On Sunday, a devastating tragedy occurred at a Dollar Tree store in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, where 22-year-old newlywed Keris Riebel was killed by a machete-wielding man who entered the store. According to Upper Sandusky Police, at 4:25 p. m. , Riebel was working at the store located at 1120 Wyandot Ave.
When the man, identified as 27-year-old Bethel Bekele, entered the store waving a machete. Bekele allegedly approached Riebel and struck her numerous times with the weapon, leading to her death.
Officers arrived at the scene after receiving calls about a man with a machete inside the store who had attacked an employee. When they arrived, Riebel was already deceased. The suspect had fled the scene, but officers were able to locate him in the 100 block of South Fifth Street, where he was sitting in a parked car near the Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office.
Bekele surrendered when officers approached and was arrested and charged with murder.
At this time, the motive for the attack is unclear, and detectives are investigating whether Riebel and Bekele knew each other. The community is in shock over the incident, with one resident stating, “It’s terrifying to see something like this in Upper Sandusky, because this is a nice community.”
Riebel’s family is grieving her loss, with her aunt setting up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and lost wages for Riebel’s husband, Jordan Riebel, who is taking time off to grieve. Riebel had just graduated from college with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources and was looking forward to starting her career. According to her aunt, Riebel and Jordan were also looking forward to having children and a puppy and starting their new lives together.
However, their future was “ripped apart from the both of them in a matter of seconds. ”
Wynford Local Schools, from which Riebel graduated in 2019, remembered her as “a beautiful soul, with a faith-filled heart. She exuded genuine kindness to everyone she met and her smile was unforgettable. Keris was taken way too soon and will forever live in the hearts of the Wynford Community.
” The loss of such a bright and promising young woman is truly devastating, and our thoughts go out to her husband, family, and loved ones during this difficult time. It is currently unclear whether Bekele has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
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