Stories from

A man from Harrisonburg, Va., whose social media posts indicate he thought he spoke directly to God and received visions of the devil, has been identified as the driver of a tractor-trailer involved in a high-speed pursuit through three counties last night before he engaged in a shoot-out with police near Geneseo.

Joshua Blessed, formerly Sergio Jourev, 58, was killed in the incident. He had also posted a video to his YouTube account with the headline "Brave Patriot defending US Constitution and 2A vs. Domestic terrorist gang member 'blue devils.' "

The video is taken from the dashcam of a police patrol vehicle and shows what appears to be a traffic stop where the driver opened fire on the police officer and engaged in a protracted gun battle before fleeing in his sedan.  

The description of the video asks viewers to join Blessed's "militia" and links to a website where he claims that in February 2018 he received a new message from heaven calling on him to recruit an army to fight a new civil war.

Livingstone County Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty said Blessed fired numerous rounds at officers and struck four patrol vehicles, two from Livingston County, one from Genesee County, and one from Le Roy PD.

The bullet that hit the Genesee County Sheriff's patrol car entered through the windshield, struck the headrest and became lodged in the plexiglass divider between the back and front seats.

"I believe if he wasn't ducking, then it would have been right to his head," Dougherty said.

Blessed was employed by a trucking company, Yurman Express, in Harrisonburg and was driving to Batavia to pick up dairy products when at 8:37 p.m. a Le Roy police officer attempted to stop his tractor-trailer for speeding through the village.

When he was uncooperative with the first officer, the officer called for backup. When the second officer arrived, both officers approached the cab of the truck, each getting onto the running boards on both the driver's and passenger's side of the vehicle.

Le Roy Chief Chris Hayward said the officer on the passenger side observed a handgun in the vehicle.  

One of the officers stepped down from the truck and at that point, Blessed began to drive off. The other officer was able to safely jump from the moving vehicle.

As he fled, Blessed rammed his truck into a Sheriff's patrol vehicle that had responded as backup for the Le Roy officers. He headed westbound on Route 5 toward Batavia. Batavia PD was alerted and officers responded to the city line but before Blessed reached Batavia, at some point after passing through Stafford at a high rate of speed, he managed to turn his truck around.

Sheriff Bill Sheron said he hadn't yet spoken with the officers involved, so it wasn't clear to him how the trucker managed to execute a U-turn on Route 5.

"I think they were quite amazed, too, that he was able to maneuver the vehicle the way he did," Sheron said.

Now eastbound, when Blessed returned to the Village of Le Roy, he proceeded south on Route 19 toward Pavilion. Sheriff's deputies attempted to stop the truck at the county line with spike strips. Blessed continued south through Wyoming County to Route 63 in Livingston County near Geneseo.  Livingston County deputies also tried to deploy spike strips to no avail.

In Livingston County, Blessed started taking shots at police officers.

At one point, Sheriff Dougherty pulled up along the passenger side of the cab of the truck and Blessed fired rounds in his direction. Neither the patrol vehicle nor Dougherty was struck. 

"This isn't a common type of situation where you not only have a heavy, heavy vehicle that is near impossible to stop but also the person then taking shots at cops," Dougherty said. "So it was a stressful, intense incident."

Once the vehicle was stopped, the gun battle continued. Sheron said at least one of his deputies fired shots at Blessed.

The official cause of death for Blessed has not been determined but Dougherty said he sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

On his website, Blessed wrote in February 2018:

This is Joshua Blessed the man of Yahweh, for the spirit of אליהו /EliYahu ( My El is Yahweh), is upon me!

As of February 12. 2018, I received from heaven a new task; “go, begin recruiting for a heavenly hosts/army,..”

My brother, the king of heaven Yahweh of hosts said to me,  “…the civil war is coming and many shall die and descended to hell for the fruits of their life,…”

Here is my confession; As for me, for many years I was blind /slave of “the Beast”,… but now my spirit is revived by my Redeemer Yahweh of hosts, and His holy spirit is upon me and causes me > love Yahweh unto death, for He took away the fear of death of me,…It is why now I seek to die as His warrior for His great name > the king of heaven Yahweh of hosts!

The Batavian's news partner 13WHAM is reporting that Blessed had been banned from a militia site for reportedly being "self-destructive."

He posted multiple videos equating law enforcement with the devil and domestic terrorists. He also posted videos, speaking in what may be a Russian accent, describing dreams and visions he had.  

His Facebook page indicates he was banned by the network for violating community standards in April, a ban that was extended to June 16. His offending posts were described as bullying.

Dougherty said investigators are looking into Blessed's social media posts in an attempt to work up a full profile of the man.

"(Among the) things that we're looking at: How extreme is he?" Dougherty said. "What other encounters has he had with police? What led to this yesterday? Again, there are so many unknowns that we can't interview him on. So these are things that we have to put together. And this is what police agencies do. We put together a timeline and try and get the best answers possible to conclude our investigation."

Dougherty praised the professional response of members of law enforcement from the multiple agencies who participated in the incident.

"Members from various agencies put their life on the line trying to warn traffic ahead, blocked the roadways, get everybody removed all the while knowing that he's popping shots," Dougherty said. "I can only tell you that it is simply unbelievable that nobody was injured."'

UPDATE 6:50 p.m.: An editor with the Harrisonburg Daily-News Record contacted the Sheriff there about Blessed and says the Sheriff told him his office never had any encounters with Blessed, at least nothing serious. Our news partner 13WHAM reports Blessed had a wife and two children.  

Also from 13WHAM: Drivers recall fearing for their lives as they got caught in middle of dangerous pursuit

Previously: After high-speed chase that ended with shoot out, Le Roy chief kept thinking of the 'what ifs'

Video provided by our news partner 13WHAM.

Press release:

• As of 2 p.m.
  • Genesee County received two new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 185 positive cases.
    • The two positive cases reside in Batavia.
    • One of the positive individuals is less than 20 and one is in their 50s.
    • One of the positive cases was not on mandatory quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.
    • Two of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.
  • Orleans County received two new positive case of COVID-19, for a total of 211 positive cases.
    • One of the new positive individuals resides in Albion and one of the new positive individuals resides at Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
    • Of the new positive case one of the individuals is in their 40s and one of the individuals is in their 80s.
    • None of the new positive cases were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
    • Two of the previous positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
    • Eighteen of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.
    • We are sorry to report that we have lost another county resident due to COVID-19. The individual resided at the Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this individual during this very sad time.

Army Spc. Ryan Blackmon, assigned to the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion, discusses his job at the Javits Center in New York City in support of the Department of Defense COVID-19
response, May 18. He is a native of Le Roy. (Army video by Spc. Genesis Miranda.)

No traffic stop is routine. Cadets are taught that truism at every law enforcement academy in the nation. Field trainers drum it into their heads when rookies first hit the road.

A "routine" traffic stop of a white tractor-trailer on Main Street in Le Roy last night turned out to be a stark reminder for his officers that they always need to be prepared for the unexpected, Le Roy Chief Chris Hayward said this morning.

Hayward got to bed late last night, slept fitfully and said what kept running through his head were all the "what if" scenarios. He considered how things could have turned out much worse after a trucker decided to lead local law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit through three counties. The trucker was killed in an apparent shoot-out at a location near Geneseo in Livingston County.

No bystanders nor officers were injured or killed. That's a relief, Hayward said.

"It's one of those things that you try to convey to your officers, especially your young officers, that there is no such thing as a routine traffic stop," Hayward said. "I think this incident conveyed that effectively. I'm thankful nobody was hurt last night.

"I kept thinking of all the 'what ifs,' " he added. "What if he decided to open fire on our officers on West Main Street rather than in Livingston County? You think of all of those scenarios and you're thankful for all of the young folks involved. I thought of all those officers in this situation and they did a tremendous job, as did the dispatchers in both counties, keeping the information flow going in both counties. The dispatchers did a tremendous job."

The chase started when a Le Roy officer initiated a traffic stop of the truck for speeding on West Main Street. The driver stopped and the officer approached the driver's side, climbed up on the running board to talk to the driver. The driver refused to provide documentation or identification. At that point, the officer backed off and requested backup.

When a second officer arrived, they both approached the driver again. They spoke to the driver, each positioned on opposite sides of the cab. At one point, one officer stepped off. Then the driver rolled up his window and started to drive away. The other officer was able to jump off the running board of the moving truck and was not hurt.

A deputy was arriving on scene at that point and the trucker rammed the patrol vehicle.

The three patrol vehicles then gave chase westbound on Route 5.

A witness in Stafford told The Batavian the pursuit passed her house at a high rate of speed. A short time later, she called back to say the truck and seven patrol vehicles were then eastbound.

"It's wild, like something out of a movie," she said.

That was a description others shared, Hayward said this morning.

There was nothing suspicious about the driver or the vehicle that popped up when officers ran -- as is routine on traffic stops --  the truck's plates, the chief said. He didn't have information at hand on where the truck was registered. 

"We had nothing to explain at that time why the operator was doing what he was doing," Hayward said. 

Officers were positioned at locations on Route 5 to set up possible spike strips, and at one point the trucker rammed a Le Roy patrol vehicle participating in that operation. The vehicle sustained significant damage but the officer was not hurt.

Sheriff Bill Sheron said he hadn't yet spoken with the officers involved this morning, so it wasn't clear to him how the trucker managed to execute a U-turn on Route 5.

"I think they were quite amazed, too, that he was able to maneuver the vehicle the way he did," Sheron said.

The trucker led officers back into the Village of Le Roy where he made a right-hand turn on Route 19, going southbound into Wyoming County, where Wyoming deputies joined the pursuit. The trucker continued to Route 63 into Livingston County.

He then reportedly stopped and began shooting at law enforcement officers.

Genesee County deputies were involved in exchanging gunfire with the driver, Sheron said.

One bullet from the driver went through a window of deputy's patrol vehicle, Sheron said, narrowly missing the head of the officer. Sheron declined to name the officer involved at this time.

"God must have been watching over us last night because it could have ended up much worse than it did," Sheron said. "That one vehicle took a round through the windshield and you can't get much closer. Thank God for every day."

Top Photo: The truck involved from this morning. All photos courtesy our news partner 13WHAM.

Genesee County's unemployment rate jumped to 14.4 percent in April, the highest rate since the Great Recession, when 10 percent of county residents were without jobs in January and February of 2010.

The highest unemployment rate for the county since 1990 (the oldest data publicly available) was 10.8 percent in January 1992.

The unemployment rate a year ago for April was 3.7 percent. In March of this year, it was 4.9 percent, as it was in February, and it was 5.1 percent in January.

The unemployment rate in the state is 15 percent.

It's 19.2 percent in the Buffalo area and 14.9 percent in the Rochester area.

There are 4,300 people in Genesee County counted as unemployed and 25,200 county residents with jobs.

Press release:

• As of 2 p.m.
  • Genesee County received two new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 183 positive cases.
    • The positive cases reside in Batavia and Darien.
    • One of the positive individuals is less than 20 and one is in their 30s.
    • One of the positive cases was not on mandatory quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.
    • Two of the previous positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
    • Two of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.
  • Orleans County received one new positive case of COVID-19, for a total of 209 positive cases.
    • One of the new positive individuals resides in Carlton.
    • Of the new positive case the individual is in their 70s.
    • None of the new positive cases were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
    • Twenty of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

Press release from AAA:

After dropping to a low of $1.76 in April, the national gas price average is pennies away from hitting the $2/gallon mark. Today’s average is $1.96, which is 8 cents higher than a week ago, 19 cents more than last month, but still a significant 87 cents cheaper than the end of May 2019.

The more expensive pump prices can be attributed to fluctuations in crude and demand.

In the past week, crude oil hit its highest price point – nearly $34 per barrel – since the Administration declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency and many states started implementing stay-at-home restrictions. While demand has been increasing since the end of April, it is down 28 percent compared to the first three weeks of May last year. 

“Americans have seen significantly cheaper-than-normal gas prices the past two months," said Elizabeth Carey, AAA spokesperson. "However, those low prices – as well as crude oil prices – have been inching upward.

"While motorists will see pump prices continue to increase, AAA does not expect the summer average to be as expensive as last year’s season.”

One factor that could cause a sudden spike in gas prices is the Atlantic hurricane season, which is June 1 through Nov. 30.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts the 2020 season will be above-normal, potentially resulting in 13-19 named storms. An average Atlantic hurricane season typically produces 12 named storms, including three major hurricanes.

Here's a look at today’s average prices:

• Batavia -- $2.21 (up 1 cent since last week)*
• Buffalo -- $2.21 (up 2 cents since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.12 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.20 (up 1 cent since last week)
• Rome -- $2.18 (up 6 cents since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.08 (up 2 cents since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.18 (up 4 cents since last week)

From GasBuddy:

"Average gasoline prices across the United States continue to recover as more motorists take back to the roads as states relax previous shelter-in-place orders and begin filling their tanks, driving demand to continue rising," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

"Since demand is a major ingredient in what drives gasoline prices and demand is likely to continue to rebound, it is also pushing the price of both crude oil and gas prices higher.

Unfortunately, thus far, refiners have started to input more crude oil into their refineries, but there has been some lag as refiners remain cautious on flooding the market with unwanted products.

As long as COVID-19 cases continue to drop over time and provinces reopen, I suspect it is only a matter of time before average price hits the $2 per gallon mark again, which could happen as early as this week."

*NOTE: Batavia's price is an average of gas stations throughout the Batavia micropolitan area (aka, Genesee County).

Two teenagers from Pembroke are in critical but stable condition at Erie County Medical Center following an accident on West Main Street Road, Batavia, last night.

A 2013 Chevy Impala driven by Daniel P. Sonnefeld, 19, was leaving Dave's Ice Cream at 9:15 when it apparently attempted to make a left turn, pulling in front of a 2020 Freightliner semi-truck that was eastbound on Route 5.

The tractor-trailer struck the driver's side of the Impala, sending the vehicle to the north shoulder of the roadway where it came to rest. 

Sonnefeld was transported by Mercy EMS to ECMC for serious injuries.

A second occupant, Gabriel Johnston, 18, was transported to ECMC by Mercy Flight with serious injuries.

Phouthason S. Kittisack, 18, of Batavia, also a passenger in the sedan, sustained minor injuries and was released at the scene.

The Freightliner was driven by Rondal J. Crosby, 45, of Buffalo. He was not injured.

The accident is being investigated by the Sheriff's Office, including the Crash Management Team. Assisting at the scene were Town of Batavia fire, East Pembroke fire, Oakfield fire, Batavia PD, Mercy EMS, and State Police.

(Initial Report)

Press release:

New Cases

• As of 2 p.m.
  • Genesee County received one new positive case of COVID-19, for a total of 181 positive cases.
    • The positive case resides in Batavia.
    • The positive case is in their 50s.
    • The positive case was not on mandatory quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.
    • Four of the previous positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
    • Two of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.
  • Orleans County received five new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 208 positive cases.
    • One of the new positive individuals resides in Ridgeway, one of the positive individuals resides in Yates, one of the positive individuals resides in Shelby and one of the positive individuals resides in Albion.
    • One of the new positive cases is a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
    • Of the new positive cases one individual is in their 20s, one of the individuals is in their 30s, one of the individuals is in their 40s, one of the individuals is in their 60s and one of the individuals is in their 80s.
    • None of the new positive cases were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
    • Eleven of the previous positive community cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
    • Twenty of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.
    • We are truly saddened to receive word that 2 of our residents have died related to COVID-19. Both of the residents lived at Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center. Our deepest condolences go to the family and friends of each of these individuals during this very difficult time.

A driver reportedly choked on coffee, causing him to lose control of the car before his vehicle collided with a silo at 2767 Judge Road, Oakfield.

The driver has spoken with dispatchers, although he is reportedly injured.

Oakfield Fire Department is responding. All Mercy EMS ambulances are tied up on other calls. An ambulance from Medina is requested.

The vehicle is a pickup truck with a trailer. There are propane takes in the area.

UPDATE 7:12 p.m.: A hazmat team requested to the scene for a propane leak.

UPDATE 7:13 p.m.: Judge Road is being closed.

UPDATE 7:24 p.m.: Firefighters have secured one tank and are working on the second.

UPDATE 7:30 p.m.: Both tanks are secure.

As temperatures have gone up the past couple of days tempers have flared, it seems, in some parts of the city.

Over the past 24 hours, there have been multiple calls for disturbances on State Street, as well as calls to Hutchins Place, Jackson Street, Watson, and Thorpe.

On State Street, Police Chief Shawn Heubusch said it appears there are multiple neighbors who can't get along and he suggested they never have and they never will. 

"Nothing has risen to the level that we can arrest anybody," Heubusch said, though it would be helpful if witnesses to incidents were willing to put their statements in writing.

After a call on State Street this afternoon, which brought a response from Batavia PD and the Sheriff's Office, including a K-9, one deputy on State Street, when asked what was going on said, "A whole lot of 'I saw nothing.' "

"Neighbors have been calling, and that's good, but our hands are tied by changes to criminal justice this year," Heubusch said. "Without a statement, the most we can do is write an appearance ticket."

The local landlords are also more restricted in how they can respond to troublesome tenants, Heubusch noted, because of the moratorium ordered by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on most evictions, especially evictions related to missed rent payments.

Speaking of the COVID-19 pandemic response, Heubusch said, he doesn't think the recent spate of disturbances is the result of eight weeks of being on lockdown. 

"These calls mostly involve people we've dealt with before," Heubusch said. "I don't think the lockdown is coming into play."

Batavia PD does have cameras installed to help monitor the situation on State Street and at Watson and Thorpe.

He said he understands the public might want more done but that takes cooperating witnesses.

One of the objectives of a police response to a crowd of people involved in a ruckus is to get the people to disperse, Heubusch said. If police can do that, it will help defuse the situation and hopefully help avoid an escalation of violence.

It might be a long summer, the chief said.

"(The disturbances are) definitely a concern," Heubusch said. "That's for sure."

Briefing

The Genesee Wyoming Music Educators Association is honoring past scholarship winner Elise Hoerbelt, a trumpet player and a 2019 graduate of Batavia High School.

Here instructors through the years have included Dawn Mark, Jane Haggett, and Derek Reiss.

Her secondary instruments are voice, french horn, and violin.

She is attending Ithaca College and majoring in Music Education.

What are your favorite college/ high school music experiences?

My favorite music experience in my career so far has been my first concert at Ithaca College. It was amazing getting to play with so many talented musicians and it was the first concert of my college career. 

What ensembles/performance opportunities do you aspire to be a part of?
Since I aspire to be a music educator, I would like to be the conductor of a band of students someday. 

What is your favorite performance venue you have performed at? 
My favorite performance venue was at Kodak Hall in the Eastman School of Music when I performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in the Holiday Pops Chorus. 

What are your main musical influences and/or role models?
My teachers and friends have been my main influences in my musical career.

What is your ultimate music goal or music dream?

My goal is to become a music educator and teach students about the power of music.

Video and press release submitted by Tricia Werth.

Please meet this year's Genesee County Dairy Princess Court.

• Dairy Princess -- Miah Werth
• Dairy Ambassadors -- Amelia Brewer, Jillian Brewer, Georgia Luft, Carolyn Sybertz and Maggie Winspear
• Dairy Maids -- Chloe Lamb, Claire Lamb, Caroline Luft and Annalise Sybertz

Due to the coronavirus pandemic the girls were unable to have their annual pageant. They chose to think outside the box and designed this pageant video.

They had a lot of fun creating each of their videos, even enjoying some bloopers along the way.

Dairy Princess Miah Werth and her Court are eager to help support our local dairy farmers while promoting the dairy industry over the next year. Miah said that this year will look extremely different, but she is excited for everyone to see all the ideas she and her Court have been thinking of.

The Genesee County Dairy Princess Program is made possible through the support of American Dairy Association North East, the local planning and management organization funded by Dairy Checkoff Program dollars. They help to build demand and sales for milk and dairy food in the local region

ADA North East represents more than 10,000 dairy farm families in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Northern Virginia.

ADA North East also assists in developing local programs to drive milk and dairy sales at retail stores and in schools.

Please reach out to gcdairyprincess@yahoo.com or Miah's mother, Trisha Werth at (716) 560-0843 if you would like the Genesee County Dairy Princess Court to help promote the nutritional value of dairy products at your next event.

Submitted photo below: Front -- Caroline Luft, Annalise Sybertz, Chloe Lamb; Back -- Georgia Luft, Jillian Brewer, Miah Werth, Carolyn Sybertz, Amelia Brewer and Maggie Winspear. Not in picture: Claire Lamb.

The National Weather Service is warning residents to expect a hot and humid day today with high temperatures reaching the upper 80s to low 90s.

The heat index could top out at 95 degrees.

"Take precautions if you need to be out in the heat today by taking frequent breaks inside and drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated," the weather service advises.
 

A firearm retrieved from a creek in Oakfield last week had been in the water for "a considerable amount of time," Chief Deputy Joseph Graff said this morning.

The Sheriff's Office took possession of the firearm after a caller who was "magnet fishing" in the area of 6000 Fisher Road reported the find.

Graff said there isn't much information about the firearm but that the Sheriff's Office is looking into it.

"It is very rusted/corroded and not identifiable in its present state," Graff said. "We will be sending it to the lab to see if anything identifiable can be restored."

In accordance with restrictions on social gatherings, area veterans conducted their annual Memorial Day Service at the War Memorial in Batavia, which included a reading of the names of Genesee County veterans who died during the previous 12 months.

An older man has suffered a serious arm injury in a farm equipment accident on Summit Road in Pavilion.

Pavilion fire and Mercy EMS responding. Mercy Flight is on an in-air standby.

UPDATE 5:52 p.m.: Mercy Flight response not required. Ice packs and blankets requested to treat the patient for possible heatstroke.

Press release:

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have received three more COVID-19 cases. Orleans has two new cases (bringing the total to 202) and Genesee has one (bringing the total to 180).

Contact tracing has been initiated and all who have had direct contact with the individuals will be notified by Health Department staff. Two of the Orleans County individuals are community residents. Genesee County’s one individual who tested positive is a community member.

We have also received word of the death of two individuals who had tested positive for COVID-19 and residents of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center (now for a total of 26 deaths related to COVID-19 for The Villages and a total of 29 deaths for Orleans County). Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of this individual during this very sad and difficult time.

There is currently no further information to release on ages and locations. Mapping to include the positive cases from the weekend will be updated on Tuesday afternoon due to the Memorial Day holiday.

We hope everyone had a peaceful and safe Memorial Day. We appreciate the sacrifice of those who served in the armed forces and gave their all.

We ask residents to continue social distancing, mask-wearing, and proper hygiene even in the company whom we trust the most -- like family, friends, and coworkers. We can all show people that we care and respect them by continuing these practices to keep everyone safe.

Photos from the Memorial Day service today at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument (The Upton Monument) in Batavia.

We'll have video report posted tonight or tomorrow of the Memorial Day Service at the War Memorial at St. Jerome's.