Topeka man who escaped from HCF scheduled for sentencing
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 45-year-old Topeka man who entered a plea in the case where he escaped from the Hutchinson Correctional Facility is scheduled for sentencing Friday afternoon.
Mark Lucas has been serving time for multiple burglaries and thefts out of Shawnee County and entered the plea in front of Judge Trish Rose to “aggravated escape from custody” for walking away from Hutchinson Correctional Facility back on Aug. 3, 2013. He was captured a few days later in Topeka. He was found missing during an informal count that was being conducted at the south unit of Hutchinson Correctional Facility which houses minimum custody inmates.
Lucas claimed at his preliminary hearing that he walked away because his daughter was suicidal and he was trying to help her.
He faces a potential sentence of just over 11 years in prison which would run consecutive to the sentence he’s currently serving. He’s currently serving time for numerous convictions for burglary and theft. There were a total of 19 total charges in the Shawnee County case. He still has around seven years in prison to serve on that sentence and the new sentence will add to that.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Friday afternoon in front of Judge Rose.
Suspect in rash of local burglaries expected in court Friday
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The man suspected of committing 19 local burglaries back in the early morning hours of May 14 of last year is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing Friday with the trial scheduled to begin later this month. Joseph Paul Jones Jr. is now charged with a total of 45 charges, including the original 19 counts of burglary. The state added two additional felony counts, which includes felony theft and felony criminal damage to property. The rest are various misdemeanor charges of criminal damage and theft.
The state alleges that between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., 20 local businesses were entered by prying open doors or breaking the glass windows with a crow bar. Jones allegedly cut the telephone lines on several of the businesses before making entry. During the investigation, police found surveillance video of the suspect entering Papa Murphy’s Pizza located in the State Fair Shopping Center at 2420 N. Main. Pictures were taken from the video and sent to his parole officer in Missouri. That officer testified at the preliminary hearing that it’s a high probability that it was Jones involved in the local burglaries.
Judge Trish Rose set a trial date of Jan. 20 for this case to go to a jury.
Hutch man has status hearing in child sex case
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 34-year-old man accused of aggravated indecent liberties with a child is scheduled for a status hearing Friday in front of Judge Tim Chambers.
David Baldwin is accused of a single count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, which is alleged to have occurred some time between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30, 2012. The case involves the inappropriate touching of a 7-year-old child.
Even though the case goes back to 2012, his arrest didn’t come until July of last year.