WYANDOT COUNTY, Ohio — An Upper Sandusky man charged with murdering a Dollar Tree cashier in the store with a machete on Jan. 1 has been indicted on six charges by a Wyandot County grand jury Wednesday.
At an arraignment hearing Wednesday afternoon, Bethel Bekele, 27, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to all six charges: two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of murder, one count of felonious assault and one count of aggravated burglary.
Upper Sandusky police said Bekele entered the Dollar Tree on East Wyandot Avenue with a machete, approached 22-year-old cashier Keris Riebel "and struck her numerous times with the machete."
Police discovered Riebel dead when they arrived at the store around 4:30 p.m. in response to a call about a man waving a machete around the store.
Police also said a motive was unclear and it is unknown if Riebel and Bekele have a previous relationship.
Authorities apprehended Bekele a short time after the incident when they observed he had parked his car in front of the Wyandot County Sheriff's Office, Upper Sandusky police said.
Bekele surrendered himself when officers approached his vehicle, police said.
Riebel and her husband, Jordan, were newlyweds, according to a GoFundMe organized by Jordan's relatives. The campaign, which raised $81,440 and has since been closed to donations, supports funeral costs and other expenses.
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