Caller winds up in jail after reporting crime
Staff writer
We’ve all heard that crime doesn’t pay. Neither, it seems, does reporting it — provided you’re a wanted fugitive.
According to monitored police transmissions, a group of women was at Casey’s General Store in Marion around 11 p.m. Friday when a group of men they didn’t know approached them.
One of the men made a comment to a 15-year-old girl who was with the women. An altercation ensued.
During the altercation, the women said, one of the men hit one of the women, damaging a pair of glasses.
The men headed west from Casey’s in a black GMC Yukon. The SUV quickly was located by Marion police officer Zach Hudlin and followed to a driveway on Santa Fe St. downtown.
Hudlin waited for fellow officer Duane McCarty, who was in Central Park as Chingawassa Days wound up for the evening, to join him before the two officers began interviewing the men.
Meanwhile, sheriff’s deputy Matt Regier was sent to Casey’s to interview the women.
During a routine check of vehicle and driver’s licenses, Regier discovered that the woman who had called dispatchers about the incident — Stephanie N. Wheatley, 36, of Marion — was wanted on a Cowley County warrant for failing to appear in court on what appeared to be a civil matter.
Electronic court records don’t list the particular case involved, but such “limited division” cases typically involve debt collection.
Regier had dispatchers check whether the warrant remained active and whether Cowley County would agree to take pick her up if she remained in jail.
When authorities said they would, Regier arrested her and took her to Marion County Jail.
Two hours later, she posted $500 cash and was released on bail.
No other arrests were made, although it remains possible that charges might be filed if police file an offense report and County Attorney Joel Ensey deems charges to be warranted.