Man killed in heavy machinery accident • Royal Oak apartment approved • Plane crash kills flight instructor

TUESDAY NEWS HIT - A family is grieving the loss of a 24-year-old man last week in what is being called an "industrial accident."

Matthew McCoy was working at DPR Manufacturing in Warren on Friday when heavy machinery fell on him, killing him.

McCoy's loved ones said he really enjoyed his job at DPR Manufacturing – a family-owned and operated business that specializes in steel, stainless steel, and aluminum products, according to the company's website. He worked there for about four years.

"He was a machinist, so he ran certain machines... He did a lot of painting of the parts," his sister Jami Reiterman said. "He loved his job. He really did. He would come home and talk about all the cool stuff he got to work on (like) props for the Barbie movie premiere, and he was always excited about his job."

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) is still investigating the workplace death. 

Royal Oak apartment approved

Some neighbors say a new Royal Oak apartment will bring too much traffic and loitering to their area, while city leaders back the development.

The city commission voted 7-0 in favor of a new 3 ½ story, 42-home apartment building on Rochester Road near 14 Mile on Monday. This approval comes despite some negative feedback from residents. 

"Stand up for your citizens, not for these corporations," one man said during Monday's meeting.

The site currently has an empty bank. The residents who are against putting an apartment there say it would be too big for their neighborhood and would lead to too many people in the area. 

"It will take an abandoned property and turn it into something nice that will grow and keep growing property values in the city and in the area," Mayor Michael Fournier said.

Samantha Woll murder jury selection

Jury selection continues this morning in the murder trial for the man accused of killing Samantha Woll.

Michael Jackson-Bolanos is charged with first-degree premeditated murder, as well as home invasion and lying to police in connection with the October 2023 murder.

Woll was found stabbed to death outside her home in the 1360 block of Joliet Place. Jackson-Bolanos was arrested several weeks after the murder, and police have said the stabbing occurred during a home invasion. There were initial concerns that the murder may have been a hate crime, but police said that wasn't the case. 

Once the jury is seated, opening statements will begin. A jury is expected to be seated on Tuesday.

Man sentenced to life for murdering ex in front of kids

James Rockett will spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2022 murder of his ex-fiancee.

Rockett shot Michelle Siegel 15 times in front of her two children inside her Warren home.

"She didn't have a chance to defend herself or protect her children," Siegel's mother, Vicky Greer, said. "I thank God every day they were not part of the killing - they will live with this, though, for the rest of their lives."

Rockett spoke during his sentencing.

"I also would like to apologize to Michelle Siegel for my actions on the day of March 10, 2022 - I never meant to hurt you - let alone take your life," he said.

Though Rockett is the one going to prison, Judge Jennifer Faunce said Siegel's loved ones are the ones who are facing a life sentence.

"Unfortunately, the real life sentence is the friends and the family," she said.. "Those children will never ever, I don't know how they could possibly ever recover. They won't, from watching the heinous and gruesome death of their mother right in front of their eyes. It's unimaginable - and yet it happened."

Flight instructor killed in plane crash

A flight instructor from Dearborn died Monday in a plane crash, while a student he had with him was injured.

The pair was flying a Cherokee Cruiser in Clinton, which is west of Ann Arbor, when the plane went down near Lima Center Road and Michigan Avenue.

The student, who is from North Carolina and currently studying at the University of Michigan, had to be extricated from the wreckage, sources said. He was taken to UM Hospital for treatment, while th 46-year-old instructor was pronounced dead.

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What else we're watching

1. A new rule would allow e-bikes on Michigan state park trails. Certain classes of electric bikes would be permitted on trails where only non-motorized bikes are currently allowed.
2. Activists and police are working to stop the violence after a weekend riddled with shootings in Detroit.
3. An Ypsilanti family is demanding answers after their 14-year-old was assaulted at school by a staff member. Video showed a coach choking the teen at Ypsilanti Middle School during an argument.
4.  Sip cocktails and stroll the Detroit Zoo in your best cruise attire at Summer Sips on July 19. Learn more.
5. After throwing eggs and flour at her ex's house, a teen attempted to flee but caused a car crash in Detroit last Friday. It was all caught on video.

Trump completes pre-sentencing interview after less than 30 minutes of questioning

Former President Donald Trump completed his mandatory pre-sentencing interview Monday after less than 30 minutes of routine, uneventful questions and answers, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity.

After declining to testify at the trial, Trump was required to participate in the meeting before his July sentencing in his criminal hush money case.

The pre-sentencing interview was done by video from his residence at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, with his lawyer Todd Blanche by his side.