Latest news with #MonroeCountySheriff'sOffice
Metro
a day ago
- Metro
Bowling coach sent disturbing texts to teen before shooting her and himself dead
A 33-year-old bowling coach sent disturbing text messages to a teenage girl he groomed before shooting her dead and turning the gun on himself. Ryne Leist had been sending inappropriate texts to Gwendolyn Smith, 17, before killing her in her stepfather's home in a small Michigan town, claimed her father, Levi Smith. 'I've seen enough of the emails he sent my daughter before he killed her to know it's not speculation,' Levi wrote in a Facebook discussion group for Bedford Township. 'He deserves to rot in a special hell.' The grieving dad did not elaborate on the texts. Leist, who was a volunteer coach for the Bedford High School bowling club that Gwendolyn was a member of, is believed to have shot her several times. Gwendolyn's stepdad got home around 6pm on June 14 to find her and Leist wounded and dead. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office found that Gwendolyn died by and that Leist died by suicide. Beside the Leist's cryptic texts that Levi mentioned on Facebook, others have come forward with stories of alleged red flags they saw from him. Kara Thornton, who said she knew Leist when he was 20 years old and she was 15, said they never dated because she didn't want to, but that he still got her name tattooed on his arm. She claimed that he tried to sleep with her and her friends and would take them to remote places and bring alcohol. 'A few years back he was trying to be a 'photographer' to take nudes of women,' said Thornton. 'It's hard looking back and realizing how f***ed it all was; haven't thought about him in years.' Meanwhile, tributes have poured out for Gwendolyn. A GoFundMe page to remember Gwendolyn and support her family stated that she was a 'standout athlete' on the bowling team, a 'gifted student' academically and a passionate artist studying music. 'Gwen was an extraordinary young woman whose presence left an indelible mark on our school community,' states the fundraiser. 'Most of all, Gwen will be remembered for her kindness, her bright spirit, and the joy she brought to those around her.' The GoFundMe page had raised more than $21,000 as of Monday. More Trending 'This tragic and unnecessary loss cannot be explained,' the page states. 'It has shaken our entire Bedford community, and our hearts and prayers go out to Gwen's family and the many friends whose lives she touched so deeply.' Bedford Township is about 55 miles southwest of Detroit. The murder-suicide happened more than four years after 2012 Olympics team USA coach John Geddert fatally shot himself in Lansing, Michigan, after being charged with child sex assault and human trafficking Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Gang lures celebrity barber to London with honey trap to steal £500,000 in crypto MORE: Man guilty of murdering couple before dumping remains near Clifton Suspension Bridge MORE: Passenger plane forced to swerve in mid-air to avoid crashing into B-52 bomber
New York Post
13-07-2025
- New York Post
Bat- wielding Rochester man describes close encounter with mountain lion on his block: ‘It said rawr!'
This New Yorker is getting his dander up over a reported mountain lion roaming Rochester. Curtis Jones said he has armed himself with a baseball bat after he spotted the big cat lurking around his block last week — and locked eyes with the beast as it slinked by and sent neighbors scattering. 'It when right over there, and it said 'Rawr!'' said Jones, who spotted the panther prowling around his street Wednesday. 'I seen it, see me, see it.' 'I heard the 'Rawr,' I felt the 'Rawr.' I know he be pushing, I know that,' Jones told WHAM. 'In my head I'm like, 'No, I gotta go, man. I'm out.'' He was just one of numerous people in the Rochester neighborhood who reported spotting the beast last Wednesday, prompting police to order a shelter in place while a search for the suspected cougar was launched. Officials were unable to verify the sightings, so the order was lifted — but witnesses like Jones say they know what they saw, and are keeping prepared to avoid becoming panther prey. 'They ain't find it last night. It's still out here, it could be out here in one of these bushes,' he said, pointing into nearby treetops. 'You know them mountain lions, it be 'Rawr,' they be crawling, you know. They serious.' 'It about like this big, it was just walking, slithering. I don't know man,' Jones said. 'Imma keep this bat right here, man, just in case. I'm gonna protect this. I ain't gonna let nothing happen to us, nothin', okay?' But Jones is hoping it doesn't come to that. The suspected mountain line was seen on home security footage in a Rochester neighborhood on Wednesday night. 'I don't play with lions, I don't play with tigers, bears, nothin' with the wild, I don't play with those. I promise you.' Jones added, shaking his head. 'I don't even do roller coasters. I'm good.' Home security footage appeared to capture a ferocious feline stalking down a Rochester sidewalk Wednesday night, while the the Monroe County Sheriff's Office deployed a drone to search the area. Rochester's Seneca Zoo even weighed in, assuring authorities that none of its animals had escaped. Curtis Jones spotted the big cat, and said he was going to carry a bat around with him until he feels safe again. ABC Mountain lines haven't had a sustained population in New York since the 1800s, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), though they have been known to range through the state from as far away as South Dakota. The last confirmed sighting of a cougar in New York was 2011, but the DEC says the animal in the doorcam footage does appear to be one. 'DEC is actively investigating reports of a big cat in a Rochester neighborhood and determining if there is evidence to validate the images,' the DEC said in a statement. 'Additional information will be provided as it becomes available. DEC reminds the public to treat an encounter like any other with a large, potentially dangerous wild animal or unfamiliar dog.
Miami Herald
11-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Texas man rented a boat in Key West — then he took it to Cuba, deputies say
A Texas man was cuffed Thursday after deputies say he took a boat that he rented in Key West to Cuba this week. Floyd Dean Devasier, 63, was arrested by federal agents on a Monroe County warrant in Miami, where he was flown after being detained by Cuban authorities, according to the sheriff's office. Devasier, from Katy, Texas, rented the 26.5-foot Panga boat from Beach Weekend Key West Marina on Tuesday for two days, said Monroe County Sheriff's Office spokesman Adam Linhardt. The rental agreement stipulated the vessel was not to be operated at night and was to be returned by the end of the business day Wednesday, Linhardt added. A marina employee told deputies that Devasier bought and filled an extra 20-gallon fuel tank before leaving. Per the sheriff's office, Devasier told marina staff he was going to dock the boat overnight at the 6800 block of Front Street on Stock Island. But witnesses who own businesses and boats on Front Street told deputies they never saw the boat, and deputies watched security camera footage from the area, which never showed the vessel, Linhardt said. Then marina staff used GPS tracking that showed the boat heading south in the Atlantic Ocean, but Linhardt noted the tracking eventually ceased. A man fishing on his boat in the ocean saw the vessel and took photographs of it, the sheriff's office said. On Wednesday, the Cuban Border Guard notified U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations that they had the boat, Devasier and a 38-year-old woman in custody. 'I want to thank the U.S. Coast Guard, HSI, the Cuban Border Guard and the good Samaritan on the water for their help and cooperation in bringing this case to a successful conclusion,' Sheriff Rick Ramsay said in a statement. Devasier was not yet in Monroe County jail as of Thursday night. Linhardt said he faces a charge of hiring or leasing with intent to defraud. According to the sheriff's office, Devasier has several prior drug-related convictions, including a case in 2019 in which he also kept a rental boat past its return date and took it to Cuba.
CBS News
30-06-2025
- CBS News
Monroe police confiscate handgun, marijuana, open alcohol containers during traffic stop
A road rage incident in which a driver was accused of brandishing a weapon is under investigation in Monroe County, Michigan. The Monroe Police Department said it handled a traffic stop in the city about 7:30 p.m. Friday, with a car that matched to the description of a vehicle involved in a potential road rage incident under investigation by Monroe County Sheriff's Office. According to the 911 call to Monroe County Central Dispatch, the driver of the sedan had "pulled a gun" in the 15000 block of South Telegraph Road near East Albain Road in Monroe Township. The car then continued northbound on Telegraph Road, driving into the city. Monroe police pulled over a car that matched the description and spoke with the driver, a 19-year-old man who lived in the Monroe area. Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded semi-automatic Glock .357, open alcohol containers, several suspected narcotic pills, and marijuana. Those items were confiscated. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is investigating the road rage incident and the case is expected to be presented to the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office. In the meantime, the suspect was taken to the Monroe County Jail. Police ask that any witnesses to the initial incident call the Monroe County Sheriff's Office at 734-240-7415. "In light of this incident, authorities remind the public that road rage situations can escalate quickly," the police department said. "Techniques such as deep breathing, avoiding eye contact, and refraining from engagement can help defuse tense situations. If someone ever feels threatened, they are urged to call 911 immediately for assistance."
New York Post
21-06-2025
- New York Post
Bowling coach had been messaging 17-year-old victim before murder-suicide, her father said
A Michigan bowling coach who fatally shot a 17-year-old girl in her home had been sending the teen inappropriate messages before the killing, her father claimed. The tiny community of Bedford Township, Michigan, about an hour south of Detroit, has been reeling since news emerged that Ryne Leist shot and killed one of his young charges, 17-year-old Gwendolyn Smith, before authorities say he killed himself. As community discussion of the June 14 tragedy unfolded on Facebook, allegations of creepy behavior from Leist emerged before one resident urged others to not to jump to conclusions. Advertisement That's when Smith's father Levi jumped in. 'I've seen enough of the emails he sent my daughter before he killed her to know it's not speculation,' Levi Smith cryptically posted in a Facebook discussion group for Bedford Township. 4 Gwendolyn Smith had just graduated high school two weeks before. Matthew Kennerson/Facebook Advertisement 'He deserves to rot in a special hell,' Smith said of Leist, 33. Leist volunteered as the coach of the bowling club at Bedford High School, where Gwendolyn Smith was on the team. He is believed to have shot the girl multiple times in her stepfather's home, authorities said. Smith's stepfather returned home at around 6 p.m. to discover the mortally wounded teen and her alleged killer. Gwendolyn Smith, described as a 'kind,' 'talented' and 'extraordinary young woman,' had just graduated high school two weeks before. Advertisement 4 Levi Smith said he'd seen the emails Leist sent his daughter. Facebook/Heather Smith Former friends and classmates of the Leist meanwhile, told a different tale about the coach. 'I do remember him being a loner,' said Monica Mckenzie. 'Somehow he slipped through the cracks.' Kara Thornton said she knew Leist when she was 15 and he was 20. Advertisement 'He got my name tattooed on his arm. We never dated, I never wanted to,' said Thornton, who now lives in Hawaii. 4 Thornton said Leist got her name tatooed on his arm even though they never dated. 'He would try sleeping with me and my friends, he'd meet us at parks and then drive us to the middle of nowhere, giving us alcohol…he was always so gross, always trying to date underage girls,' she claimed. 'A few years back he was trying to be a 'photographer' to take nudes of women,' she added. 'It's hard looking back and realizing how f—d it all was, haven't thought about him in years.' 4 Leist was a volunteer bowling coach with the Bedford High School. WTOL 11 It's unclear if Leist broke into the victim's stepfather's home or was let in, said authorities, who didn't specify the nature of the relationship between the two. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office did clarify that 'Gwendolyn did not consider the relation between the two of them to be romantic.' Advertisement Smith's death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner's office, and Leist died of suicide. Leist volunteered as a coach with the school's bowling club, a gig he'd obtained through his employment at the local bowling alley. He had recently resigned from that position. Levi Smith could not be reached for comment.
