Area teens face multiple charges of home invasion, robbery, kidnapping

Three men accused in a spree of home invasions in Southeast Kansas are scheduled to have preliminary hearings June 30, according to the Anderson County Attorney's Office.

Christopher E. Lindsey, 18, Dominick Robinson, 19, both of Bronson and Eric James, 18, will have the hearing at the Anderson County District Court in Garnett.

A fourth co-defendant, a 16-year-old minor, of Iola, will have an adjudication hearing on July 8, at the Anderson County District Court.

Lindsey, Robinson, James and Rogers have been charged by Anderson County Attorney Fredrick B. Campbell with multiple felony counts stemming from two separate home invasions in the county in late February.

On Feb. 21, the four allegedly invaded through the front door of Ruth Hermreck's rural home. They held the elderly woman at gun point before fleeing the home with undisclosed amounts of Hermreck's cash and jewelry.

For that crime, Campbell charged the teenagers with one count each of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and misdemeanor criminal damage to property.

Then on Feb. 24 and 25, the co-defendants became more brazen with their tactics. They allegedly forced their way into a home in Garnett and tied up three people with cords. They are accused of stealing a television and cell phones and damaged a piggy bank and miscellaneous household items, according to court documents.

The four were each charged with three counts of kidnapping, one count each of aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary and misdemeanor criminal damage to property. They allegedly tied up, which is considered kidnapping under Kansas law, Dixie L. Baugher, Jamie I. Hermreck and Jacob W. Hermreck, according to the documents.

The four are being held in Allen County Jail on $100,000 bond. They are also facing numerous criminal damage charges in Allen County for apparently shooting 57 vehicles with a high powered B.B. gun in the Iola area from Feb. 25 to 27.

The teens are also suspected of breaking into Patricia Layton's home on Lowman Street in Fort Scott on Feb. 21 and demanding money. One of the suspects is believed to have held her at gunpoint. They rifled through her purse and stole $8 in cash.

Bourbon County Attorney Terri Johnson said she has "taken action on the case" involving Layton's home invasion. "But that's the only comment I can make at this time," she said.

The teens could be facing the same charges in Bourbon County as they are in Anderson County.

But their legal troubles don't end in Allen, Bourbon or Anderson counties. They could be facing multiple felony charges stemming from another home invasion they're linked to in Pittsburg. An elderly couple on Feb. 20 reported that they were awakened by three people who had entered their bedroom while they were sleeping and demanded money. One of them had a hand gun pointed at them during the incident.