas. This has been an ongoing effort since early this morning and will continue throughout the day.' Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the sheriff's office at 903-566-6600 or call 911. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
AFFIDAVIT: Tyler man arrested after having sexual relationship with minor in exchange for vapes
TYLER, Texas (KETK) – A Tyler man has been arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a minor in exchange for nicotine devices, according to an arrest affidavit. The Smith County Sheriff's Office became aware of the case after being contacted by a girl's guardians on March 4. One of her guardians revealed to a sheriff's office deputy that they discovered she had been having an improper relationship with a grown man while going through the girl's phone. AFFIDAVIT: Parent arrested for giving vodka-laced Jell-O shots to kids at Tyler elementary Christmas part According to officials, one of the victim's guardians said text messages from the victim's phone revealed she was having explicit conversations and spoke about having sexual relationships with a man whose contact name was 'J'. Further text messages revealed the victim was offering to give the man sexual favors in exchange for vapes and other nicotine devices. Text messages also revealed the two parties making arrangements to meet at a nearby oil field in regard to their deal. The suspect was later identified as John Walter Morrill, who used to be married to the victim's sister and had previously lived on the same property as the victim before moving out in September 2023. According to officials, Morill began having improper relationships in exchange for vapes while he lived on the property and has continued until their most recent sexual interaction, which took place on March 2. During an interview with the deputy, the victim revealed Morrill initiated the relationship between the two, and he would provide her vapes of any flavor in exchange for sexual favors. Free child vaccines at Children's Fest 2025 in Tyler On March 25, a forensic interview was held at the Smith County Child Advocacy Center. During the interview, the victim confirmed that she had intercourse with Morrill several times over a year and a half, including oral sex. She also stated that she would sneak out of her house and meet Morrill, who would drive her to a secluded location. Officials were later able to obtain text messages between Morill and the victim from Feb. 28 which revealed the sexual relationship between the two. While going through the messages, texts were discovered with Morrill stating that he was planning to move closer to the victim and that he intended to keep the relationship between the two active. Following the investigation, Morill was arrested on April 17 by Smith County deputies and booked into the Smith County Jail for the charge of sexual assault of a child. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
2 Smith County men sentenced for possession of child porn
SMITH COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — Two men have been sentenced to prison after investigators found communication between the two, where one sent child pornography files in exchange for nude pictures of the other. 16 people in East Texas arrested for wide-spread meth trafficking conspiracy According to Smith County judicial records, Antonio Guevara-Valderrama and Nathaniel Connor Mitchell pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and received combined sentences of 50 years. An affidavit obtained from the Smith County Sheriff's Office revealed that during a search of Mitchell's phone in November 2023, officials found 'several files containing apparent child pornography.' During the investigation, officers learned that these files had been shared by Guevara-Valderrama in what appeared to be in exchange for shirtless pictures of Mitchell. 'I located about 29 files containing obvious child pornography,' the affidavit said. 'The videos depicted children from infancy to pre-teen years in various sex acts with adults, including full penetration of the sex organs.' Longview man gets 80 years for assaulting six-year-old girl Mitchell allegedly told investigators in an interview on Nov. 9, 2023, that he met Guevara-Valderrama through a workout community at a gym about three years prior. Mitchell said they exchanged Instagram accounts and eventually, Guevara-Valderrama started offering Mitchell money for nude photos and other sexual acts. 'Mitchell related he then would go over to Tony's [Guevara-Valderrama] house,' the affidavit said. 'Mitchell advised he would go over to Tony's residence, where he would strip nude for Tony and pose.' On March 17, Guevara-Valderrama was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and on Wednesday, Mitchell was sentenced to 20 years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
$1 million bond set for Hideaway man involved in police chase
SMITH COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — An East Texas man is being held on a $1 million bond after a , buildings and pointed guns at citizens. According to an arrest affidavit obtained from the Smith County Sheriff's Office, on Wednesday, around 10:55 a.m., the sheriff's office began receiving reports of a person, later identified as Mason Lowell Ahrens of Hideaway, shooting his gun out of an older model of a black Chevrolet Z71. Henderson County Sheriff's Office takes 'aggressive stance' to arrest child predators Officials said Ahrens was shooting at buildings and pointing guns at citizens, and then left out the back gate of Hideaway. At this time, the last known location of Ahrens was on FM 16 heading towards Lindale. A detective located Ahrens and watched him pull into a gas station. The detective pulls up behind Ahrens with his lights and sirens activated and identifies himself when he sees Ahrens look at him in his rearview mirror and flee from him, heading westbound on FM 16. Ahrens then drove off FM 16 onto a dirt road with road construction until he U-turned and stopped the truck, officials said. VIDEO: Gunshots heard in Lindale police chase, person arrested 'Ahrens drives at him [the detective] and this is when the detective clearly observes Ahrens pointing a gun directly at him,' the affidavit said. 'Ahrens continues to flee from law enforcement. During this pursuit, Ahrens pointed his firearm at other law enforcement officers and shot while fleeing from officers.' Ahrens was finally captured near Tyler Pipe in Swan around 11:28 a.m. and was arrested for aggravated assault of a public servant and driving while intoxicated. He is being held at the Smith County Jail on a $1 million bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
AFFIDAVIT: Robbery plot leads to 2 arrested for capital murder in East Texas
SMITH COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — A woman has been arrested in connection to a Saturday morning murder in Smith County after investigators uncovered text messages allegedly revealing she helped plan a robbery leading to the victim's death. According to the Smith County Sheriff's Office, they received a 911 call around 2 a.m. on Saturday after a person reported seeing a man lying on the side of the road in Flint. Further information revealed the man had been shot. 2 people arrested after Smith County fatal shooting When officials arrived, they found James Michael LittleJohn unresponsive and he was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries. An affidavit obtained from the sheriff's office revealed the victim was sitting in the front passenger seat with Ashley Kate Joiner as the driver. A second suspect, John Floyd McDaniel, 55, was in the back passenger seat. 'While she was operating the vehicle…she witnessed McDaniel grab the victim from the back and attempt to rob Littlejohn with a handgun,' documents show. 'Joiner stated she heard McDaniel tell [Littlejohn], 'Don't move, or I'll shoot you, give me your phone.'' After LittleJohn took out a knife to defend himself, McDaniel shot him one time, according to the affidavit. Joiner reportedly told investigators that after fleeing the scene, she and McDaniel went to her home, where he instructed her to dispose of the vehicle while he followed in his car. '[Joiner] stated she believed that since McDaniel was trying to get rid of the vehicle, she felt that he was also going to kill her because she was a witness of the incident,' the affidavit said. Henderson County Sheriff's Office takes 'aggressive stance' to arrest child predators While being followed by McDaniel, Jonier said she was able to lose him and drove to the Frankston Police Department for help. Officials obtained the vehicle Joiner was driving and took it to the Smith County Sheriff's Office where they found a .9mm Ruger semi-automatic handgun and three cell phones covered with blood in the vehicle. Blood was also found throughout the vehicle, along with a large amount of blood in the backseat, the affidavit said. Detectives later learned that Joiner was lying as evidence obtained from her phone reportedly showed she willingly participated and helped with planning Littlejohn's death. Wood County mourns loss of deputy Melissa Pollard with candlelight vigil 'It was learned by reviewing the text messages in Ashley's cell phone, she collaborated and acted in accordance with other subjects with the commencement of the robbery against Littlejohn which resulted in his death,' the affidavit stated. McDaniel was found in Shreveport, La. Saturday morning around 10:45 a.m. by the Shreveport Police Department at the Economy Inn on IH 20 near the Shreveport Airport. He was then taken to the Caddo Parrish Jail on an unrelated warrant. Smith County investigators are in the process of obtaining an arrest warrant for capital murder on McDaniel. Joiner was arrested on capital murder by terror threat and is being held in the Smith County Jail. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
