On Sunday, a sad event occurred at a Dollar Tree store in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, when a machete-wielding man entered the business and killed 22-year-old newlywed Keris Riebel. Riebel was working at the shop at 1120 Wyandot Ave. around 4:25 p.m., according to Upper Sandusky Police.
When the man, identified as Bethel Bekele, 27, entered the store with a machete. Bekele allegedly approached Riebel and repeatedly attacked her with the weapon, killing her.
Officers responded to complaints about a man with a machete inside the business who had attacked an employee. Riebel had already died when they arrived. Officers tracked the suspect in the 100 block of South Fifth Street, where he was sitting in a parked automobile near the Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office.
When officers approached, Bekele surrendered and was arrested and charged with murder.
The motivation for the attack is unknown at this time, and authorities are looking into whether Riebel and Bekele knew each other. The incident has shocked the neighborhood, with one local saying, “It’s terrible to see something like this in Upper Sandusky, because it’s such a wonderful place.”
Riebel’s family is mourning her death, with her aunt starting a GoFundMe to help pay burial costs and lost income for Riebel’s husband, Jordan Riebel, who is taking time off to grieve.
Riebel had recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources and was eager to begin her career. According to her aunt, Riebel and Jordan were also looking forward to having children and a pet and starting their new lives together.
Their future, though, was “torn apart from the both of them in a matter of seconds.”
Riebel was recalled as a “wonderful spirit with a faith-filled heart” by Wynford Local Schools, where she graduated in 2019. Her smile was remarkable and radiated real friendliness to everyone she met. Keris was gone far too soon and will live on in the hearts of the Wynford community forever.
“The death of such a brilliant and promising young woman is extremely tragic, and our hearts go out to her husband, family, and loved ones during this difficult time.” It is unclear whether Bekele has filed a plea or retained an attorney to represent him.
