Mother notices son is sweaty — then she makes grisly discovery on her property that makes her cry out, 'What have you done?'



Authorities caught a registered sex offender from Texas on Saturday after an intense and massive manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies. As it turns out, the suspect's parents tipped off authorities after his mother made a horrifying discovery on her property.

The mother told deputies with the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office that she walked out of her home and noticed her son standing looking “very sweaty,” as reported by KWTX-TV.

'This guy who we believe committed this horrible and brutal murder was sentenced to 40 years. He served approximately 10 years, was paroled out, and then committed this horrible crime. He never should have gotten out, but he did.'

The woman said she attempted to walk around her son — 36-year-old Richard Tanner Ozment — but he stood in her way. The mother claimed she had to push him out of her way.

But that was far from the worst of it.

The affidavit states that the woman spotted a human foot behind a recreational vehicle on her property in China Springs. As the mother walked to the area behind the RV, she reportedly discovered a severely wounded woman.

According to court documents, the mother asked Ozment, “What have you done?”

He reportedly replied, “She tried to stab me.”

The mother frantically ran inside her home, and Ozment’s father called 911.

China Spring firefighters were the first to arrive at the grisly crime scene and noticed a man running away from the home.

First responders treated 38-year-old Michaela Brooker, who was suffering from “extensive injuries, mainly, to her head,” according to the affidavit. Brooker was airlifted to a hospital where she was pronounced dead as a result of her injuries.

McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said Ozment used a machete-like weapon to kill Brooker.

By the time police arrived, Ozment had fled the crime scene.

Law enforcement assembled a major manhunt to track down Ozment, which included the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office’s SWAT Team, the Waco Police Department’s K9 unit and drone support, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Game Wardens, and Texas Department of Criminal Justice Tracking K9.

Roughly 10 hours later, deputies riding on horseback and accompanied by K9s tracked down Ozment. He reportedly was hiding in a stock tank about a football field away from the bloody crime scene.

McNamara said he believed Brooker’s murder arose from a “domestic disturbance” but did not reveal the exact relationship between the victim and Ozment.

Ozment was charged with murder and is being held at the McLennan County Jail on a $1 million bond.

“This is one of the most horrific, brutal, and senseless attacks that we have seen in a long time,” McNamara said, “It never should have happened. This guy who we believe committed this horrible and brutal murder was sentenced to 40 years. He served approximately 10 years, was paroled out, and then committed this horrible crime. He never should have gotten out, but he did.”

A Waco Tribune-Herald article published in March 2015 reported that Ozment, then 26 years old, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to burglarizing five area churches and two homes.

The outlet noted, "The charges against Ozment were enhanced to first-degree felonies because of a juvenile adjudication for aggravated sexual assault in 2004 and a felony terroristic threat conviction in 2007."

In 2013, Ozment was arrested after complaints that he was taking pictures outside China Spring Elementary School. While in custody, authorities discovered Ozment was not in compliance with sex offender registration requirements.

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Missouri man slashes woman's face with machete, according to police



A man in St. Louis County attacked a woman and slashed her in the face with a machete during a domestic abuse incident, according to Missouri police.

Police said they were called a residence on Ashby Road in St. Ann over a domestic dispute that allegedly turned violent.

Arrest records said that 40-year-old Wesley Clark refused to leave the residence and then attacked the woman. She says that he pushed her onto a couch, threatened her with a machete and told her, "I'm going to send you to your grandma," referring to the woman's deceased relative.

Police said he cut her with the machete and left a scar from her ear to her jaw line measuring between six and seven inches.

The woman called police, and the man fled from the home. Police said they found Clark sitting by himself on a park bench and talking on a cellphone. They arrested him and were able to recover the machete.

"I think this victim deserves a lot of credit for actually standing up and being able to talk about her incident and being able to report this and wanting to prosecute and wanting to cooperate with law enforcement to help her get out of this situation," said St. Ann Police Det. Lt. Monica Ruelas to KMOV-TV.

The man was charged with first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action. The woman was transported to a hospital, where she received stitches for the injury.

Wesley allegedly admitted to police that he had been in the home and attacked the woman with the machete.

Police said they had been previously called to the residence for other domestic violence incidents between Clark and the victim.

Wesley remained in custody at the St. Louis County Jail despite being given a $100,000 bond with GPS monitoring.

St. Ann is a city of about 13,000 residents located in the northeast part of the state.

A similar case unfolded in Houston when a man attacked his sister and mother with a machete in February. Neighbors in the apartment complex said they heard the screams from the victims during the attack.

News video from the scene showed a gruesome bloody aftermath, including footprints in blood.

Here's a news report about the incident:

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Neighbors describe gruesome scene after man allegedly attacks his sister and mother with a machete in Houston



A Texas man allegedly attacked his sister and mother with a machete, and neighbors said the victims were found in pools of blood by police.

The incident unfolded on Wednesday morning at about 10 a.m. at the Vista at Westchase apartments in Houston.

Houston police said they responded to reports of a man slashing two women and found a man barricaded in an apartment. Eventually, the man gave himself up to police.

Neighbors told KPRC-TV that the man had attacked his family members.

Kiara Bailey said she went outside and found the wounded teenager on the ground.

“I kept hearing, 'Help me, help me,' screaming, 'help me, help me,'” she said. “So, I immediately ran back in the house and called ambulance. They was telling me to apply pressure, but it was too many stab wounds to even apply pressure.”

Jamia Hardy told KPRC that the man had a second knife as well as the machete.

“It was the hand knife that you stick your hand into,” she said. “And you can, like, stab stuff with. He used one of those.”

KPRC said there were bloody footprints from the sister, who went to neighbors' homes looking for help.

“They had serious injuries. Lacerations to the deep laceration to the forearm,” said Eric Taylor, another neighbor.

“She kept saying her brother did it. Her brother did it. He’s in the house. He went in the house,” Bailey continued.

Neighbors said that the standoff between the man and the SWAT team lasted about an hour.

Houston police said he'll be charged with aggravated assault.

“I seen he just bloody, bloody, just bloody. And he came out like nothing never happened,” said Pamela Cunningham.

Here's a local news report about the incident:

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Man with 2 machetes allegedly lunged at police before they shot and killed him at California grocery store



A man was shot and killed by deputies at a grocery store in California after they say he charged them with two machetes.

The Los Angeles County sheriff's office said they responded to a call from an Albertson's grocery store in Lancaster at 20th Street West at about 9:30 a.m.

"When I walked in there was a guy arguing with the customers, and then I knew he had like a machete on the side," said an unidentified Albertsons employee to KABC-TV.

The sheriff's office said the man had the machetes in his backpack when they arrived, but he grew "agitated" and grabbed them out of his bag. They tried to subdue the man using non-lethal methods, including stun guns, before he allegedly charged at police with the machetes. They opened fire, and he was transported to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

"I heard shots and then everybody started running to the back and we exited through the back," said the employee. "That's the worst experience I've ever had."

Investigators said they recovered two machetes at the scene.

No other injuries were reported, and police said that there were many people shopping at the store at the time. Three deputies were involved in the shooting, according to the sheriff's office.

Investigators said that the man had been at a Chevron gas station previously in the day and had attacked a store employee at about 3 a.m. That employee was cut in the hand and was transported to a hospital by a customer, according to KABC.

Police said that the gas station employee's injuries were not life-threatening.

The man who was killed was only described as a being between 35 and 40 years of age.

Here's a news report about the incident:

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Video: Machete-wielding thug on rampage in UK finds out what can happen when fed-up folks reach their boiling points



A machete-wielding suspect caught on video going on a rampage outside a pub in the United Kingdom over the weekend quickly found out what can happen when fed-up folks reach the limits of their restraint.

What are the details?

Police said the incident occurred at the Swan with Two Necks on Westgate in Wakefield, a city in West Yorkshire, England, around 10 p.m. Saturday, BBC News reported.

Haroon Khan, 22, and Mohammed Khan, 19, both of Wakefield, are charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and affray, the network said. "Affray" is defined as a fight in a public place that disturbs the peace.

Haroon Khan also is charged with public order offenses, one of which was racially aggravated, according to ITV News.

Cellphone video widely associated with the incident shows a male repeatedly vandalizing a vehicle outside the pub with a machete.

Image source: X video screenshot via @CrimeLdn

He then heads to the sidewalk, approaches a building, and hits a window with the machete.

Image source: X video screenshot via @CrimeLdn

Soon two men exit a door and physically attack the machete-wielding man; one smashes a glass against the man's head while the other repeatedly hits him with a stool.

Image source: X video screenshot via @CrimeLdn

Image source: X video screenshot via @CrimeLdn

Here's the video. Content warning: Language:

— (@)

BBC News said the arrested suspects were remanded in custody, appeared Monday at Leeds Magistrates' Court, and were further remanded until their next hearing at Leeds Crown Court scheduled for Feb. 5.

A local Facebook group posted photos of the machete attack aftermath and added other details, although it noted the attack took place shortly after 8 p.m., which contradicts BBC News and ITV News, both of which reported that it took place around 10 p.m.

A Facebook post from the pub acknowledged the incident and said it was a "very scary experience for everyone there" and "spoiled what was turning into a great night."

The post added that "we would also like to say a massive thank you to our amazing staff and regulars who put themselves in danger for everyone else; you know who you are, and we can’t thank you enough."

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Man attacked with machete after confronting alleged drug dealer he accused of wife's overdose death, St. Louis police say



A Missouri man was attacked with a machete after he confronted a man he believed sold drugs to his wife that led to her death, according to St. Louis Police.

The Hazelwood Police Department said that 41-year-old Terence Kimbrough of Florissant used a machete on Dec. 3 to attack a man who was staying at the Haven Inn and Suites located on North Hanley Road in Hazelwood.

The victim says that the two got into an argument and Kimbrough allegedly punched him in the face before grabbing a machete in the room and hitting him over the head several times.

Kimbrough allegedly admitted to investigators that he had cut the victim several times but claimed that the victim had assaulted him first.

Police said they arrested Kimbrough at the hotel and were able to recover a machete from the room.

The victim was treated at an area hospital for numerous injuries to his head, including a deep wound to the back of his head.

Kimbrough was given a $150,000 cash-only bond by a St. Louis court.

He was charged with first-degree assault, a class-B felony, and armed criminal action. Kimbrough faces 15 years in prison for the assault if convicted and another three years for armed criminal action.

Hazelwood is a suburb of St. Louis with about a population of 25,000. Despite having some of the highest crime rates in the U.S., St. Louis reported having a decline of 22% in the homicide rate by Sept. 2023.

Nationally, homicides were down by about 12% during the same time period. Criminologist Rick Rosenfeld told KSDK-TV that the end of the pandemic lockdown and the George Floyd protests might have contributed to the decline in homicides.

Here's a local news report about the incident:

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Newlywed woman, 22 — just married in October — murdered on New Year's Day during her Dollar Tree cashier shift allegedly by machete-wielding suspect



A 22-year-old newlywed woman — married only three months ago — was murdered during her cashier shift at an Ohio Dollar Tree on New Year's Day, allegedly by a machete-wielding suspect.

What are the details?

Keris Riebel had recently graduated from college and married Jordan Riebel in October, WJW-TV reported.

Police told the station 27-year-old Bethel M. Bekele allegedly entered the Upper Sandusky store around 4:30 p.m. wielding the machete and struck Keris multiple times, killing her.

\u201cPolice say 27-year-old Bethel M. Bekele surrendered to law enforcement.\nhttps://t.co/Dg5DyBUf2W\u201d
— Dayton 24/7 Now (@Dayton 24/7 Now) 1672689601

Investigators told WJW that Bekele took off from the store before law enforcement arrived but was found a short time later in the 100 block of South Fifth Street near the Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office.

Bekele was booked on one count of aggravated murder, the station said, adding that additional charges could be leveled, the motive is unclear, and it isn't known if the suspect and victim knew each other.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation processed the crime scene, and the Wyandot County Major Crimes Unit is investigating, WJW said.

'I can’t imagine what they’re going through'

Family and friends remembered Riebel as bundles of flowers were laid near the store beyond the crime scene tape Monday night, the station said.

Image source: WJW-TV video screenshot

“I can’t imagine what they’re going through,” Kevin Simonis told WJW, presumably in reference to Riebel's young husband and their families.

The station said Simonis shops at the store and knew Riebel: "Me and my girlfriend both were in shock. We come out here all the time. We constantly see her."

Image source: WJW-TV video screenshot

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help cover funeral expenses, WJW said.

“She was always so nice and so caring," Simonis added to the station. "Very bubbly, very outgoing, and the type of person who’d, like, take the shirt off her back for anybody and not hurt a fly, honestly.”

Simonis added to WJW that he "can’t imagine going through that, even to lose a child at all. I have a 17-year-old and just the thought of that" before he paused and began tearing up.

After gathering himself, he added to the station that "it really hits hard."

Woman, 20, accused of slashing 82-year-old man in head with machete in NYC. Last month, suspect was arrested, released after allegedly displaying machete.



A 20-year-old woman with a string of weapons-related arrests under her belt is accused of slashing an 82-year-old man in the head with a machete in an unprovoked attack in New York City.

Last month, the suspect was arrested and released after allegedly following a man and displaying a machete, sources told the New York Post.

What are the details?

In the Wednesday morning attack against the elderly victim, Deashe Calhoun lunged at Hubert Meulens at Stone Street and Broadway, Metropolitan Transportation Authority police and sources told the Post.

Meulens was left with a fractured skull and 11 stitches, the paper said.

“Even with just one blow, I could have passed away,” Meulens told the Post during a phone interview from his Bellevue Hospital bed.

“I’m surprised she wasn’t in prison,” the victim added to the paper in regard to his attacker. “She needs to be away from society for a long time.”

The Post, citing sources, said Calhoun was out free despite seven prior arrests, each involving a machete or other weapons — including when she was accused of following a 31-year-old man and displaying her machete without using it on Aug. 25. The paper said she was arrested in released for the latter incident, too, sources noted.

\u201cDeranged UWS machete slasher held on $500K bail in concierge attack https://t.co/00xVatf41z\u201d
— New York Post (@New York Post) 1662664209

'Maniac'

One police source told the paper the suspect is a "maniac" who's "known to carry knives, sharp instruments, machetes. How is she out walking around?”

Meulens’ son added to the Post that he's feared an attack on his father was coming, as he's a “soft target” in middle of spiking crime in the city.

“I tell him every night, 'Be careful on the trains and in the street,'” the victim's son, 50-year-old Peter Marcel revealed to the paper. “There are a lot of zombies on the trains who are very unpredictable and irrational. It’s not being dealt with. Unfortunately, my fears have come true.”

A Manhattan cop added to Post that "this is what happens when you let people run around the streets with weapons. Eventually they will use them and attack an innocent elderly person.”

More from the paper:

After Meulens was slashed in the face, he stumbled down Broadway after his attacker, but she spun around and sprayed him with the bear spray and kept walking toward MTA headquarters, authorities said. Three MTA cops spotted her with the spray and “acting irrationally” in front of headquarters, then saw her drop the machete from under her armpit, according to authorities.

Calhoun was arrested for assault, attempted assault, criminal possession of a weapon and harassment, cops said.

Meulens is now expected to remain hospitalized until at least Thursday, he said.

“I am not angry,” Meulens, a building concierge, told the Post. “I would suggest she needs to be examined by a doctor. She needs psychiatric help.”

What else is the suspect accused of?

Calhoun on March 26 was charged after threatening someone in Washington Square Park while brandishing a knife and declaring “I’m coming for ya,” sources told the paper.

Three months later — June 26 — she was charged with flashing a switchblade at someone in a Blink fitness center on Avenue A in Manhattan, sources added to the Post.

Then Calhoun was charged July 28 with tampering with physical evidence — followed by an arrest three days later on a weapons charge after she brandished her machete at a victim on Fifth Avenue, sources noted to the paper.

The Post added that twice last month the suspect was seen with blades on Brooklyn trains – on Aug. 7 when she was caught with two knives, and again on Aug. 13 when she was seen with her machete, sources said.

Suspect arrested in machete attack in Lower Manhattanyoutu.be

Man attacks complete stranger with machete, slicing her repeatedly in Daytona Beach Waffle House



Police in Daytona Beach, Florida, have arrested a man who carried out a gruesome attack on a complete stranger in a Waffle House last week, allegedly slicing her repeatedly with a machete.

Pierre Kendrick, 34, is now charged with attempted first-degree murder for the heinous assault, which was captured by the restaurant's security footage, WOFL-TV reported.

Man arrested in brutal machete attack of woman at Daytona Beach Waffle House, police say www.youtube.com

On Feb. 24, at approximately 4 a.m., Kendrick allegedly entered the restaurant located on Seabreeze Boulevard and approached the woman, who was sitting in a booth, according to an incident report filed by police.

Police said surveillance video showed Kendrick talking with the woman while the pair sat at a booth before he briefly got up to talk to others at the restaurant.

Kendrick then returned to the booth where the woman was sitting, pulled out a machete from his pants, and attacked the woman without warning. He reportedly struck the woman repeatedly with the weapon.

A witness at the restaurant allegedly heard the woman screaming and saw the suspect "slicing the victim with a machete," WESH-TV reported.

The woman reportedly managed to escape the situation by jumping over the counter and running out of the rear of the restaurant. She then ran to a hotel where she called the police and told them she was the victim of a stabbing attack by an individual she did not know.

The woman was later taken to a hospital for treatment of her injuries. Kendrick fled the scene in a "newer model" red SUV.

UPDATE (02/28/2022): We have identified the person we were looking for in this case. Our thanks to those who reached out to assist. It's appreciated.https://twitter.com/DaytonaBchPD/status/1497315791099899906\u00a0\u2026
— Daytona Beach Police (@Daytona Beach Police) 1646063790

To seek the community's help identifying Kendrick, Daytona Beach police released snippets from the restaurant's security footage that showed him entering the restaurant and mingling with customers. Full video of the attack has not been released.

Kendrick was reportedly arrested and taken into custody on Sunday and had his first court appearance on Monday. In court, a judge set his bond for $75,000 and ordered that he have no contact with the victim.

"If you bond out, you shall not possess any firearms or ammunition. Additionally, you would surrender any firearms to law enforcement," the judge said.

Kendrick also faces several other drug and weapons charges, WOFL reported.

Malibu homeless man reportedly attacks family of 5 with machete, causes dad to lose an eye. Suspect was arrested months earlier but released by progressive DA.



A homeless man in Malibu, California, allegedly attacked a family of five with a machete this week, slashing the father in the face multiple times before leaving him to bleed out.

The father — who sustained gashes across the face, ears, and tongue — was rushed to the hospital for treatment after the attack, KTTV-TV reported. But doctors were not able to save one of his eyes.

What are the details?

According to the news outlet, the incident occurred Sunday on Dan Blocker Beach when Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies responded to a call about an assault following a dispute.

Two homeless people allegedly approached a family saying they were not allowed in the area, leading to an argument between them and the father. The argument turned violent when one of the suspects, later identified as Richard Franck, pulled out a machete and began swinging at the father.

Father slashed with machete by homeless man in Malibu www.youtube.com

Deputies said Franck and his companion then chased the other four family members.

The two suspects were later found and arrested. Both now face charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, KTTV said. Franck is being held on $1 million bond.

What else?

The heinous crime has reportedly caused uproar in the community as L.A. County's homeless problem continues to worsen, putting members of the public in danger.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva put the county's district attorney, George Gascón, on blast Thursday, tweeting that Franck was arrested in April for pulling a knife on a peace officer, only to be released on a misdemeanor charge under the district attorney's progressive new crime measures.

"There are consequences for reducing penalties for crimes ... and the consequences are being borne right now by the public all because our D.A. doesn't want to do his job," Villanueva said Thursday night during a meeting with Malibu residents.

During the town hall, the sheriff added that actions need to be taken now to reduce the homeless population in the area.

"We cannot afford L.A. County to house the nation's homeless," he said. "People are not entitled to pop a tent wherever they want to and claim public space for themselves."

Anything else?

Violent homeless crime has been on the rise in progressive West Coast cities this year.

Last month, a couple in Seattle with a young toddler was attacked with a machete, rocks, and a 5-foot wooden pole while attempting to retrieve stolen goods from a Seattle-area homeless encampment.