Local News
Ballwin Man Arrested for Road Rage Attack Charged in Another Brutal Assault | St. Louis

[ad_1]
click to enlarge COURTESY SWANSEA POLICE John Jacob Ehlinger seems to have some rage issues. The St. Louis County man accused of brutally beating another motorist in a road rage incident near Ballpark Village in October now faces charges in an unrelated assault — one that took place before his alleged rampage downtown.John Jacob Ehlinger, 35, was arrested last month on a charge of third-degree assault, a felony, court records show. The charges stemmed from an August 2023 incident in which Ehlinger was caught on surveillance video kicking and punching a casino security guard. The guard was beaten so badly he told prosecutors he now has permanent scarring on his face, missed work and has psychological trauma.It was two months after that incident that Ehlinger was in downtown St. Louis around 8:30 a.m. and another motorist made the mistake of honking at him for running a red light. Ehlinger, who was driving a truck that belonged to a roofing company, reportedly got out of the truck and beat the other motorist so badly that he broke his nose, jaw and forehead. Ehlinger then grabbed a gun and fired shots in the direction of another vehicle, according to the police report.While Ehlinger had yet to be connected to the August 2023 casino beating, he had two prior convictions for driving while intoxicated and one for slashing someone’s tires. (As the Post-Dispatch reported, he’d also been sued for a 2014 brawl outside a Metro East strip club that involved several members of the St. Louis Cardinals.) Yet he was released on bond to await his trial and ordered to use GPS monitoring. And when St. Louis County arrested him in the casino assault case, they also let him out on bond, deferring to the conditions that had been set in the city case, court records show.In the last month, Ehlinger’s court file in St. Louis city shows three “inclusion zone” violations of his GPS monitor, which suggest that his monitoring device recorded him being somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be. Ehlinger would have been able to file explanations of those violations with the court, but those explanations are not public record. Court records show no attempts to revoke his bond or schedule a revocation hearing. The issue of how to handle potentially dangerous defendants who violate the terms of their pre-trial release has proven complicated for prosecutors and judges. The St. Louis Circuit Court came under fire last year when a man who was supposed to be on GPS monitoring and house arrest while waiting trial, Daniel Riley, crashed his car into a teenager visiting downtown St. Louis for a volleyball tournament. Records showed Riley had violated the terms of his release 51 times without having his bond revoked, and when the teen’s legs had to be amputated, the resulting outrage was a major factor in St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s resignation.Joel Currier, a spokesman for the St. Louis Circuit Court, said at the time that both prosecutors and defense attorneys are notified for each bond violation that occurs, but judges are not.”As with every case, it is the responsibility of the attorneys of record to bring relevant matters to the Court’s attention by filing and scheduling for hearing any motions deemed appropriate,” he said in a statement released at that time. “It is not appropriate to act as advocate for any side in any case in our system of government.” A spokeswoman for St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabriel Gore, who was appointed by Governor Mike Parson in the wake of Gardner’s resignation, said the office did not comment on pending cases. Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
[ad_2]
Source link
Local News
Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

[ad_1]
A warrant is out for a Fenton man’s arrest after he allegedly attacked his roommate with a sword.
Police say that on Sunday, Angelus Scott spoke openly about “slicing his roommate’s head” before he grabbed a sword, raised it up and then swung it down at the roommate.
The roommate grabbed Scott’s hand in time to prevent injury. When police arrived at the scene, they found the weapon used in the assault.
The sword in question was a katana, which is a Japanese sword recognizable for its curved blade.
This isn’t the first time a samurai-style sword has been used to violent effect in St. Louis. In 2018, a man hearing voices slaughtered his ex-boyfriend with a samurai sword. His mother said he suffered from schizoaffective disorder.
As for Scott, 35, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was charged yesterday with two felonies, assault first degree and armed criminal action. The warrant for his arrest says he is to be held on $200,000 bond.
Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
[ad_2]
Source link
Local News
Caught on Video, Sheriff Says He’s Ready to ‘Turn It All Over’ to Deputy

[ad_1]
Video of St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts taken by a former deputy suggests that the sheriff has a successor in mind to hand the reins of the department over to, even as Betts is in an increasingly heated campaign for reelection.
“I ain’t here for all this rigmarole,” Betts says in the video while seated behind his desk at the Carnahan Courthouse. “The Lord sent me here to turn this department around and I’m doing the best I can and I think I’ve done a good job. I’ve got about eight months and I’m going to qualify for my fourth pension.”
He goes on, “Right now I can walk up out of here and live happily ever after and forget about all this…and live like a king.”
The sheriff then says his wife has been in Atlanta looking at houses and that the other deputy in the room, Donald Hawkins, is someone Betts has been training “to turn it all over to him.”
Asked about the video, Betts tells the RFT, “My future plans are to win reelection on August 6th by a wide margin and to continue my mission as the top elected law enforcement official to make St. Louis safer and stronger. Serving the people of St. Louis with integrity, honor and professional law enforcement qualifications is a sacred responsibility, and I intend to complete that mission.”
The video of Betts was taken by Barbara Chavers, who retired from the sheriff’s office in 2016 after 24 years of service. Chavers now works security at Schnucks at Grand and Gravois. Betts’ brother Howard works security there, too.
Chavers tells the RFT that she was summoned to Betts’ office last week after Betts’ brother made the sheriff aware that she was supporting Montgomery. It was no secret: Chavers had filmed a Facebook live video in which she said she was supporting Betts’ opponent Alfred Montgomery in the election this fall. “Make the judges safe,” she says in the video, standing in front of a large Montgomery sign on Gravois Avenue. “They need a sheriff who is going to make their courtrooms safe.”
In his office, even as Chavers made clear she was filming him, Betts told Chavers he was “flabbergasted” and “stunned” she was supporting Montgomery.
“I don’t know what I did that would make you go against the preacher man,” he says, referring to himself. He then refers to Montgomery as “ungodly.”
Betts goes on to say that not long ago, he was walking in his neighborhood on St. Louis Avenue near 20th Street when suddenly Montgomery pulled up in his car and, according to Betts, shouted, “You motherfucker, you this, you that. You’re taking my signs down.”
Montgomery tells the RFT that he’s never interacted with Betts outside of candidate forums and neighborhood meetings.
“I don’t think anyone with good sense would do something like that to a sitting sheriff,” Montgomery says.
Montgomery has had campaign signs missing and on at least two occasions has obtained video of people tearing them down. (Chavers notes that the sign that she filmed her original Facebook video in front of is itself now missing.)
One man who lives near Columbus Square says that he recently put out two Montgomery signs, which later went missing. “If they keep taking them, I’ll keep putting them up,” he said.
Betts says he has nothing to do with the missing signs. In the video Chavers filmed in Betts’ office, Betts says that his campaign isn’t in a spot where it needs to resort to tearing down opponents’ signs.
“If you sit here long enough, a man is getting ready to come across the street from City Hall bringing me $500, today,” Betts says. “I’m getting that kind of support. I don’t need to tear down signs.”
Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
[ad_2]
Source link
Local News
St. Louis to Develop First Citywide Transportation Plan in Decades

[ad_1]
The City of St. Louis is working to develop its first citywide mobility plan in decades, Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office announced Tuesday. This plan seeks to make it easier for everyone — drivers, pedestrians, bikers and public transit users — to safely commute within the city.
The plan will bring together other city projects like the Brickline Greenway, Future64, the MetroLink Green Line, and more, “while establishing new priorities for a safer, more efficient and better-maintained transportation network across the City,” according to the release.
The key elements in the plan will be public engagement, the development of a safety action plan, future infrastructure priorities and transportation network mapping, according to Jones’ office.
The overarching goals are to create a vision for citywide mobility, plan a mixture of short and long-term mobility projects and to develop improved communication tools with the public to receive transportation updates. In recent years, both people who use public transit and cyclists have been outspoken about the difficulties — and dangers — of navigating St. Louis streets, citing both cuts to public transit and traffic violence.
To garner public input and participation for the plan, Jones’ office said there will be community meetings, focus groups and a survey for residents to share their concerns. The city will also be establishing a Community Advisory Committee. Those interested in learning more should check out at tmp-stl.com/
“Everyone deserves to feel safe when getting around St. Louis, whether they’re driving, biking, walking or taking public transit,” Jones said in a news release. “Creating a comprehensive transportation and mobility plan allows us to make intentional and strategic investments so that moving around St. Louis for jobs, education, and entertainment becomes easier, safer and more enjoyable.”
Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
[ad_2]
Source link
-
Politics11 months ago
Prenzler ‘reconsidered’ campaign donors, accepts vendor funds
-
Business2 years ago
Fields Foods to open new grocery in Pagedale in March
-
Board Bills2 years ago
2022-2023 Board Bill 168 — City’s Capital Fund
-
Business2 years ago
We Live Here Auténtico! | The Hispanic Chamber | Community and Connection Central
-
Entertainment2 years ago
St.Louis Man Sounds Just Like Whitley Hewsten, Plans on Performing At The Shayfitz Arena.
-
Board Bills6 months ago
2024-2025 Board Bill 80 — Prohibiting Street Takeovers
-
Board Bills2 years ago
2022-2023 Board Bill 189 — Public Works and Improvement Program at the Airport
-
Local News2 years ago
VIDEO: St. Louis Visitor Has Meltdown on TikTok Over Gunshots