SEDGWICK COUNTY —Minimum-custody inmate Kyle Ingels who was placed on escape status at  Tuesday evening after he walked away from the Wichita Work Release Facility is back in custody, according Randall Bowman with the Kansas Department of Corrections. The KDOC Enforcement, Apprehensions and Investigation unit located him at 11 a.m. Saturday.

On Friday, the Kansas Department of Corrections offered a reward to help locate Ingels. 

Ingels is currently serving a 60-month sentence for several convictions in Neosho County including theft, forgery, drug possession, and endangerment of a child. Engels had a prior drug conviction from Neosho County in 2007.

The KDOC has not released further details on his capture.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY —Minimum-custody inmate Kyle Ingels was placed on escape status at approximately 6:48 p.m., Tuesday, after he walked away from the Wichita Work Release Facility, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Ingels, a 32-year-old white male, left for work at 10:30 a.m. and was reported missing when he did not report back to the facility following work Tuesday evening. Ingels was last seen wearing a red hoodie with black writing on the sleeves, blue jeans, black boots, and a black baseball cap.

Ingels is currently serving a 60-month sentence for several convictions in Neosho County including theft, forgery, drug possession, and endangerment of a child. Engels had a prior drug conviction from Neosho County in 2007.

Ingels is 6 feet tall, 198 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair.

Anyone with information on Ingels can call the Kansas Department of Corrections at 620-221-6660, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911.

The walk-away is currently being investigated. New information will be released as it becomes available.

The Wichita Work Release Facility, a satellite unit of the Winfield Correctional Facility, is an all-male, minimum-custody state prison with a population of 250.

HUTCHINSON— A Kansas man convicted of inappropriate contact with an 11-year-old girl was denied a non-prison sanction at sentencing Friday.

Donovan Hall, 29, was sentenced to a little more than five years in prison after entering a guilty plea to aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The contact occurred March 7 and again on July 21, 2018.

Hall’s attorney asked for a departure in the case, trying to get him some sex offender treatment. However, the state was opposed and wanted Hall sent to prison. Hall told the court he needs help and will get treatment in prison, but wanted a chance while on some form of probation.

Reno County District Judge Trish Rose agreed with the state, citing the disparity in age and the fact Hall told the child not to tell anyone. She ordered the sentence be served in prison.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials reported a breakthrough Friday in their investigation into the cause of a mysterious outbreak of vaping illnesses.

A government lab found the same chemical compound in fluid taken from the lungs of 29 patients across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced.

The compound — vitamin E acetate — was previously found in liquid from electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices used by many of those who got sick.

Officials said this is the first time they’ve found a common suspect in the damaged lungs of patients.

“We are in a better place in terms of having one very strong culprit,” said the CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat.

But agency officials cautioned they cannot rule out all other toxic substances, and it may take animal studies to clearly show vitamin E acetate causes the lung damage that’s been seen.

More than 2,000 Americans who use vape have gotten sick since March, many of them teen and young adults, and at least 40 people have died.

Vitamin E acetate has recently been used as a thickener in vaping fluid, particularly in black market vape cartridges. While vitamin E is safe as a vitamin pill or to use on the skin, inhaling oily droplets can be harmful.

Many who got sick said they had vaped liquids that contain THC, the high-inducing ingredient in marijuana, with many saying they got them from friends or bought them on the black market.

About two months ago, New York drew attention to vitamin E acetate when the state’s public health lab discovered it in samples of vaping products from sick patients. In some instances, it made up more than half of the liquid in the cartridges.

The chemical has shown up in tests in other labs, too, including a U.S. Food and Drug Administration lab in Cincinnati.

For the latest test, the CDC used fluid extracted from the lungs of 29 patients in 10 states. They looked for a range of substances that had been found in various vaping devices, including nicotine, THC and other marijuana components, plant oils, mineral oil and cutting agents used on the black market.

The one substance that came up in all 29 patients was vitamin E acetate.

“To me what’s important here is both what they found, and what they didn’t find” said Scott Becker, head of the Association of Public Health Laboratories. “This was the only thing they found.”

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SILVER LAKE, Kan. (AP) — A northeast Kansas man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his 4-year-old granddaughter.

Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay announced Thursday that 56-year-old Timothy Wayne Funk Sr., of Silver Lake, was charged in the July death of Brandy Funk. He is also charged with two counts of aggravated endangering a child.

Brandy, of Beatrice, Nebraska, died July 23 at a Silver Lake home.

Authorities did not release any further information Thursday.

Funk remains jailed in Shawnee County Jail Thursday afternoon on $500,000 bond.

Funk was discharged from state prison in August 2012 after serving time for driving under the influence, fourth or subsequent offense in June 2008.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Investigators say loss of control resulted in the 2017 crash that killed a Topeka physician.

The National Transportation Safety Board posted on its website that investigators had found “no mechanical anomalies.”

Topeka pulmonary physician William M. Leeds and his flight instructor, James K. Bergman, were killed in July 2017 at Topeka’s Philip Billard Municipal Airport.

The NTSB determined the accident’s probable cause to be “the failure of the pilot and flight instructor to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering in the traffic pattern.”

It reached no conclusions as to why control of the 1965 Piper PA-30 fixed wing, multi-engine was lost.

TOPEKA — A Kansas felon identified by the Kansas Highway Patrol as Brandon K. Jordan, 48, Topeka, driving a 2003 Acura TL linked to a bad-check cashing case caused a deadly crash while trying to get away from a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Thursday afternoon.

The chase westbound on Holly Lane lasted only a couple seconds just, according to the KHP.
Jordan ran a stop sign and crashed into a 2016 Ford Explorer driven by Dennis E. Affolter, 69, Topeka. EMS transported Affolter to Stormont Vail where he died.

Jordan is felon with 19 convictions that include forgery, burglary, theft, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He will be booked into jail on new charges when he is released from the hospital.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a man driving a car linked to a bad-check cashing case has caused a deadly Topeka crash while trying to get away from a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper.

Patrol Lt. Adam Winters says the chase lasted only a couple seconds Thursday before the fleeing driver ran a stop sign and crashed into a sport utility vehicle in the western part of the city.

The SUV’s driver was rushed to a hospital and later died. The driver’s name wasn’t immediately released.

The patrol says the driver of the fleeing car will be booked into jail when he is released from the hospital. A passenger in the fleeing motorist’s car also was injured. Neither of their injuries were believed to be life-threatening.  Late Friday morning, the KHP had not released names of those involved in the crash.

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SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal crash that occurred just before 12:30p.m. Thursday during a high-speed chase in Shawnee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a vehicle was westbound on Holly Lane traveling at a high rate of speed fleeing from law enforcement.

The driver failed to stop at McAlister Avenue and struck a vehicle which was southbound on McAllister.

Authorities have not released names of the individual involved in the accident.

CUSTER COUNTY, NE —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on numerous charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 5p.m. Wednesday, a trooper observed a Saab sedan speeding near the intersection of Victoria Springs Road and Drive 443, approximately 10 miles west of Sargent, Nebraska, according to a media release.

During the traffic stop, a K9 from the Custer Count Sheriff’s Office detected the presence of a controlled substance in the vehicle.

The trooper searched the vehicle and found hundreds of containers of THC products, along with four pounds of marijuana. The search revealed 386 containers of THC wax, 144 packages of THC shatter, 62 THC vape cartridges, and 39 containers of THC edibles and liquid products.

Troopers arrested the driver, Anthony Kolbe, 30, of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, on requested charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana – more than one pound, possession with intent to distribute, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Kolbe is being held in Custer County Jail.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help to locate a wanted Kansas felon. Tyreese L. Atkinson, 25, Wichita, is wanted on two Sedgwick County sheriff’s warrants for attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana and evade and elude police, according to a media release from Wichita Police

Atkinson is described as 6-foot-2 inches tall, 215 pounds with brown eyes, balding and a beard. He has previous convictions for burglary and theft, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

He is a documented gang member and should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on Atkinson should call 911, according to police.

MCPHERSON COUNTY –An explosion at a home in rural McPherson County was the result of a propane leak, according to Captain Dean Scott with the McPherson County Sheriff’s department.

The explosion occurred just after 5p.m. Wednesday at a residence in the 1600 Block of 24th Avenue northeast of Galva, Kansas.

When fire crews arrived, they found the home completely leveled and debris scattered over several hundred yards, according to the State Fire Marshal’s office.

The two residents Kim and Rich Carlson were not home at the time of the explosion. The home is a total loss. The family also lost three dogs, cats and a pet pig.

The homeowner had reported smelling propane the day of the incident and had a company check the furnace, according to Scott.

RENO COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 2a.m. Friday in Reno County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Buick Century driven by Melvin G. Uphoff, 72, Hutchinson, was traveling southwest on Kansas 61 six miles west of south Hutchinson.

The vehicle stuck a 2014 International Prostar driven by Jose Cota- Espinoza, 46, Mexicali, Mexico that became stuck when the driver missed an exit and attempted to make a u-turn and blocked both lanes of the highway.

Uphoff was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Sedgwick County Forensics Center. Cota-Espiniza was not injured. Both drivers were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.