Author: KMIZ

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

All on-street parking rates in Downtown Columbia are increasing to $1 per hour, a $0.40 increase, starting Monday, according to a city press release. This ensures all parking rates match the campus area south of Elm Street.

According to the release, the city intentionally selected Monday to reprogram and update pricing labels on the meters and install new signage with updated rates because fewer people will be downtown.

This is the first rate adjustment since 2013, according to the release. The additional parking revenue will be used to maintain and improve parking infrastructure.

Columbia resident Amanda Werlein said she already avoids downtown because of traffic, and she doesn’t think Columbia should charge for parking.

“I think it would help the community more to have more freely available parking. It would be nice if parking wasn’t paid at all,” Werlein said.

Werlein also said an extra $0.40 isn’t a big deal.

“It is a reasonable enough choice to increase the parking to a dollar; it’s not that much of a change,” Werlein said. “It shouldn’t be something that is there to begin with.” 

Also starting on Monday, cashless users who pay the meter on the ParkMobile App won’t have a fee associated with their transaction, according to the release. About 54% of people pay for parking through the app.

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Alison Patton

ELDON, Mo. (KMIZ)

Eldon residents are still under a boil order as of Saturday, marking the 18th day.

The city posted on its social media, saying it collected eight water samples from four locations that previously tested positive for Total Coliform, and one sample came back with traces of the bacteria. That sample was taken from the northern part of the city.

Total Coliform isn’t harmful; however, its presence usually means other bacteria can be in the water as well, according to the city.

E. Coli was found on a routine water test Dec. 16, and the boil order was issued on Dec. 17. That bacteria hasn’t been found in recent testing.

The city has since been flushing water lines to fix the problem, but the positive test in the northern part of Eldon is keeping the boil order active.

Some Eldon residents are frustrated that they don’t have readily accessible drinking water. Residents have to either boil contaminated water or buy bottled water.

Laura Simmons Markway is an Eldon realtor in the city. She said she bought her last client of 2025 a case of bottled water.

“Part of her closing gift, I bought a case of water, which she was grateful for, but questioned whether or not this was a community she should have invested in,” Simmons Markway said.

 She also said the boil order is stretching the pockets of many community members.

“We’re a blue-collar community, and they’re hourly workers, so purchasing bottled water or boiling water is not just inconvenient, but it’s costly for them,” Simmons Markway said.

The city needs two consecutive water sample tests to come back clean before it can lift the boil order.

“The City will continue additional flushing, testing, and necessary protocols and will keep residents informed as new information becomes available,” The City of Eldon posted posted to social media. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work through the required steps to resolve this.”

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 17-year-old Columbia teen was arrested for firing shots and a carjacking in the Shoppes at Stadium area Saturday night, according to a press release from the Columbia Police Department.

CPD spokesman Colin Imhoff said officers were called to the area just after 7 p.m. for reports of an active assailant and shots fired. Police later determined the shots were fired inside Dick’s Sporting Goods. At the scene, no injuries were reported.

The suspect later ran away, stole a car and drove away on Interstate 70.

The teen was arrested on suspicion of three counts of first-degree assault, one count of first-degree property damage, vehicle hijacking, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action, a later press release states.

Troop A spokesman Cpl. Justin Ewing told ABC 17 that troopers took the suspect into custody after spotting a grey Nissan Altima driving on Route V in Pettis County. Troopers were on alert for that make and model of car after its information was entered into the Flock camera system by CPD, and the car was spotted on Flock cameras.

Ewing said troopers initiated a traffic stop around 8:15 p.m. Saturday near Sedalia when the car attempted to flee, leading to a pursuit. The car crashed on Route V near Bahner Road, and the suspect was taken into custody just after 8:30 p.m.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, a 17-year-old Columbia teen crashed a 2023 Nissan Altima on Route V after driving right off the road and into a ditch around 8:20 p.m. Saturday.

“It’s a surprise to me because I wouldn’t expect this kind of stuff,” Columbia resident Bentley Durk said. “It doesn’t really happen on South Side.”

A spokesperson for the Columbia Fire Department said it was also dispatched to reports of an active assailant in the 200 block of North Stadium Boulevard just after 7 p.m.

A total of 10 units responded with 20 personnel. An ABC 17 News reporter saw firefighters wearing bulletproof vests on the scene.

Police tape came down around 10:20 p.m at the Shoppes at Stadium.

CPD said there is no threat to the public, but reported at the scene that it was looking for multiple suspects.

“We’re still unsure if there are multiple suspects or if it is just the one,” CPD spokesman Imhoff told ABC 17 in an email Sunday morning.

This is a developing story.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 21-year-old Texas man was killed in a crash in Phelps County early Saturday morning during a police chase, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

Around 12:15 a.m., the man was driving a 2017 Hyundai Sonata westbound on I-44 near mile marker 176 when he drove off the left side of the road while trying to flee from police. The car then hit a cable barrier and went airborne, hitting a bridge support pillar, the report says.

The driver was pronounced dead on the scene, and the vehicle was totaled. The report says the man’s body was taken to the Phelps County Coroner. This is Troop I’s first deadly crash for 2026.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department is hitting some installation delays with Flock cameras more than a year after the technology was approval by the city council in 2024.

101 of 118 camera locations have been installed, according to CPD Assistant Chief Lance Bolinger.

“Several cameras have been delayed due to permitting issues and hardware availability, but we are working closely with the Flock Implementation Team,” Bolinger said in a statement.

Flock Safety cameras are designed to capture images of license plates. This includes during evenings and in severe weather. The cameras use automatic license plate readers to provide real-time alerts to law enforcement. The data can be shared between multiple law enforcement agencies to help with investigations. Flock claims the cameras do not capture identifiable images of people or faces. All data is held for 30 days.

The city’s contract for the cameras comes out of the general fund and CPD budget. The initial cost of the contract was $539,400 for the first year then $476,000 annually.

The technology has been a point of contention with the city, with local and student groups pushing back against the decision.

Bolinger claims the cameras have helped the department.

“This technology has greatly expanded our investigative capabilities and has proven to be an effective tool in solving crimes in our community,” Bolinger said.

Police reported using Flock Cameras when keeping tabs on vehicles on scene during the Cosmo Park shooting in April that injured two.

The tech was also used to track down 19-year-old Chauncey Williams after he threatened a family with a gun in December.

The most recent use of Flock cameras on Dec. 18 was done in a partnership with the Missouri State Highway Patrol after they used them to find 24-year-old Joy Smith, who kidnapped two children.

CPD’s Flock Transparency Portal reported over 751,000 vehicles detected in the past 30 days. Of those hits, police searched for 486 vehicles. Notable crimes connected with tracked vehicles included assault, weapons offenses and wanted persons reports.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The family of a woman charged with felony murder for the 2021 death of an 8-month-old girl maintains she is innocent. 

Columbia police arrested Jennifer Johnson in April 2021, after being called to a home in the 1000 block of Elleta Boulevard in north Columbia. 

She is charged with felony murder in the second degree and two counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. She is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A pretrial conference was held on Friday afternoon.

According to court documents, police were dispatched to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Columbia on the morning of April 18, 2021, where they were informed that 8-month-old Hannah Kent, who was under Johnson’s care, had died. 

“The case is sad. Not picking sides or choosing, it’s a sad case, but somebody needs to be held accountable for their actions. But reading everything that they’ve had in, they’re not trying as hard as they’re supposed to. It’s unfair treatment,” Johnson’s daughter Angela told ABC 17 News on Friday. “She is scared.” 

Angela Johnson says that family has had a close relationship with the Kent’s and had met Hannah before her death. 

“She actually came to our house. I held her for a little bit. The last time I actually, visibly, saw her, she was holding a bottle. [It] was in 2021, when I was about to walk across the stage [for graduation],” Angela Johnson said. “She was in the car she just had a little smile. Happy little baby.” 

Jennifer Johnson’s daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Beaman, who said she called Johnson “mom,” described the charges as out of character.

“Mom used to watch me as a kid a lot. There is no bad bone in her. She’s such a sweet person, she would never do something like this. She loves kids, it just feels like people want to take advantage,” Beaman said. “We’re praying. We’re hoping for the best at this point.” 

“I was supposed to be walking across the stage and I don’t get to see my mom. I cried during that,” Angerla Johnson added. “It was also sad because it was a baby that I had just seen for a long time, because it was COVID, it was around COVID when her mom was pregnant. And I remember talking to her cause I said ‘I better come see that baby. I’d better get to see that baby. I will babysit for you.’” 

Beaman said Johnson called Hannah’s parents that night while she was caring for the baby because the child would not stop crying.

“She contacted them saying, ‘Hey, the baby won’t stop crying,’ but they said ‘Give her a bottle, she’s fine.’ And mom wasn’t supposed to be there overnight; she was only supposed to be there a couple of hours while her parents went out to eat, have a date night then come back,” Beaman claimed. 

Court documents indicate the parents left Kent and other children in Johnson’s care beginning around 5 p.m. the previous day. 

The mother found the child around 8:30 a.m. unresponsive and cool to the touch after returning home and immediately noticed bruising, court documents indicate. The parents then took the child to Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where the infant was pronounced dead at 8:45 am. 

Johnson allegedly told police she last saw the infant alive at 2:15 a.m. after giving a bottle to the child, the probable cause statement says.

According to court documents, Johnson took a call from the parents saying the baby had died and the parents wanted to see Johnson.

Two people who knew Jennifer Johnson brought items that she had at the home to police, court documents say. Investigators allegedly found baby formula on Johnson’s clothes, and a swab of the same shirt tested positive for blood, the statement says.

However, Johnson’s family contends there are inconsistencies with the timeline. 

“The mom stated on Facebook that she made a post at 6 a.m. saying she already knew her kid was dead,” Beaman alleged.  “You knew your kid was dead, then why didn’t you go home? Why are you returning home at 8 o’clock?” 

An arrest warrant was issued for Johnson in June after she was mistakenly released on parole from a Missouri prison.

Johnson was supposed to be turned over to Boone County custody to face trial for second-degree murder in the baby’s death but was not, said Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Roger Johnson told ABC 17 News in June.

However, Angela Johnson said that she moved to Arkansas to live with her sister after being released from the Department of Corrections. According to the family, that location was approved as part of her home plan because it aligned with the supervision of her assigned parole officer.

“You can’t just judge a person based off of what you hear from the news or from somebody from the other family,” Beaman said. “You really need to hear both sides kind of dig into it yourself.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man was charged with several felonies after he allegedly fired multiple shots at two people from a vehicle on New Year’s Eve.

Gayron Serrano Abrego, 22, was charged with four counts of first-degree assault, one count of armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and a pair of counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Casenet lists his address as Columbia, but court documents describe him as being a citizen from the country of Honduras. He is being held without bond at the Boone County Jail and an immigration detainer is listed in jail records.

The probable cause statement says Serrano Abrego was at a residence on Wednesday evening near the intersection of Jackson Street and Sondra Avenue. He was allegedly at the residence with someone described as a witness in court documents. One of the victims arrived home and did not recognize Serrano Abrego as someone he knew and asked him to leave, according to court documents.

Later — while two of the victims were standing near their own vehicle that contained two children – the victims reported seeing a black Nissan Altima pull up and the driver fired multiple shots, court documents say.

Police wrote that officers found five spent shell casings in the area. Video from neighbors allegedly showed a dark vehicle approach the area from Texas Avenue, hit its breaks and move out of frame before shots were heard, according to court documents.

Serrano Abrego was identified by another person he knew, the statement says. One of the victims claimed the driver of the vehicle looked like the man who was in their home earlier, the statement says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

More than 200 hogs died after a tractor-trailer crashed Friday in Miller County, according to a social media post from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The post says the rollover crash occurred on Route HH near Tuscumbia. The tractor-trailer was carrying 650 hogs, according to the post.

No people were injured in the crash.

Check back for updates.

🚨Rollover Crash Closes Route HH🚨

Troopers are investigating a crash involving a tractor trailer loaded with hogs on Rt. HH, near Tuscumbia, in Miller County.

Thankfully, nobody was injured in the crash.

Unfortunately, a little over 200 of the 650 hogs did not survive. pic.twitter.com/zOP1kTuNn8

— MSHP Troop F (@MSHPTrooperF) January 2, 2026

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Olivia Hayes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Jefferson City Police are trying to determine why a car crashed into Westbrook Terrace Memory Care on Thursday afternoon, leaving a resident of the facility dead and the driver of the car hurt.

Firefighters were called to the facility at 1:54 p.m. Thursday after the car hit the building at 3305 N. Ten Mile Drive — Westbrook Terrace Memory Care. The car was already backed out of the building by the time firefighters arrived. Investigators learned the vehicle had gone through the building and hit a person inside the living area, according to previous reporting.

First responders pulled that person out, but they later died, nursing home management said Friday.

Many neighbors told ABC 17 News that they didn’t hear the crash. One neighbor compared the sound he heard to the sound of a car door shutting. Many said they did not realize something bigger had happened until they heard sirens and saw the large presence of law enforcement outside the nursing home.

Westbrook Terrace is licensed as a 25-bed memory care assisted living facility by the State of Missouri. Patricia Cokingtin, senior vice president for Americare Senior Living, said in a written statement to ABC 17 News that following the crash, first responders stabilized the building and stayed on site until permanent reinforcements were installed.

The facility also worked closely with emergency personnel to ensure the safety of all other residents, according to the statement.

Cokingtin said law enforcement and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services are investigating. The family of the resident who died has also been notified, Cokingtin says.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 20-year-old man died, and an 18-year-old man was flown to University Hospital in Columbia after a New Year’s Eve shooting in Miller County.

The shooting was reported at a New Year’s Eve party on Wednesday in the 1700 block of Highway 42 near Brumley, the Miller County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The 20-year-old was shot in the upper chest and died at the scene.

Deputies say the 18-year-old was shot in the abdomen and taken to a local hospital by ambulance before being flown to University Hospital.

The news release did not say whether anyone was in custody, but the sheriff’s office called the shooting an “isolated incident.” There is no threat to the public, deputies say.

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