Author: KMIZ

Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia has a youth violence problem, and it’s only been portrayed more in recent months. At least that’s what Columbia business owner Dimetrious Woods believes.

Woods owns Woods Auto Spa on Business Loop 70 and Essentialz convenience store in downtown Columbia on East Broadway. To Woods, the downtown area has become a place where juveniles flock to hangout at night, especially on the weekends.

But sometimes, those hangouts escalate into larger problems.

“We see younger people that I deemed shouldn’t be outside at that time of night…14, 15-year-olds and groups kind of hanging out and you know, innocent fun has a wya of turning disruptive amongst juveniles,” Woods said.

Woods said he’s seen that escalation first hand. From arguments, to fights, to robberies between juveniles, Woods said he’s seen it all happen right outside the doors of his business. One of those incidents happened July 13.

Woods said an employee inside of the business heard a noise, which turned out to be the sound of the front window of the business being shaken. What ensued next, according to Woods, was a group of people fighting on the sidewalk right outside his business. Woods said he wasn’t sure on the exact ages of those involved, but he claimed they appeared to be on the younger side.

After seeing the group, Woods went outside to attempt to deescalate the situation with pepper spray, and yelled at the group to stop. When no one listened, out of fear for what could happen if he didn’t put an end to it, he said he showed he had a gun, which prompted those involved to leave the area.

In the video of the incident provided by Woods, a voice can be heard saying people are about to start fighting, followed by a brawl on the sidewalk and screams.

A Columbia teenager was also killed in June after an armed robbery. Zarian Simpson, 18, was found dead with a gunshot wound at the Eastgate apartment complex. Court documents say the vehicles allegedly involved in the robbery were seen outside Essentialz shortly before the shooting.

Court documents, along with surveillance video obtained by ABC 17 News, shows four people rob Simpson at gunpoint outside of the store.

Steven Paden, 34, is charged with robbery in the first degree, armed criminal action and second-degree murder in connection with Simpson’s death. Two juveniles are also accused in his death.

Woods said it’s those situations that make him believe a curfew for juveniles in the city could be beneficial.

“I remember when I was a child, what kept me in check was a juvenile curfew,” Woods said. “I respected it and I didn’t want my mom to get up. She had to go to work and I respected that very well. I don’t have all the ideas. I just know that sitting down and doing nothing and talking about it is not how we’re going to have a safer, more pleasant Columbia so we need ideas, we need action.”

Woods took to his social media page, pushing for the idea of juvenile curfew after the July 13 incident.

Columbia leaders have discussed the possibility of a juvenile curfew in the city, but no official proposals have been made.

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Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

President Donald Trump has requested Missouri to redraw its congressional district lines in an effort to shift the current partisan balance from 6-2 to 7-1, giving Republicans an even greater advantage in the state’s delegation.

The media outlet Punchbowl News first reported the White House was interested Missouri lawmakers considering a redraw of congressional maps. This comes after Texas Republicans floated redistricting its state last week, according to a report from the Associated Press, again at Trump’s request.

In the U.S. House right now, Republicans hold a slim majority, controlling 219 seats to Democrats’ 213, with a few vacancies. Trump’s team is pushing Missouri Republicans to target the Kansas City-based 5th Congressional District, currently held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver in an effort to flip it into a Republican seat. It’s a move to ensure the GOP keeps the majority in the 2026 midterms.

“Republicans have a two or three person majority and it makes it really hard to pass anything,” Charles Zug , a political science professor with the University of Missouri, said.

Typically, redistricting happens once a decade, and Missouri last redrew its lines in 2022 based on 2020 Census data. Zug says a new round of redistricting could be significant.

“The National Republican party can redeploy campaign funding to other districts, having a Republican or Democratic member totally changes interest, groups, voters people residing in that area,” Zug said.

According to Zug, Republicans will likely use common redistricting strategies known as “packing and cracking.”

“Pack’ the party you don’t want to be on power you can pack them into a really small space,” Zug said. “Cracking’ means you take an area where they’re living and divide it into lots of smaller districts, so they don’t have a majority in any single district,”

However, Zug said pushing to redraw the maps carries risks for Republicans.

“Competitive for Republicans, assuming it doesn’t end up — and this would be the qualifier assuming — it doesn’t end up making another district in Missouri which is currently safe for Republicans less safe. that would be the question,” Zug said.

In an email to ABC 17 News Monday afternoon, Cleaver said in a statement: “While I believe that efforts to redistrict Missouri without the benefit of the data from the 2030 census are unconstitutional and will fail, the discussions to do so will likely further intensify and widen existing cleavages between the two parties. Any attempt to implement a mid-decade gerrymander that silences the legitimate voices of communities across Western Missouri will be met with a strong legal challenge.”

In a a video posted to X on Saturday, Rep. Bob Onder (R-Augusta) said he had spokes with Trump about possible redistricting.

“Every statewide-elected official is Republican. We have Republican supermajorities in the House and in the Senate, and yet for some reason unknown to me we are sending two progressive Democrats to Washington, D.C.,” Onder said. “That could make the difference between control of the U.S. by Hakeem Jeffries and continuous Trump impeachment hearings for the last two years of the Trump presidency, or continuing the America First agenda. I don’t know about you, but I vote for a 7-1 map.”

For maps to be redrawn three years after its last round, Gov. Mike Kehoe would have to call for a special session.

In an email to ABC 17 News Monday morning, Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office issued a statement saying,“Gov. Kehoe and his team are aware of the redistricting efforts in Texas, and discussions are always being held to ensure that conservative Missouri values are represented in Washington. Gov. Kehoe will always consider options that provide congressional districts that best represent Missourians.”

“If the Governor makes the call we’ll start conversations with senate members. Until then this is all conjecture and I have nothing to consider or comment on,” Missouri Senate President Pro-Tem Cindy O’Laughlin (R-Shelbina) said.

State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R-Jefferson County) supported the idea in an email on Monday morning.

“We should have written a 7-1 map in 2022. Our failure to do so almost cost the GOP the majority in congress. I’m up for it!” she wrote.

The Missouri Freedom Caucus also supported redistricting on its social media on Friday.

“The most current Congressional map that was passed was a weak compromise- inconsistent with the political will of Missouri voters,” a statement in the post says. “It’s time this super-majority Republican Party in Missouri grows a spine and actually delivers the Congressional map that reflects the stronger conservative values of this great state, as the political makeup of this state clearly demands.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman was flown to University Hospital from the Lake of the Ozarks after she fell from a cliff near the 6 mile-maker, according to a social media post from the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Troop F.

Deputy Chief Steve Lucas, of the Osage Beach Fire Protection District, told ABC 17 News on Monday that first responders were called at 1:21 p.m. Sunday for a woman he needed to by rescued. First responders had to conduct a rope rescue to get the woman off an edge of the bluff, Lucas said.

Lucas said the woman suffered heat-related injuries and was unconscious.  

🚨MSHP Assists With Cliff Rescue🚨

Troopers, along with the Osage Beach Fire Department, Camden County Sheriff’s Office, and Miller County Ambulance District, rescued a woman who fell near the 6MM at Lake of the Ozarks.

MU Air transported the woman due to her serious injuries. pic.twitter.com/HO7Ycl3vcX

— MSHP Troop F (@MSHPTrooperF) July 27, 2025

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia will hold more town halls about the fiscal year 2026 budget on Monday, Aug. 11, according to a Monday press release from the city.

The release says the meeting will run from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. in conference rooms 1A/1B at city hall. The same information will be shown at both meetings.

Town halls are open to the public, but residents can register online.

“We believe it’s essential to involve our residents in the budgeting process and help them better understand how we plan and allocate our resources,” Finance Director Matthew Lue was quoted in the release. “These town halls are a great opportunity for Columbia residents to gain insight into how the budget process works in a fun way, which we hope will empower them to participate more actively in shaping the City’s financial decisions and priorities.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man who is accused of shooting and killing another man at a gas station last year is facing more charges after he was indicted by a grand jury again on Friday.

Seth Brinegar is now charged with second-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and a single count of misdemeanor second-degree endangering the welfare of a child after a superseding indictment was filed on Friday. He was previously charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.

He posted a $600,000 bond last year and is not currently on the Boone County Jail roster. He has hearings scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 11 and 1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14.

Court documents in previous reporting say Brinegar is accused of shooting and killing Corey Bilger at the FastLane parking lot on West Boulevard on Feb. 1, 2024. Bilger was 33.

Court documents say security video shows Bilger talking on a phone while pumping gas when Brinegar pulled into the parking lot. The video allegedly shows Brinegar with his window down and talking to someone before stopping behind Bilger’s vehicle. Bilger approached Brinegar’s vehicle and was gunned down, the probable cause statement says.

Several customers were at the open gas station, police previously said. A car with a 6-month-old passenger was hit, but the baby wasn’t hurt, court documents say.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Callaway County man was charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor after he allegedly fired a gun and chased someone trying to repossess a trailer.

Clayton Lehenbauer, of Auxvasse, was charged on Friday with unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and misdemeanor fourth-degree assault. A warrant was issued for his arrest on Friday.

The probable cause statement says someone was attempting to repossess a trailer at Lehenbauer’s residence on Thursday. The victim was allegedly looking to speak with someone at the residence, but started to leave when no one came out, the statement says.

Lehenbauer then allegedly came out of the residence and fired four shots in the area, the statement says. He then got into a car and started chasing the repo man, the statement says.

A witness allegedly gave the man directions to the residence and then heard four or five shots being fired later, the statement says.

Lehenbauer allegedly admitted to firing the gun and chasing the victim, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was charged with two felonies after he was accused of threatening a man with a knife before a fight occurred on Saturday in central Columbia.

Glenn Bennett Jr., 36, was charged on Monday with unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. An initial court appearance was held on Monday afternoon.

According to the probable cause statement, police were called just before 10 p.m. Saturday for a reported stabbing. Officers had first detained the victim, who was allegedly identified as the person who stabbed Bennett, the statement says.

The person described as the victim in court documents allegedly told police that he was drinking with Bennett before an argument occurred and Bennett pulled out a knife. The victim then allegedly went inside a home and came back out with a knife and stabbed Bennett after Bennett “put his hands on him,” court documents say.

After Bennett was stabbed, he allegedly put the victim in a chokehold until he was unconscious, the statement says.

Bennett came back to the area with a stab wound on his head and “would not cooperate with medics or police on scene,” the statement says. Bennett allegedly yelled that he “did not want to be a victim or cooperate with police,” the statement says.

Another person allegedly told police they saw the alleged victim walk into the home and was told Bennett had a knife, the statement says. That person also allegedly told police they saw the man go back outside with a knife and fight Bennett, court documents say.

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former Maries County high school employee charged with child sex crimes in 2023 was sentenced to probation.

Rikki Laughlin, 26, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child creating susbstanial risk with no sexual contact in a Grundy County courtroom on Thursday.

Court records show Maries County Prosecutor Richard Skouby filed an amended complaint at the start of a hearing on Thursday for endangering the welfare of a child. Online records show Laughlin waived her formal arraignment to the amended charge and pleaded guilty.

Laughlin was senteced to five years of supervised probation and special conditions that are redacted. If Laughlin violates her probation she will be senteced to five years in the Department of Corrections.

Court documents state she endangered the child between Sept. 8 and Oct. 19, 2023 in Maries County by acting in a manner that “created substanial risk to the life, body and health of Confidential Victim to engage in acts that are illegal in the State of Missouri and injurious to a minors health and well-being.”

The case was moved to Grundy County from Maries County in March 2024 but a hearing was not set until April 2025.

She was originally charged in 2023 with seven child sex crime realted felonies. Court documents said the student victim accused her of sending pronographic material over Snapchat and phyiscial contact at the school. Laughlin denied the allegations to law enforcement when interviewed.

ABC 17 News has reached out to the Maries County Prosecutor for a statement but is waiting to hear back.

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man has been charged after he is accused of hitting a person with his truck and leaving the scene early Sunday morning.

Jesus Ornelas-Rios, 20, is charged with driving while intoxicated, causing the death of another, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and a misdemeanor count of operating a motor vehicle carelessly.

Missouri State Highway Patrol said the crash happened at Route AB about a half mile east of Highway 63 around 5 a.m. Sunday.

Court documents state Troopers were called to the scene on Sunday and saw a silver 2020 Toyota Camry on the scene, along with a pedestrian who was hit and killed.

Troopers said Boone County Deputies found the suspect vehicle and identified Ornelas-Rios at an apartment about 15 minutes from the crash site. His preliminary breath test was reported as positive with .118% blood alcohol content, according to documents.

Investigators said Troopers learned from multiple witnesses inside the truck that hit the victim that Ornelas-Rios was allegedly driving westbound on Route AB in a red 2021 Ram 1500 when he hit the victim and the car.

Court documents state that the victim was standing outside the Toyota in the eastbound lanes facing south when Ornelas-Rios allegedly crossed the center line and hit the victim. While he did get out of his truck, he did leave the scene without calling 911, according to officials. Troopers said the truck at the apartment had damage to the passenger side consistent with the crash.

Ornelas-Rios allegedly admitted to investigators during an interview that his truck was hit by another truck, pushing him into the victim, according to documents. Troopers said the suspect said he knew someone was hurt and that he saw the victim’s shoe in the road.

Court documents state that Ornelas-Rios told Troopers he had six or seven beers before the crash when asked. At the time of his arrest at 8:54 a.m., investigators said his chemical breath test came back as positive with a blood alcohol content of .06%.

Ornelas-Rios is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. Court documents state he could be a flight risk because he was born in Mexico and could leave the country.

Online jail records show he is also being held on an immigration detainer request by the federal government.

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Matthew Sanders

Israel announced a daily “tactical pause” in fighting in Gaza over the weekend amid accusations that its policies are exacerbating the growing hunger experienced there.

Israel has drawn sharp criticism from EU countries such as France as conditions for civilians have worsened in Gaza. Observers say Palestinians run the risk of being shot by Israeli forces as they approach the few aid spots run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

In addition, they say the aid distributed at those few spots is nowhere near what is needed.

Israel, meanwhile, blames the acute hunger Palestinians experience on Hamas, saying the terrorist organization that runs Gaza has been diverting food and selling it at high markups to fund its war.

Who do you think is more responsible? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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