SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with an alleged kidnapping.

Just after 11:30p.m. Thursday, police responded to the 1000 Block of SW Clay in Topeka regarding several calls of a woman being attacked and forced into a brown Cadillac SUV, according to Lt. Steve Roth.

Shortly thereafter, a security guard near 29th and SE Indiana called stating that he was flagged down by the victim who needed assistance.

The woman told officers that she had been beaten and forced into a vehicle where the suspect attempted to rape her.

A short time later, officers saw the Cadillac and conducted a high risk stop, taking the suspect identified as 67-year-old Leroy Hudson of Topeka into custody after a brief struggle.

Police booked Hudson into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for charges in connection with the incident.

The victim sought treatment at a local hospital for minor injuries. Police released no additional details early Friday.

Hudson has a previous conviction for criminal threat, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – A man accused of killing a 2-year-old Topeka boy more than 11 years ago is free after a jury acquitted him in the case.

The Shawnee County District Court jury on Thursday found 33-year-old Johnathan Davion Mango not guilty of second-degree murder in March 2006 death of Eli Clemens.

An affidavit said the boy died at a Topeka apartment from blunt force trauma to the head and abdomen.

Mango was the former fiancé of Fawn Clemens Mack, the child’s mother. He testified during the trial that he was not responsible for the child’s death.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports witnesses said the youngster had fallen off a slide in a park the day before he died, perhaps injuring his head.

Mango was arrested last year in Florissant, Missouri.

GARNETT, Kan. (AP) — Court records show a fired eastern Kansas jailer had sex with five inmates, including one who become pregnant and had an abortion.

The arrest affidavit for 27-year-old Lexington Laiter, of Garnett, was released this week. Laiter is jailed on $250,000 bail in Osage County after he was charged last month in neighboring Anderson County with 11 counts of unlawful sexual relations and two counts of attempted unlawful sexual relations. His attorney hasn’t returned a phone message.

Laiter worked at the Anderson County Jail from 2013 until he was fired last December for bringing tobacco into the facility. The court records say one of the inmates alleged she became pregnant after having sex with Laiter in January 2015. She told authorities Laiter gave her $500 to help pay for the abortion.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and asking the public for information.

Just after 1:30a.m., Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1400 Block of East Gidley Street in Wichita, according to Lt. Todd Ojile.

Upon arrival, police found 51-year-old Michael Nelson of Wichita with a single gunshot wound lying in the street. An investigation revealed the man had come to visit individuals at the residence when an unknown vehicle with unknown suspects drove up.

Words were exchanged between the man and those in the vehicle who shot and killed him, according to Ojile.

On Thursday, police reported the arrest of Jeremy Honeycutt, 37, for the shooting.

Honneycutt has seven previous convictions for theft, robbery, criminal threat and more, according to the Kansas Department of Correctons.

Wednesday’s shooting was Wichita’s 28th homicide of the year. It comes a day after a woman’s body was discovered in a Wichita home in an earlier homicide.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and asking the public for information.

Just after 1:30a.m., Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1400 Block of East Gidley Street in Wichita, according to Lt. Todd Ojile.

Upon arrival, police found a 51-year-old Wichita man with a single gunshot wound lying in the street. An investigation revealed the man had come to visit individuals at the residence when an unknown vehicle with unknown suspects drove up.

Words were exchanged between the man and those in the vehicle who shot and killed him, according to Ojile.

Police do not have a description of the vehicle or the suspects and believe the victim was targeted in some way. They did not release the victim’s name.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Wichita Police.

Wednesday’s shooting is Wichita’s 28th homicide of the year. It comes a day after a woman’s body was discovered in a Wichita home in an earlier homicide.

WICHITA – A Georgia man was sentenced Wednesday to 27 months in federal prison for his part in an e-mail spoofing scheme that cost Sedgwick County more than $566,000, according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

George S. James, 49, Brookhaven, Ga., pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

In his plea, James admitted that on Oct. 7, 2016, Sedgwick County sent approximately $566,088 to his bank account at a Wells Fargo bank in Georgia. James transferred part of the money he received from Sedgwick County to a bank account in Shanghai, China, and part of the money to an account at Deutsche Bank in Bremen, Germany. James also spent some of the money.

In his plea, James denied that the fraud scheme was his idea. He said that on Sept. 23, 2016, he was contacted by a person identified in court records as A.H., who asked to deposit some money into James’ account at Wells Fargo. James said he knew A.H. was engaged in fraud, but James denied knowing that Sedgwick County was the victim.

In his plea, James said it was A.H. – or someone working with A.H. – who sent an email to Sedgwick County on Sept. 23, 2016, purporting to be from Cornejo and Sons, LLC, and requesting the county send future payments to a new account number at Wells Fargo. On Oct. 7, 2016, the county sent $566,088 to James’ account at Wells Fargo. The county learned later that Cornejo did not request the change of account and did not receive the payment.

SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — A 55-year-old man has pleaded guilty to killing a Shawnee woman in her apartment last year.

The Kansas City Star reports Gregory Paul Wright II pleaded guilty Thursday to premeditated first-degree murder in the death of 44-year-old Monica Lee.

The victim was found dead in May 2016 inside her apartment.

Wright stole Lee’s car and fled. He was arrested in Virginia about a month after the murder.

Wright will be sentenced Jan. 10.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities continue to investigate a fatal pedestrian accident.

Just before 1p.m. Wednesday officers responded to an injury accident at 28 Laurel Drive near the intersection of Central and Webb in Wichita, according to officer Charlie Davidson.

When officers arrived, they found 79-year-old Carol Denning who had been hit by a trash truck.  An investigation determined she had been walking southbound when a Waste Management Truck was backing down the street and hit her. Denning was transported to a local hospital where she died.

The driver was not issued a citation at the scene, according to Davidson. However, Davidson said all fatality accidents are presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office. Once the investigation is completed, the district attorney will determine possible charges.

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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say a 79-year-old woman died when she was run over by a trash truck.

Sgt. Kevin Tronsgard said the woman was walking on a road in east Wichita Wednesday afternoon when she was hit by the truck.

Tronsgard said the truck was backing up because of congestion on the road and the driver didn’t see the woman, whose name was not released.

KWCH reports the woman was rushed to a hospital, where she died.

Tronsgard said the woman was facing away from the truck when it backed up.

Police and the Kansas Highway Patrol are investigating the death

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on House consideration of the tax overhaul (all times local):

1:50 p.m.

The House has passed a sweeping Republican tax bill cutting taxes for corporations and many people. It puts GOP leaders closer to delivering to President Donald Trump a crucial legislative achievement after nearly a year of failures.

The House including all 4 members from Kansas voted 227-205 to approve the bill, which would bring the biggest revamp of the U.S. tax system in three decades.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act gets two thumbs up! pic.twitter.com/fWazQvXrue

— Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) November 16, 2017

 

Most of the House bill’s reductions would go to business. Both the Senate and House would slash the 35 percent corporate tax rate to 20 percent and reduce levies on millions of partnerships and certain corporations, including many small businesses.

Personal income tax rates for many would be reduced through some deductions, and credits would be reduced or eliminated. But projected federal deficits would grow by $1.5 trillion over the coming decade.

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12:15 p.m.

Democrats are using new projections by Congress’ nonpartisan tax analysts to call the Senate Republican tax bill a boon to the wealthy that boosts middle-income families’ taxes.

The Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that starting in 2021, many families earning less than $30,000 would have tax increases under the bill. By 2027, families earning up to $75,000 would face higher levies, while those earning more would get tax cuts.

Republicans say the new calculations reflect two provisions in the bill.

The Senate measure ends personal income tax cuts beginning in 2026 because Republicans needed to reduce the bill’s costs to obey the chamber’s budget rules.

It also abolishes the requirement under former President Barack Obama’s health care law that people buy insurance. That means fewer people getting federally subsidized coverage — which analysts consider a tax boost.

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11:35 a.m.

President Donald Trump has arrived at the Capitol to encourage House Republicans who are about to push a $1.5 trillion tax package through their chamber.

The closed-door meeting comes as GOP leaders hope that by Christmas, they will give Trump and themselves their first legislative triumph this year.

 

 

Listening to @POTUS @realDonaldTrump ahead of today's tax reform vote. He's all in! Knocking it out of the park. @WhiteHouse @HouseGOP pic.twitter.com/jcL2QW8VFT

— Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) November 16, 2017

House approval was expected later Thursday of the plan to slash corporate tax rates and reduce personal income tax rates while eliminating some deductions and credits.

The Senate Finance Committee is aiming to pass its separate version by week’s end. But some GOP senators want changes.

Republicans say the final measure will bestow lower levies on millions of Americans and spur economic growth by reducing business taxes. Democrats say the measure is disproportionately tilted toward corporations and the wealthy.

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