MANHATTAN – A Kansas man made his first court appearance on Tuesday in Riley County in connection with an alleged attempted abduction.

Sergio Guerra, 38, of Wichita, spoke to the judge via a video connection.

He was arrested following an incident on March 24 where he allegedly attempted to abduct a 19-year-old woman.

She sustained significant non-life threatening injuries after being dragged by her vehicle for approximately 800 feet while attempting to flee an attacker, according to a police report.

Officers found that an unknown Hispanic male approached the woman while she attempted to start her car in the 500 block of Richards Drive in Manhattan.

The suspect entered her vehicle and attempted to drive off with her inside. She attempted to escape, however, was unable to completely exit through the passenger side door and fell to the ground while a portion of her body was still inside. The suspect fled the scene and law enforcement later recovered the vehicle.

On March 26, detectives with the Riley County Police Department Investigations Division identified the suspect and with the assistance of the Wichita Police Department were able to locate and arrest Guerra.

He is being held for aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and aggravated battery on a bond of $500,000.00

Victims of the big fire at the Bluffs Apartment complex Tuesday were receiving help after the blaze, including new temporary homes from the Red Cross and Fort Riley.

JC Post talked with two residents of the burned Building F, Aubree Davis and Brian Blessing.

Davis said he got up and heard an alarm next door. “So I went out on balcony and I saw the smoke coming out of the roof so I grabbed my family and left, and it just spread real quick from there.” Davis confirmed he and his wife, and their dog were okay.

He noted they did not get any of their personal belongings out of the burning apartment building. That was rough. “It’s just the sentimental stuff. I don’t care about the rest, it’s just the irreplaceable stuff is what I care about.”

Brian Blessing lived in apartment F207 with his two sons. He got a call from a neighbor alerting him that his apartment was on fire, left work and drove to the fire.  “It looks like we lost everything. Didn’t have time to get anything out.”

It was a shocking telephone call. “A little bit. When they said fire I thought it was going to be like something small, but when you pull up and every firefighter in Junction City and Kansas is outside your front door it’s a little shocker.” His parents were visiting from California at the time of the fire. His father, Bill Blessing, said, “I’d have to say that the people here at the office ( Bluffs ) have been fantastic and getting things orchestrated, take care of the victims of a fire like this.”

Junction City’s Acting Fire Chief Rick Rook says the investigative stage into what caused the fire at the Bluffs Apartment complex is beginning.

Rook said Tuesday night that several Junction City Fire Department investigators are assisting, and the State Fire Marshall’s Office has been contacted for assistance. “They brought in their response trailer and equipment, and also we’re reaching out to the ATF to possibly come in and give us some assistance tomorrow ( Wednesday ). We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, not only on the property side but also with interviews and hopefully come to a conclusion on what started this fire.”

The Junction City Police and Geary County Sheriff’s Department are assisting with security at the site.

Rook said he thought the plan on Wednesday for ATF would be to primarily use some of their investigators to help do interviews.  All of those who were in the building or lived there will need to be interviewed. Some of that began Tuesday night.

Rook feels the damage estimate will probably run in the millions of dollars range.

The Junction City Fire Department used approximately 25 to 30 of their personnel to fight the fire, and another ten came from Manhattan. Rook estimated probably at least another 10 to 15 firefighters from Grandview Plaza and Geary County helped battle the blaze.

Rook noted there was a significant property damage loss from the fire, but it could have been worse. “The firefighters on scene did a great job getting water on the fire. The weather helped us a little bit today. We didn’t have near the windy conditions we’ve had over the past couple of weeks. They did an excellent job containing it.”

Residents of the building that burned received assistance from either the Red Cross or Fort Riley after the fire. Twenty-six of the 28 apartment units in the building had tenants.

A Tuesday evening meal wasserved to the families and residents of the Bluffs who lost their residence in the fire earlier in the day.

Building F burned in the blaze.

Cindy Issitt confirmed Rainbow International coordinated the meal effort with help from HyVee, Dillons, Pepsi, Smithfield, and Exchange Bank.

The meal was served for those who were displaced by the fire and to firefighters and law enforcement personnel who worked at the scene of the fire on Tuesday.

Fort Riley officials reported Tuesday that military members and their families displaced by the fire Tuesday at the Bluffs Apartment complex were being referred to on-post housing.

The Red Cross was assisting other non-military residents.

Army families impacted by the fire can call 1-855-238-3348 to the Emergency Family Assistance Center where they can be connected with the Lending Closet and Army Emergency Relief for possible grants or loans.

UPDATE:

One grass fire that began in Riley County on Tuesday moved into Geary County for about one half mile on the north side of I-70. The location was about 10 miles east of Junction City near mile marker 304.

Geary County Rural Fire Chief Garry Berges confirmed land owners worked to maintain and monitor that blaze.

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If you noticed or smelled smoke over Junction City on Tuesday afternoon it was apparently coming from area counties.

That information was provided by Geary County Rural Fire Chief Garry Berges. “It’s probably caused by fires in surrounding counties, pasture land burning. Geary County is in a burn ban, and believe that surrounding counties are allowing burning today.”

Berges added the way the wind is blowing most of the smoke is coming from surrounding jurisdictions.

The American Red Cross is on the scene of Tuesday’s fire at the Bluffs Apartment complex.

Building F, containing 28 apartment units burned.

Red Cross Media spokesman Ron Frank explained the best thing to help those affected by the disaster is to make cash donations. “Because it’s the easiest thing to give and it gets exactly what is needed. And to do that go to redcross.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS.

Tuesday afternoon the Red Cross was providing food to displaced residents, firefighters and security personnel working on scene, and doing client case work to help the individual families that were impacted to meet their needs for the next 24 hours.

Some of the displaced residents are being house in motels, and the Red Cross is working with on-post housing for those that are in the military.

There were no injuries in the fire.

Donations are being accepted to help the residents of the Bluffs Apartment complex displaced by a fire today.

Building F in the central part of the complex located on the south side of Junction City burned.

There were no injuries.

According to Neva Fisher, Leasing Manager for the Bluffs, they are seeking to accept donations. “We have a couple of drop off sites, Rainbow International on Lacy Drive, the JC Naz Church is taking donations, as well as our sister property, Patriot Pointe, over off of Rucker Road.”

Fisher noted donations are also being accepted in the Bluffs Clubhouse. We’ve had all sorts of families that have been out of their homes including those with pets, young children.” She added anything you can think of that you would need without a home or anything in it is being sought.

To make a donation at the Bluffs Clubhouse call 785-238-4409 to get more specifics. Fisher stated,  “Otherwise it’s pretty much toiletries, food, things like that, main essential items.”

The Geary County Animal Shelter has offered to house the pets at no charge that were in the units that burned. They are also accepting donations of pet food, toys, blankets, and other items for the animals. Fisher expressed a thank you to the public. “We’re just to thankful the way that the community here has come together to help these people. ” Fisher also added, “It’s just been wonderful that our community has come together for this cause.”

Building F in the Bluffs Apartment complex in Junction City is on fire. Here are additional pictures courtesy of Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf.

There have been no injuries reported, and the fire was contained to one building.