Major update in assault case after wild video showed weatherman’s son in confrontation with elderly couple
The son of an Ohio meteorologist admitted in court he assaulted an elderly couple in a parking lot after a wild cell phone video shot by the couple’s daughter caught him in the act.
Kyle Raleigh, 34, son of WCPO weather forecaster Steve Raleigh, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor assault counts for attacking Douglas Morrow, 79, and his wife Lois, 76.
Kyle originally faced more serious felony assault charges, but those were dropped by prosecutors as part of his plea agreement, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. He faces a maximum sentence of 180 days in jail on each count.
On June 22, Steve was with his sons Kyle and Carter when their Cadillac Escalade plowed into the Morrows’ Ford F-150 after failing to yield to oncoming traffic.
Carter, 28, is thought to have been driving the Escalade when it hit the Morrows’ car in the lot of Montgomery Inn Boathouse, a barbecue restaurant in Cincinnati.
Troy Morrow, an employee at the Boathouse, had called his parents to pick him up because of an injury he sustained while working, said the family’s attorney, Konrad Kircher.
After the crash, a ‘large fight’ broke out between the various parties at the scene, according to 911 calls.
Stacey Morrow-Stickrod, the elderly couple’s daughter who filmed the confrontation, previously said the famous family became enraged when her father decided to call police because he smelled alcohol and suspected they had been drinking.
WCPO TV Meteorologist Steve Raleigh’s son Kyle pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor assault counts for attacking an elderly couple in a parking lot after getting into a crash with their vehicle
Douglas Morrow, 79, was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion. His wife Lois, 76, suffered a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain and a detached retina. (pictured: The Morrow couple)
‘These were locally famous people and in my opinion believe they are above the law,’ Stacey, who posted video of the incident, wrote online.
The Morrows said Kyle Raleigh punched Troy in the head and slammed him to the ground.
Though, prosecutors said Troy provoked Kyle who was in ‘a sudden fit of rage’ when he struck Douglas and Lois, who both were seen knocked to the pavement in the video.
Douglas was knocked unconscious and sustained a concussion, but Lois got the ‘brunt of the injuries,’ according to a Facebook post by Stacey.
Kyle dealt Lois a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain and a detached retina.
‘I 100 per cent believe one more hit would have killed her,’ Stacey said in regard to her mother.
During the clash, former Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis happened to be dining at the Boathouse and was seen intervening.
Douglas Morrow, 79, is pictured in a blue shirt and cargo shorts lying down on the pavement. His wife Lois is also seen on the ground in the bottom left corner
Steve Raleigh was confronted in the video by Red Sox legend Kevin Youkilis (in blue) who had been dining at the same restaurant before the car crash that sparked the incident
The grainy footage showed a woman repeatedly calling ‘Stop!’ before Steve Raleigh, dressed in a red Hawaiian shirt, pushed someone away.
‘Someone call 911 please,’ the woman pleaded as the camera panned across as Douglas was clutching his head.
His unconscious wife then came into frame as a male voice was heard yelling: ‘That is f***ing ridiculous.’
A man thought to be Steve was then seen over the floored pensioner before saying: ‘Kevin listen to me, f*** that, f*** that.’
Youkilis then bent over Lois to check on her condition as another voice was heard yelling: ‘Dude are you serious he hit a f***ing woman. She’s pouring blood.’
‘You’re an embarrassment to that f***ing Red Sox brand,’ someone shouted. ‘Go back to Boston.’
Stacey would later thank Youkilis for his intervention on behalf of her parents.
‘There were at least 50 people in the lot when this happened because it was at closing of the restaurant,’ she wrote. ‘Only one, Kevin Youkilis, saved my mom and stopped this attack.
Steve Raleigh was seen arguing with Youkilis in the video, urging him to ‘f*** that’ while Lois laid on the ground
‘He was definitely her guardian angel that night. I also believe he was there with them but was ready to fight for her!’
It was announced in September that Steve Raleigh, the meteorologist, wouldn’t face charges for his conduct that day after prosecutors determined that he didn’t break the law.
Troy Morrow was indicted on one count of menacing, a misdemeanor, court filings show.
According to the indictment, Troy ‘knowingly caused Steve Raleigh to believe that (Morrow) would cause physical harm to the person or property of Steve Raleigh.’
Records show Troy’s case is still ongoing and his first pretrial hearing is scheduled for January.
