SEDGWICK COUNTY — Investigators continue work to determine the cause of a fatal Thanksgiving Weekend house fire.
Just after 5a.m. Friday, fire crews responded to a house fire in the 1800 Block of North Lorraine in Wichita, according to Fire Captain Kelly Zane.
A neighbor on the scene told fire crews there was still someone in the home.
Fire crews did discover the body of 2-year-old Aaliyah Abrahim. Her father was also in the home. He attempted to rescue the child and was overtaken by the fire, according to Zane.
The man was transported to the hospital for treatment. He remained hospitalized on Monday.
Friends have established an online fundraising page in order to assist the family.
The fire caused over $20,000 dollars damage to the home. This is Wichita’s sixth fire fatality in 2017.
BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating suspect on drug and numerous traffic violations after a high speed chase.
Just after 7 a.m. Friday, police responded to the intersection of Fifth Street and Wilhelm, in the City of Ellinwood to investigate a minor accident.
As the officer arrived at the intersection one of the vehicles fled. The officer was able to get a tag number which was confirmed stolen from Wichita.
The officer pursued the vehicle out into the county at speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour at which time he lost sight of the vehicle.
Sheriff’s officers were in the area and located the vehicle near the intersection of K 156 and North East 30 Road.
Deputies engaged in the pursuit and were able to deploy stop sticks in front of the vehicle near the intersection of North East 50 Avenue and North East 30 Road. The spike strips were successful and slowed the vehicle. The vehicle came to a stop in the 300 block of North East 30 Road, at which point the driver later identified as 34-year-old Jason Ickler of Americus, Kansas, refused to comply with orders from the deputies. A Taser was used and the driver was pulled from the vehicle.
During the course of the arrest Sheriff’s officers discovered a bag containing suspected methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
The driver was also wanted on two Barton County warrants and 2 warrants from the City of Wichita.
Ickler was booked on charges of fleeing elude, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, numerous traffic charges and four outstanding warrants. Ickler is being held in lieu of a $10,000 bond. Ickler has six previous convictions for drugs, theft and fleeing law enforcement.
Authorities on the scene of Saturday’s double-murder investigation -photo courtesy KWCH
SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a double murder.
Just after 11p.m. Saturday, officers responded to a welfare call at a residence in the 7500 block of east Huntington in Wichita, according to Lt. Todd Ojile.
Upon arrival, a 22-year-old woman resident of the home told officers that when she arrived home from work she found blood and her mother identified as Houng Pham, 62 and her brother Cody Ha, 23, both residents of the home unresponsive. First responders pronounced them dead at the scene.
No arrests have been made at this time, and it is not believed to be a random event, according to police.
Anyone with information is asked to call Wichita Police.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a double murder.
Just after 11p.m. Saturday, officers responded to a welfare call at a residence in the 7500 block of east Huntington, according to officer Charley Davidson.
Upon arrival they made contact with a 22-year-old woman resident of the home. She told officers that when she arrived home from work she found her mother, a 62-year-old female and her brother a 23-year-old male, deceased in the home.
Wichita Police Department Homicide investigators were called in to lead the investigation.
No arrests have been made at this time, and it is not believed to be a random event.
Anyone with information is asked to call Wichita Police.
BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect who climbed a television tower Sunday.
Just before 11a.m., first responders were dispatched to the KSN transmitter station located about 4 miles north of the City of Great Bend, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.
The sheriff’s office had received reports of a suicidal subject who had climbed the tower and was threatening to hang himself.
Upon arrival deputies discovered a 41-year-old Great Bend man about 200 feet above ground level standing on a platform in the tower.
The man also carried a section of rope up the tower with him. Evidently the individual is upset due to domestic matters. Deputy Sheriff David Melcher established telephone contact with the distraught man, at a later point Detective Sgt. David Paden also talk to the man. After about 30 minutes officers convinced the man to climb back down the tower. He was taken into custody without incident.
The subject was transported to the Barton County Jail where he was evaluated and later transported to a mental health facility. There were no injuries to emergency personnel or to the suspect.
NEW YORK (AP) — Dictionary.com announced Monday that “complicit” is the site’s word of the year in a contentious 2017.
Site lexicographer Jane Solomon says numerous events, from politics to natural disasters, drove more people to look up “complicit” at particular times of the year. Overall, she said, look-ups of the word increased nearly 300 percent over 2016.
We’re so excited to announce that the Word of the Year is covfefe!
The first of three major spikes for the word struck March 12. That was the day after “Saturday Night Live” aired a sketch starring Scarlett Johansson as Ivanka Trump in a glittery gold dress peddling a fragrance called “Complicit.” Interest spiked again in April after President Donald Trump’s oldest daughter sat down for a CBS interview. Ivanka said, among other things: “I don’t know what it means to be complicit.”
Arizona Republican Jeff Flake prompted another spike in October when he said from the U.S. Senate floor he would not seek re-election. Flake explained: “I have children and grandchildren to answer to, and so, Mr. President, I will not be complicit.”
Police on the scene of Sunday’s shooting photo courtesy KCTV
LENEXA, Kan. (AP) — An off-duty police officer shot and killed a man who brandished a gun inside a Costco Wholesale store in a Kansas City suburb.
The shooting was reported around 11 a.m. Sunday at the store in Lenexa, Kansas, near Interstate 35 and 95th Street.
Lenexa Police Capt. Wade Borchers said the off-duty officer just happened to be in the store shopping when the incident happened. Investigators are still trying to determine what the armed man did before the shooting.
Borchers says he’s thankful the officer was there although he didn’t say which agency the officer works for.
Nikki Lotia of Olathe was shopping in the store during the shooting, and she hid back in the pharmacy. Lotia says the just kept praying during the shooting.
WICHITA, Kan. — A former Wichita restaurant owner was sentenced Monday to 108 months in federal prison for drug trafficking, according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.
Gerald Beasley, 62, Wichita, Kan., the former owner of Tiara’s Place, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
In his plea, Gerald Beasley admitted he stored cocaine and other narcotics in a residence in the 2400 block of North Piatt Street in Wichita. He met with buyers both at the residence and the restaurant at 1339 N. Hillside. He carried a High Standard derringer handgun to protect himself during drug transactions.
In his plea agreement, Gerald Beasley agreed to forfeit his home in Andover, his restaurant, a number of real estate properties, more than $75,000 in cash and bank accounts with a value of more than $75,000, as well as other assets.
In exchange for his guilty plea, the United States dismissed 20 additional counts against Mr. Beasley, including drug offenses, bank fraud, program fraud, money laundering, and firearm offenses.
Co-defendants include:
Antoine Beasley, 38, Wichita, who was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison.
Gerald Wilson, 46, Wichita, Kan., was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison.
Larry Reed, 59, who was sentenced to two years in federal prison.
Carlos Beasley, 43, Wichita, Kan., who was sentenced to two years on supervised probation.
Helen Beasley, 59, Wichita, who was sentenced to two years on supervised probation.
Terry Beasley, 64, Wichita, Kan., who is set for sentencing Jan. 10.
Herbert Jones, 55, Wichita, Kan., who is set for sentencing Jan. 8.
Stephen Smallwood, 69, Wichita, Kan., who is set for sentencing Dec. 6.
Brandon Smith, 46, Wichita, Kan., who is set for sentencing Dec. 6.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The widow of a Kansas man killed last month by an undersheriff has asked a court to release video and audio recordings that her attorney says show her husband was unarmed and trying to obey instructions when he was shot.
Attorney Michael Kuckelman says recordings he viewed are troubling and the public has a right to see them.
He told The Associated Press on Thursday that the video captures the Barber County sheriff telling the undersheriff minutes before Steven Myers was shot with a bean bag round on Oct. 6 that with “a little luck and he’ll just pass out and die.”
The sheriff disabled his body camera after the shooting and instructed a deputy to disable his camera. The sheriff’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Tyson Foods Inc. says its plans for a chicken plant in Kansas remain on hold while it moves forward with its Tennessee project.
The Springdale, Arkansas-based company announced Monday it would build a $300 million chicken production complex in Humboldt, Tennessee, that is expected to create more than 1,500 jobs when it begins operations in 2019.
Tyson spokesman Worth Sparkman said Monday the company still has an interest in Kansas and will continue to consider potential sites in the state for expansion of its poultry business.
Tyson had previously announced a $320 million chicken plant outside Tonganoxie in northeastern Kansas in September, but local officials withdrew their support amid public opposition. Tyson then started looking elsewhere.
Officials in Sedgwick County, Cloud County and in Coffeyville then pursued the project.
