Topeka Police admit they’re not looking for woman’s attacker
Originally published 01:48 p.m., February 15, 2008
Updated 05:17 p.m., February 15, 2008
A Topeka woman is upset the man accused of attacking her and breaking her arm hasn’t been arrested. Police said it's out of their hands.
At about 4:30 a.m. Feb. 10, police were called to an apartment at 2919 SW McClure, after a resident reported a man battered her and a friend, Topeka Police spokeswoman Kristi Pankratz said.
The friend, Jessica Greer, 20, Topeka, said the suspect flung her over the couch by her hair and stomped on her arm. Greer said she was taken to the hospital by ambulance, where she was hospitalized for three days and underwent a seven-hour surgery on her arm.
“He comes after me, he grabs me by the side of the hair, he just starts punching me in the face. I fall back against the love seat, and he’s kind of just on top of me going at it," Greer said. “He just starts kicking me, kicking me in the side of the head.”
Her friend, Dulce Velasquez, 21, was also attacked. She wasn't badly hurt and didn't go to the hospital. Greer said Velasquez and the suspect were going through a break-up.
Greer and her mother said despite giving police clues about where her attacker might be, they're concerned the man hasn’t been arrested.
“I’m scared for my life because he’s still out there, just running free. I’m scarred for life for this,” she said.
“There’s been no protection,” said Terrie Greer, Jessica Greer’s mother. “It doesn’t say much for the City of Topeka’s police department or the DA’s office.”
Pankratz said the case has been forwarded to the district attorney’s office, and the suspect won’t be arrested unless the DA issues a warrant. Once police turn a case over to the DA, it's not in their jurisdiction to arrest a suspect, she said.
“At the time of the report, we were unable to locate the suspect and therefore sent the … case to the DA,” Pankratz said. “The DA can issue charges, decline to file or request further investigation.”
District Attorney Robert Hecht said he just received the case today and he’s reviewing it.
Our 49 News Crime Tracker found there have been at least 26 aggravated assaults and batteries in Topeka since the first of the year.
Comments
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Feb. 15, 2008 at 6:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)roko82 (anonymous)
i am very outraged that so many aggravated assaults have happend in such a little time period. The saddest part of the matter is that if this is the true work of our state capital's finest what does it say about kansas law enforcment in general. In this case it has been 5 days sense the assult. In 5 days an attacker could come back and kill there victim. in 5 days an attacker could leave the country. 5 days is to long of a time period to let a criminal walk the streets without looking for him effectivly. Either the DA or the topeka police department have a big problem. 5 days after an assult they still have no one in custody and it is clear by this article that the girl knew who her attacker was. I suppose it is true what a lot of the law obeying citizens say in topeka you can get away with anything just dont speed downtown, for that is all that it seems our police force is interested in persuing.
Feb. 15, 2008 at 11:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)smile44 (anonymous)
I am a young woman of topeka. I am disturbed by this story. To think the police wont even protect me if something was to happen to me like this. I still cant belive nothing was done. What has to happen to someone for an arrest do they have to commit murder?
Feb. 16, 2008 at 12:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)GIJOE (anonymous)
you cant find someone who does not want to be found. he could have left topeka that night. your not the only people in topeka. TPD has other calls of service to. there are certain laws that police have to abide by. after a certain time police can not arrest without a arrest warrant. as for your protection the police department are not going to sit in front of your door 24 hours a day. police officers submit there report and then the attorney has to review it and then they will issue a warrant if they see fit. even if they commit murder and they can not be found that night the attorney has to review the case and issue a warrant. it is not the police officer's fault. if someone wants to hurt you how the hell is the police supposed to know if a person is about to commit a crime. how the hell do you want them to protect you when they cant stand by your side 24 hours a day. have some sense people.
Feb. 17, 2008 at 4:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)tow0352 (anonymous)
When you write a blog and don't know what you are talking about, it makes you seem extremely ignorant. Your "outrage" at all the aggravated assaults has nothing to do with law enforcement's abilities. Aggravated assault is a crime that law enforcement is completely reactive to, there is little law enforcement can do to prevent it. Second, if your going to put blame on someone here, it shouldn't be the "capital's finest." The police did what they were supposed to do, and now the case is in your DA's hands. The only reason people in Shawnee County get away with anything is because of an inept DA and the citizens of this county who sit on juries and find criminals not guilty because they dont want to spend any more time in court than they have to. Get a clue before you write and issue blame. Did the victim do anything to prevent this crime from occurring. It sounds to me like it was a domestic violence situation and probably wasn't the first assault that had taken place. So did the victim have a restraining order or protection from abuse order against this guy? If not, why not? Rid yourself of the ignorance you have displayed.
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