Author: KMIZ

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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Euphenie Andre

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A small memorial of flowers and a teddy bear now rests at the edge of a county road where a 9-year-old boy lost his life after being struck by a pickup truck. The child was hit by a 21-year-old woman while crossing a section of the Katy Trail on Thursday.

Cyclists who frequently ride the trail say they’re heartbroken, but not surprised.

“When i saw the news it was kind of shocking, but I wasn’t surprised, sadly,” Tyler Renn said.

The stretch of road near the Katy Trail crossing is surrounded by thick brush, making it difficult to see approaching traffic or trail users. Cyclists said visibility is a major issue and the lack of signage warning drivers only makes it worse.

“That spot’s kind of sketchy,” Renn who has been cycling for five years said. “When you’re on the Katy Trail, you can’t really see the road until you’re basically on it. And there are no signs warning drivers that cyclists or pedestrians could be crossing.”

Renn believes more maintenance could help solve the problem.

” Maintenance with that brush around that area. Maybe people that are driving should be aware in those areas that people are cycling. And I mean Jeff City’s implemented all of these little bike lanes and I feel like most people are conscious of that. But I mean, there’s still some people who are just ignorant to that fact and don’t really care or think they control the road,” Renn said.

Callaway County’s Road and Bridge Department said it is exploring several options to improve safety along the roadway.

An ABC 17 News reporter found no signage posted to warn vehicles approaching the crossing. However, the Katy Trail itself includes signs advising trail users to slow down, yield at crossing, and wear helmets.

Nothing on the road alerts drivers to trail traffic.

“I was always taught that like pedestrians, people on foot or bicyles have the right of way and you need to be aware of them and the the other vehicle,” Renn said.

Local residents also expressed frustration to ABC 17 News stating, tragedy could have been prevented with better traffic controls.

Casey Seam also frequently bikes near the katy trail in Hunstdale.

“I think there’s also a lot of responsibility on drivers,” Seam said. “Especially if you’re coming up on a crossing like this (the intersection down Burr Oak Roa), you should be very cautious and looking out for all directions for there could be someone coming up.

At the Katy Trail in Huntsdale, an ABC 17 News reporter observed a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour, unlike the crossing on County Road 391. However, the sign did not include any warning about pedestrians or cyclists crossing.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was killed after being hit by a truck in Boone County Sunday morning.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the crash occurred on Route AB, east of U.S. 63 around 5 a.m. A 20-year-old Columbia man was driving a 2021 Ram 1500, when the vehicle crossed the center of the road and hit a 2020 Toyota camry.

The Camry was parked partially in the eastbound lane in the ditch, the report says.

The Ram then crashed into a 23-year-old Columbia man who was standing near the Camry.

He was pronounced dead on scene.

The driver of the Ram suffered moderate injuries. The age and injuries of the driver of the second vehicle are not listed in the report.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Mizzou football is opening fall camp ahead of the 2025 season.

Watch coach Eli Drinkwitz take questions from reporters.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people were injured in central Columbia Saturday night after a reported stabbing, according to a Sunday morning press release from the Columbia Police Department.

Officers were called to the 300 block of Park Avenue around 10 p.m., according to CPD Lt. Anthony Bowne. One person left the scene with minor injuries, and the other was found with injuries from a weapon and taken to a hospital.

The suspect fled the scene and was found later with stab wounds and taken to a hospital, the release says. The victim was found with injuries to their hands.

Police identified the suspect as Glenn Bennett, 36, of Columbia. He’s since been released and transported to the Boone County jail pending formal charges. He was arrested for armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.

Investigators have confirmed that Bennett was intoxicated at the time of the incident, the release states.

At the scene, Bowne said police were unsure what type of weapon was used. It also is not clear if the first victim was injured with the same weapon.

An ABC 17 News reporter saw several Columbia Police Department vehicles and crime scene tape in the area around 10 p.m.

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Nia Hinson

AUDRAIN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Centralia man was injured Saturday when his dirt bike crashed into a horse and buggy in Audrain County.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the man, 21, was riding a 2025 Honda CR125X on the wrong side of Audrain Road 124. The man then braked, causing the dirt bike to slide under a horse and buggy.

The man was then hit by the horse and buggy, the crash report says.

He was taken by ambulance to University Hospital with serious injuries.

The other person involved in the crash– a 32-year-old man from Sturgeon was not injured.

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