Local, State briefs
BY Staff Reports
Thursday, November 29, 2012
11/29/12 at 2:26 AM
Tulsa man is arrested on child-neglect charge
A man who was wanted for child neglect after his 3-year-old son was shot in the leg - allegedly by the boy's grandmother's boyfriend - was arrested early Wednesday.
Christopher Abel, 24, was charged Nov. 16 with child neglect, Tulsa County District Court filings show. Prosecutors allege that Abel failed to "properly supervise and/or provide a safe environment" for the boy.
Darren Craig Wolfe, 45, and Cynthia Louise Abel, 44, are also charged with child neglect and were arrested Wednesday evening.
All three are in the Tulsa Jail. Cynthia Abel's bail is set at $50,000 bail, and Wolfe's is set at $100,000.
Christopher Abel's bail is set at $50,000.
The boy was seriously injured Oct. 12 when he was shot by a .22-caliber revolver recently purchased by Wolfe at a flea market. Wolfe told police he didn't think the gun was functional.
Court filings allege that the child lived in "filthy conditions including trash, debris and medication."
Wolfe also is charged with possession of a firearm after a former felony conviction. He was convicted of knowingly concealing stolen property, grand larceny, attempting to utter a forged instrument and conspiracy in 2000 in Stephens County. He served 3 1/2 years of a 10-year sentence on the conspiracy charge and was released in September 2004.
- AMANDA BLAND, World Staff Writer
Shooting victim found in car uncooperative, police say
Tulsa police found a gunshot victim in a car during traffic stop near 61st Street and Peoria Avenue early Wednesday.
Shots were reported at the St. Thomas Square Apartments, 1050 E. 61st St., about 12:30 a.m., Cpl. Ken Simpson said. Responding police officers saw a black T-top Chevrolet Camaro leave the area with a male passenger holding something against his head, Simpson said.
Officers stopped the car and found a man later identified as Dominique Saunders with a gunshot wound.
A 29-year-old man was in serious condition when he was taken by ambulance to a hospital, EMSA spokeswoman Kelli Bruer said.
Saunders reportedly was uncooperative with police and refused to give officers any information about the shooting, Simpson said.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 918-596-2677 or at tulsaworld.com/crimestoppers Tipsters can be anonymous and could receive a reward.
- AMANDA BLAND, World Staff Writer
Charges are filed in BA fatal hit-and-run crash
Charges were filed Wednesday in connection with a hit-and-run collision that killed Broken Arrow man.
Joe Neal Brisco is charged in Tulsa County District Court with negligent homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal collision.
Broken Arrow police were called about 10:40 p.m. Oct. 10 to investigate a report that a bicyclist was lying on the side of New Orleans Street (101st Street) between 177th and 193rd east avenues.
Earl Eugene Teske, 71, died at the scene.
Police said Teske was not wearing a helmet but that his bike was equipped with a rear flashing red light as well as front lights and reflectors.
Police believe that he was riding east when he was struck by Brisco's 2011 Chevrolet Malibu, which they believe then continued east.
Police said the car's front passenger side was damaged.
Brisco was not in custody Wednesday night.
- KENDRICK MARSHALL, World Staff Writer
Man accused in threats to woman, kids is charged
Charges were filed Wednesday against a man who is accused of shooting at and threatening his girlfriend and her daughters.
Patrick Lewis Franklin, 47, is charged with shooting with an intent to kill, assault with a dangerous weapon, threatening an act of violence and possession of a firearm while in the commission of a felony, Tulsa County District Court filings show. He is in the Tulsa Jail with bail set at $104,204.
Police allege that Franklin threatened his girlfriend and her children Nov. 10.
He is accused of firing a gun at one of his girlfriend's daughters at the McKinley Apartments, 6618 E. Latimer Place, that evening. She fled, and he left the scene.
Franklin was shot in the back at the Towne Square Apartments, 1607 E. Young Place, a short time later, police said. He was arrested at St. John Medical Center after being treated for his injuries. He did not identify the shooter, police said.
Franklin was charged Nov. 8 with assault and battery with a deadly weapon in connection with the nonfatal shooting of Derrick Dewayne Ross, records show.
- KENDRICK MARSHALL, World Staff Writer
Robber with an apology holds up Tulsa gas station
An "apologetic" robber struck a Tulsa convenience store early Wednesday.
Police were called to the Phillips station at 31st Street and Yale Avenue about 3:30 a.m., Cpl. Ken Simpson said.
An employee told police that a man entered the store, brandished a silver semiautomatic handgun and demanded money from the cash register and safe, Simpson said.
The employee told police that the robber was "apologetic" and kept saying: "I'm sorry. I need the money for my family."
The robber is described as white, about 6 feet tall and weighing about 185 pounds. He was wearing camouflage gear and a black hooded sweatshirt, black gloves and a ski mask, police said.
He fled in an old "beat-up" pickup, Simpson said.
Anyone with more information about the robbery is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
- AMANDA BLAND, World Staff Writer
Search ongoing for Creek County wildfires suspect
SAPULPA - Creek County authorities are still looking for an arson suspect in connection with devastating August wildfires that burned 58,500 acres, destroyed 376 homes and left hundreds of people homeless.
Billy Cloud, 36, of rural Bristow is charged with third-degree arson, a felony, and has been at large since a warrant for his arrest was issued Sept. 19.
Alternatively, Cloud is charged with unlawful burning of grass and woodlands during a burn ban.
"My feeling is that he's still in Oklahoma," Undersheriff John Davis said. "But it's like searching for a needle in a haystack here in the state."
Authorities continue to follow up on any leads they receive, Davis said, and Cloud eventually could be apprehended through a traffic stop or other run-in with the law.
Firefighters battled the blaze, which started Aug. 2, for more than a week during an intense drought and heat wave.
The burn-ban violation, a felony, would carry a penalty of up to three years in prison.
The arson charge, which requires that maliciousness be shown, has a penalty of as long as 10 years in prison.
Cloud is believed to have started the fire by throwing out a cigarette during a night of heavy drinking with his family, according to an affidavit.
Records show that Cloud has a history of alcohol-related charges in several counties, including Creek, Okmulgee and Tulsa.
He also has several outstanding warrants for failure to appear and failure to pay fines.
- SUSAN HYLTON, World Staff Writer
Man charged in assault on Yale High School principal
YALE - A Jennings man who was upset about vandalism to his son's truck has been charged with assaulting a high school principal.
Prosecutors charged Donald Lee Stobaugh, 46, with assault and battery of a school employee stemming from a Nov. 8 altercation in which Stobaugh is accused of slamming Yale High School Principal Bobby Ray Rose into an office wall.
Rose was treated for a shoulder injury.
He told police that Stobaugh was demanding to have a private conversation in Rose's office with the door closed.
Rose was reported to have told Stobaugh: "This meeting is over. You're not going to dictate to me how to handle my investigation."
The assault is alleged to have occurred when Rose tried to open the office door.
Superintendent Steve Shanks reported the incident. When a police officer arrived to speak to Shanks in his office, Stobaugh reportedly refused to leave and put his foot in the door to prevent it from closing. He eventually complied after several requests that he wait in the hallway.
Stobaugh had called the Yale Police Department earlier that day and asked a dispatcher if a police officer was still at the school to take a report on vandalism to his son's truck.
Stobaugh allegedly told the dispatcher, "I guess that's why they passed the open-carry law, so people like us can take care of these things ourselves."
- Susan Hylton, World Staff Writer
Mayes County man held in mother's fatal stabbing
LOCUST GROVE - A man was arrested Wednesday on an allegation that he fatally stabbed his mother during an argument, Mayes County officials said.
William John Wilkerson, 30, is in the Mayes County Jail on a first-degree murder complaint in connection with the death of Susan Wilkerson, 57, jail records show.
Authorities received a call from William Wilkerson that a woman had been stabbed at a residence six miles east of Locust Grove, Sheriff Frank Cantey said.
He said deputies at the scene spoke with Wilkerson and determined that he had stabbed the woman.
During interviews with authorities, Wilkerson reportedly said he got into an argument with his mother and tried to choke her. He then grabbed a paring knife and stabbed her, authorities said.
When the knife's tip broke, Wilkerson then retrieved another knife and continued to stab the woman, authorities alleged.
Bail has not been set.
- Kendrick Marshall, World Staff Writer
Vinita man is found dead amid debris of house fire
VINITA - A Vinita man died in a house fire Tuesday evening, officials said.
Police Detective Tony Chenoweth said crews who arrived at the residence about 6 p.m. found the man's body on the couch.
The victim's identity has not been released.
The single-story residence was destroyed, Chenoweth said.
The state Fire Marshal's Office was on the scene Wednesday to investigate the blaze, he said.
- Sheila Stogsdill, World Correspondent
Associated Images:
Abel
Cloud
Stobaugh
Wilkerson
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