Iola Police arrest three teens on suspicion of criminal damage

The Iola Police Department has arrested three of four teenagers wanted on warrants for criminal damage to property, and additional warrants could be issued in connection with a string of home invasions in Southeast Kansas and Oklahoma.

Christopher Lindsey, 18, Dominick Robinson, 19, both of Bronson; and Timothy Rogers, 16, Iola, were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of criminal damage to numerous vehicles last week. A fourth teen, Eric James, 18, Iola, is not in custody as of press time late Tuesday.

James's lawyer was in contact with Iola Police about bringing his client in to authorities, but that hasn't happened as of late Tuesday afternoon, Iola Police Chief Jim Kilby said.

A radio broadcast from the Fort Scott Police Department on Tuesday told area officers to be on the lookout for James, who could be armed with a handgun and is considered a flight risk. Officers were advised to use caution if they made contact with James, according to the broadcast.

The three teens currently in custody decided to voluntarily turn themselves in, Kilby said.

The suspects at this point have been charged with shooting up more than 50 vehicles in and around Iola from Feb. 25-27. The perpetrators apparently used a high-powered BB gun during the car attacks.

But on Friday, a tipster called the Allen County Crime Stoppers hot line with information regarding the criminal damage crimes and the home invasions in Garnett, rural Anderson County, Fort Scott, Pittsburg, and Nowata, Okla.

Using information from the hot line, officers started running a telephone dialogue with police departments involved in the home invasion cases that led to Iola Police requesting and obtaining a search warrant for a home in Iola. From the warrant, which was served by Iola Police and Garnett Police, additional information and facts were learned that led to arrest warrants being issued for the four teenagers allegedly involved in both crime sprees.

Apparently, one of the teens started confessing about the home invasions during questioning by Iola and Garnett officials, authorities said.

They've been questioned by investigators representing the jurisdictions where the home invasions happened, Kilby said. Those authorities have wrapped up their investigations and are moving forward with issuing warrants for charges stemming from the invasions, he said.

Charges could include aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and aggravated kidnapping and criminal damage to property.

According to Fort Scott Police, on Feb. 21, three men kicked in the front door to an elderly woman's house on Lowman Street and demanded money. One of them had a handgun. Possible charges in that attack could be criminal damage to property, aggravated robbery and burglary.

Fort Scott Police investigators are currently working on sifting through the completed investigation, and an announcement on possible charges and warrants is expected on Wednesday.

As in all criminal cases, the suspects must be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.