COWLEY COUNTY, Kan.— Law enforcement authorities are investigating an attempted kidnapping and after asking the public for help in locating a suspect have made an arrest following a Wednesday standoff with police in Nebraska.
Just after 4:30 Monday afternoon, police responded to a report of a disturbance in a vehicle northbound from the intersection of 15th Street and Radio Lane in Arkansas City, Kansas.
A citizen told police a woman was injured and out of a vehicle in the area south of 252nd Road and 51st Road, according to police spokesperson Andrew Lawson.
An officer arrived and learned a 27-year-old Arkansas City woman had been involved in the disturbance, after which a suspect identified as Leongrys Castellanos-Mesa, 35, of Grand Island, Nebraska had fled in the woman’s vehicle.
The female victim was transported by the Arkansas City Fire-EMS Department to South Central Kansas Medical Center.
Investigators later learned Castellanos-Mesa had entered the woman’s van unlawfully and hid until he reportedly attacked her.
Cowley County District Court issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for Castellanos-Mesa on suspicion of aggravated battery, aggravated burglary of a motor vehicle, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, battery-domestic violence, criminal threat, stalking and theft.
The initial incident took place within the city limits of Arkansas City and then moved north, out of the city limits, where the woman was able to attempt to flee her attacker. She suffered injuries in the attempt, but was successful in reaching safety. Castellanos-Mesa then allegedly fled the scene in her vehicle.
Officers were able to identify the suspect quickly and placed notifications to other law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for the suspect and the victim’s vehicle, a silver Toyota Sienna minivan.
Shortly after midnight Wednesday, Grand Island police located a vehicle known to be owned by Castellanos-Mesa, parked in front of his residence.
They applied for a search warrant, which was executed at 1:26 a.m. Wednesday. The Grand Island Police Department’s Tactical Response Team (TRT) assisted at the scene after Castellanos-Mesa allegedly barricaded himself in his basement.
Just before 5:30a.m. police took him into custody without further incident.
Castellanos-Mesa was transported to and booked into the Hall County Nebraska Jail in lieu of $250,000 through Cowley County District Court in Arkansas City. He remained in custody at the time of this report.