Bekele moved to mental health facility

UPPER SANDUSKY - After determining a man who allegedly attacked and murdered a woman in January was unfit to stand trial, he was moved to a mental health facility in Columbus. On New Year's Day, Bethel M. Bekele, 27, of Upper Sandusky, allegedly entered a Dollar Tree in the 1100 block of E. Wyandot Avenue and attacked an employee with a machete. Witnesses who called 911 told dispatchers "he cut her head off." Keris L. Riebel, 22, of Upper Sandusky, was working a shift at the Dollar Tree when witnesses say they saw a man walk into the store, say something to the cashier and watched the cashier fall to the ground before the man walked out of the store. Riebel was a 2019 graduate of Wynford High School and was active in cheerleading. She had recently graduated from Franklin University with a bachelor's degree in human resources before getting married to Jordan Riebel in October. That night, police later found Bekele outside the Wyandot County Sheriff's Office when he confessed to the alleged murder. Bekele was indicted on — and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to — six felony charges including two counts of murder, felonious assault, two counts of aggravated burglary and aggravated murder. According to court records, Bekele was granted a competency evaluation, from which he was later determined to be incompetent to stand trial due to his inability to assist in his own defense. The courts believed Bekele could be restored to competency in a year and said he should attend the Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital in Toledo. On March 29, a judgment was made to house the defendant at Twin Valley Healthcare in Columbus. Bekele had been transferred between the Wyandot and Wood county jails since his arraignment. On Tuesday, Bekele was picked up at the Wood County Jail by Wyandot County sheriff deputies and transported to Twin Valley Behavioral Health Moritz Center, 2200 W. Broad St. According to the Ohio Mental Health & Addiction Services' website, Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare is certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and is accredited by The Joint Commission. Local mental health centers refer patients to Twin Valley by determining whether someone meets the criteria for admission. Twin Valley is also used by various court systems across Ohio who refer forensic patients for admission. Twin Valley provides recovery-based, comprehensive, quality, cost-effective mental health services to adults with severe mental illness in a secure inpatient setting. Their maximum-security facility has four units with 52 beds and serves Ohio's 88 counties.