Official site of Tribune News serving Tomball, Magnolia and Waller

A Tomball man stands accused of taking a hidden camera trick to new levels, after Tomball police recently filed charges against him.

Ronnie Hoyt Royston, 37, was charged with Improper Photography or Visual Recording, after police say he followed a 16-year-old girl around a Kohl’s store, before eventually hiding a cell phone camera in her dressing room.

Police said the girl noticed the man following her around the store, on FM 2920 in Tomball. Later on, the girl and her sister went into a dressing room to try on clothes, when the girl’s sister noticed a pair of men’s swimming trunks underneath the bench.

“(The girl) stated that her sister found a cell phone hidden inside the shorts,” court records state. “(She) stated that the cell phone’s video recorder was recording and positioned as to record (the girl) undressing.”

The girls mother then viewed the video on the phone, which allegedly showed Royston placing the phone inside the dressing room. The video also showed the sisters inside the dressing room.

Police took the cell phone and contacted the service provider, AT&T, who provided them with Royston’s name.

Detectives then looked at store security footage, which they say showed Royston entering the store, following the girls and carrying a cell phone.

Detectives met with Royston, who admitted to being in the store that day, but said he lost his phone. Under more questioning he admitted to more, however.

“The defendant admitted to going inside the girl’s dressing room with his cell phone (and he) admitted that he became aroused (prior to entering the store),” court documents stated.

That’s when Royston gave detectives his cell phone unlock code, where they viewed Royston inside the dressing room, where he placed his phone down.

Police say Royston has agreed to voluntarily surrender, but as of press time he had not. Once arrested, he will be placed in the Harris County Jail on $2,000 bond.

Larry Dyke’s official biography states that he has devoted his life’s work to the interpretation of the beaty he sees in nature. That beauty will be on display in Tomball Sept. 15, as Dyke will appear at Sallie Fisher’s Custom Frame and Art Gallery from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

“He is known for his Texas landscapes, golfing series and he does a lot of inspirational pieces,” Fisher said. “He’s one of the most famous artists of our time and his work is extremely sought after.”

Dyke, who has a painting still residing at The Vatican, said his personal journey to art came as life brought other trials along the way.

“I would get in trouble with teachers for drawing when I was supposed to be paying attention, but then it was more of just something to do,” he said.

Dyke said after trying to enter medical school without success, he settled on teaching. While he loved children, something was missing. It was then that a gallery told him they had sold two of his paintings and wanted more.

“That’s when I cashed in my teacher retirement and went to work painting full time,” he said.

He believes that opportunity was a blessing from God and is why he always signs his work with a special touch.

“I always add a scripture verse,” he said. “I’m very grateful for this.”

Dyke said the Tomball area has always been kind to him and holds a special place in his heart.

“It’s always been a significant area to me,” he said. “I don’t do many public appearances anymore, but I do look forward to this one.”

Fisher said she likes to bring Dyke to the area because his works are extremely popular.

“We try to bring him in every two years,” she said. “It’s an honor to be able to get him here.”

For more information visit www.salliefisherart.com or call 281-351-5535.

Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX) met with area business owners, community leaders and public servants last week, to talk about the state of Washington politics, as well as his new position as chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

McCaul stopped in on his way to meet with Gov. Rick Perry in Houston.

McCaul started off the meeting by telling members that the infighting between the two parties is due to one side being stuck in perpetual campaign mode, instead of governing. His specific target was President Obama.

"He is in a mode where he says let's talk about immigration reform, let's talk about everything but the economy," McCaul said. "He's in campaign mode."

McCaul told the audience that despite his position on the Homeland Security Committee, he hasn't been invited to the White House for meetings once.

"No attempt, despite all the talk about coming together," he said.

McCaul focused a lot of his criticism on the White House and Democrats in the Senate not passing a budget in the last four years; instead they have relied on continuing resolutions just to keep the government running.

"Four years without a budget," he said. "It's one of the most irresponsible things I have ever seen."

He also said that the recent Presidential election was about scaring voters, rather than talking about tough budgetary decisions that need to be made.

"This president won the election pandering to people that receive entitlement benefits," he said. "He was scaring the hell out of people."

McCaul said that Obama's recent attempts to demonize Republicans in the eyes of the voters don't help solve the problems facing the nation.

"We all agree that there needs to be a safety net, that we need to help those less fortunate, but it shouldn't be permanent," he said.

"Greece. That's where we are headed if we don't change our way," he added, referring to the debt riddled nation with a struggling economy.

McCaul went on to talk about his ascension to the chairman's seat of the Homeland Security Committee.

The Congressman went on to say there are numerous things he currently disagrees with the Obama administration on, specifically naming the Benghazi attacks and al-Qaeda's presence in Africa.

(The Obama administration's) narrative is that the al-Qaeda threat is over," McCaul said. "The African theater proves it is not."

McCaul said that al-Qaeda has seen resurgence since the Arab Spring uprising in North Africa, raising money and securing weapons.

"Al-Qaeda has reconstituted in North Africa, raised $100 million and grabbed arms caches from Libya, so we need to make sure that stays over there," he said. "These are serious weapons when compared to what they or the Taliban possessed."

Another concern of McCaul's are the recent calls from the Arab world to release Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, otherwise known as the Blind Sheik, who was convicted and jailed in connection with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. McCaul said the fact that the United States has imprisoned Rahman, combined with recent al-Qaeda chatter promising "shocking" attacks in the U.S., is a big concern to him and members of his committee.

When it comes to the Benghazi attacks, McCaul said he has a hard time reconciling the stories presented by the White House and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, with other accounts presented about the attack that killed a U.S. ambassador.

"I brought up a classified security document that was sent to (Clinton's) office and she admitted that she never saw it, her staff never saw it – well, who saw it?" he said.

Harris County deputies are searching for a man they believe walked into a Tomball area office and shot a worker in the face on Valentine's morning.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office has accepted charges of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Aggravated Assault with Serious Bodily Injury against Gary Ishmael Bolin, 61.

Detectives said that Bolin walked into a home that had been converted into office space for a nearby business at the corner of Dogwood and Hufsmith Kuykendahl Road at about 10:30 that morning and shot a 54-year-old employee in the face, after an argument quickly escalated.

Deputies claim the two men had an ongoing dispute, when the suspect walked into the offices.

They said that Bolin did not communicate with anyone else in the building, but went directly to the victim's office and minutes later pulled out a handgun.

Detectives claim that Bolin then fled from the scene in a dark red or possibly maroon over white dually pickup truck. They won't confirm what relationship the pair had, but said that Bolin does have something to do with the property. They also claimed that the two are currently involved in a civil lawsuit against each other.

The suspect was described as a white male, wearing a white cowboy hat, light colored western shirt and blue jeans.

As of press time he was still not in custody. If arrested, Bolin will be held on $60,000 bond.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office is asking that anyone with information on Bolin's whereabouts contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477, or the Harris County homicide unit at 713-967-5810.

A Tomball man was killed and his son was severely injured, following a crash May 25 on FM 2978, near Dobbin-Hufsmith Road.

State troopers responded to the scene around 9 p.m. to find Magnolia firefighters working to remove victims from two vehicles. All three were in critical condition and transported to area hospitals via Life Flight.

Troopers said a 1997 Nissan driven by Piper Landon, 21, of The Woodlands, was traveling northbound and crossed the center line. The car crashed head on with a 2003 Subaru SUV, driven by Julio Reyes, 42, of Tomball. Reyes’ 15-year-old son was also in the car.

All three were transported to Hermann Memorial in Houston, where Julio Reyes was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Troopers and Mont-gomery County District Atttorney's office investigators spent five hours at the scene, while also reconstructing the accident.

According to the Montgomery County Police Reporter, state trooper Sgt. Terry Barnhill believed that alcohol was a factor in the crash and may be the reason Landon crossed the center line.

A man accused of murdering his brother pled guilty in Brazos County court last week and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Kyle Wischnewsky, 28, of Shepherd, shot his brother Cliff, 43, of Tomball, to death March 22, 2012, after accompanying him on a trip to buy two four-wheelers.

Kyle and Cliff traveled to Brazos County to purchase a pair of ATV's. Cliff was carrying $14,000 on him to purchase the ATV's and asked his brother to accompany him in order to help.

Cliff Wischnewsky was found lying on a metal cattle guard the following day on Texas 21, east of Bryan. The truck driver that found the body called the sheriff's office.

The ensuing investigation led investigators to New Mexico, where they found Kyle at a motel in Carlsbad. He was arrested by the Carlsbad Police Department.

During the sentencing, about two dozen friends and family members sat in the audience, as Cliff Wischnewsky's son Brett gave a victim impact statement.

"Now I want to address the person who did this," The Bryan-College Station Eagle reports Brett Wischnewsky as saying. "I will not call you by name because you are nothing to me. I could speculate why you would do something so evil, but I guess the why doesn't matter as much anymore. It's done. Nothing will ever bring my dad back."

Brett Wischnewsky said his uncle remained emotionless throughout his statement.

"He had no emotion," Brett Wischnewsky told the Tribune. "There was nothing there in his face or his eyes."

Brett Wischnewsky said he wanted his uncle to see the monster Brett thinks he has become.

"I wanted to show him that no one is afraid of him because of what he has done," he said.

Brazos County District Attorney Jarvis Parsons said the guilty plea was the best outcome.

"This case is extremely unique considering that the mother of the victim is also the mother of the defendant," he said in a statement. "There is no way for the criminal justice system to fill the void left by this defendant's actions on his own family. Considering everything, including the fact that the defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing his brother, we believe that this sentence is a just result."

Brett Wischnewsky agreed.

"We are glad we don't have to go through a trial and everything associated with that," he said. "It would have been 10 times harder on everyone. I believe justice has been done, but I also don't think there ever could be enough of a punishment for what he did to this family."

Brett Wischnewsky said his family is now ready to move on and remember the person that Cliff Wischnewsky was.

"I want everyone to remember how good of a guy he was, the soul he had and how he would do absolutely anything for anyone," Brett Wischnewsky said of his father. "He was one of the good guys and unfortunately the world has too few of them now."

ARRESTS:

Narcotics Violations

On 08/27/2012 at approximately 16:18, Officer Hernandez was dispatched to a suspicious persons call in the 1000 block of Hicks and found that person to be intoxicated.   Officer Hernandez arrested the 30 year old woman from Tomball for Possession of a Controlled Substance. 

On 08/28/2012 at approximately 11:50, Officer Sampson was dispatched to 28400 block of Tomball Parkway for a suspicious person looking into cars.  The 24 year old man from Spring was placed under arrest for an Webster PD warrant.  During a search incident to arrest, Officer Sampson discovered cocaine and pills in the suspect’s pocket.

On 08/29/2012 at approximately 10:51, a 23 year old female from Tomball was arrested for Tomball PD warrants and Possession of a Controlled Substance.  Officer White was dispatched to four corners on an impaired female call.  During a search incident to arrest, marijuana was discovered in the suspect’s pocket and hydrocodone in her purse.

Driving While License Suspended or Invalid

On 08/27/2012 at approximately 08:00, Officer Sellers arrested a 37 year old man from Sugarland for Driving While License Suspended and Display of a Fictitious Inspection Sticker in the 700 Block of East Main.  

On 8/31/2012 at approximately 02:00, Officer Rodriguez arrested a 36 year old female from Conroe for Driving While License Suspended in the 29900 block of Tomball Parkway.

Driving While Intoxicated

On 08/26/2012 Officer Diaz arrested a 35 year old man from Tomball for Driving While Intoxicated.

On 08/27/2012 Officer Tikal arrested a 45 year old man from Montgomery for Driving While Intoxicated.

On 08/28/2012 Officer Burns arrested a 50 year old man from Cypress for Driving While Intoxicated.

On 09/01/2012 Officer Diaz arrested a 33 year old man from Magnolia for Driving While Intoxicated.

On 0/01/2012 Officer Burns arrested a 48 year old man from Houston for Driving While Intoxicated.

Theft

On 08/27/2012 at approximately 12:05, Detective Chambers responded to a theft in progress call in the 27600 block of Tomball Parkway. A 35 year old man from Houston was arrested for shoplifting and $138 of merchandise was recovered. 

On 09/01/2012 at approximately 15:54 in the 27600 black of Tomball Parkway, Officer Ferguson arrested a 25 year old man from Houston for Shoplifting and merchandise totaling $61.61 was recovered. 

OFFENSE REPORTS:

Burglary

On 08/27/2012, Officer Hernandez responded to a Burglary of a Building in the 14200 Block of Limerick, where an air compressor and gas can, valued at approximately $115, were stolen.

On 08/28/2012, Officer Tikal responded to a Burglary of a Building in the 500 Block of East Main., where a welding system valued at approximately $800 was stolen.