Page 2 - 2019 Daily Union Master Template

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2B The Junction City Union. Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020 www.junctioncityunion.com
Deported drug dealer kept selling meth in Abilene schools move to

Kansas after becoming an informant, KBI says remote learning

Kathy hageman
Jason tidd with him while he was in tinuing to sell meth from license or proof of insur- Tribune News Service
Tribune News Service jail, and he agreed to his home in the 600 block ance. While in jail, U.S.
become a KBI informant. of Southeast Chandler. Immigration and Customs With a number of teachers and support staff testing
Federal agents have “The plan was for Arce’s The informant intro- Enforcement filed to positive for COVID-19, Abilene Public School officials
arrested an accused drug charges to be dismissed duced an undercover KBI deport him for being in the made the decision Monday to move to remote learn-
dealer who was deported and then he would assist agent to Valenzuela-Arce, country illegally. ing through Friday, Oct. 2.
to Mexico and returned to the KBI and TPD with and the agent made two Filings in the U.S. Dis- That means all classes — pre-Kindergarten through
Kansas after selling meth- making controlled pur- drug buys in October 2019. trict Court for the Western 12th grade — will be held online for two weeks.
amphetamine following an chases of methamphet- He spent $4,300 to get just District of Texas in El Paso “Please understand, this is absolutely the last thing
agreement to become an amine from large-scale under one pound of meth. show a Raul Valenzuela- we want to do,” according to a communication to par-
informant. methamphetamine dealers The deals were recorded Arce was deported in ents from USD 435 Superintendent Greg Brown.
Raul Valenzuela-Arce, in Topeka and the Kansas on audio and video. November. He was cap- The combination of adults who have tested positive
also known as Sinaloa, was City metro,” the agent One purchase happened tured again later that and the related quarantine orders for those who have
charged Thursday in U.S. wrote. within 1,000 feet of Samuel month and convicted of been exposed makes it difficult for students to receive
District Court in Topeka Valenzuela-Arce was Jackson Park, and the illegally re-entry into the a “first-rate educational experience,” making the shift
with distributing meth. If never used in any criminal other happened in the Dil- country. to remote learning necessary.
convicted, he would face investigation, though. He lons parking lot at 29th While in Mexico, he told “We’ve had an uptick of positivity in COVID-19,”
10 years to life in prison was released from jail in and California. the informant he planned Brown said during a Monday afternoon phone conver-
plus a fine of up to $10 April 2019 and stayed in The meth distribution to stay there “for a little sation. “With the quarantine dynamics that go with
million, according to the contact with the KBI, but charge wasn’t filed until while” before coming back each of these sicknesses, we’re not able to maintain
criminal complaint. investigators “decided not last week because Valen- to the United States. Inves- our face-to-face format like we’d like to,” Brown
Topeka police started to use him as an informant zuela-Arce was deported tigators found out that explained.
investigating Valenzuela- for several months, to help to Mexico soon after the Valenzuela-Arce was back On Saturday, seven district employees had tested
Arce in February 2019, a alleviate any suspicion that drug deals. in Topeka on July 22, when positive for COVID-19. Since then, the number has
special agent with the Arce was working with law He was arrested by he asked the informant increased, Brown said, and includes adults who are
Kansas Bureau of Investi- enforcement.” Topeka police on Oct. 24, and undercover agent if necessary for schools to function.
gation wrote in an affida- Instead of helping the 2019, as part of an unrelat- they wanted to buy some “We have a critical set of adults who work with our
vit. He was suspected of cops, he returned to his ed driving under the influ- meth. kids in the school district who either get them here
distributing meth in the illegal activity within ence investigation. A book- The KBI filed the charge through transportation or work with them as teachers
Topeka area, and police months, the agent ing report shows that he in federal court on Thurs- and coaches,” Brown said.
arrested him in March alleged. In September was suspected of driving day, and U.S. Marshals “Our transportation department has really taken a
2019 on state drug and gun 2019, a confidential infor- with a blood-alcohol con- arrested the 28-year-old hit,” he added.
charges. mation told Topeka centration greater than .08, Valenzuela-Arce the same
The KBI agent and a police and the KBI that had an open container and day, Shawnee County jail High school
Topeka police officer met Valenzuela-Arce was con- did not have a driver’s records show.
Besides the bus drivers, Abilene High School is
probably the hardest hit, Brown said, while the ele-
Autistic youth's mother says officer who handcuffed mentary schools are doing better.
During a Saturday morning meeting with district
him broke his wrist administrators, it was hoped the elementary schools
would be able to remain in session, but “the connec-
tions some of these folks had with others that showed
up positive will not allow us to do that,” Brown
tim hRenchiR expressed concern that a teenage situation, Mitchiner contended in explained.
Tribune News Service boy was riding his bicycle accompa- Wednesday's news release. “We don’t have any sick little kids for pre-K through
nied by a dog that was unleashed, in "We are not anti-police," she said. three (third grade), but the teachers are starting to
A 14-year-old youth with autism is violation of city code. "There are some great officers out check in as sick,” he added.
recovering from a fractured wrist Officers had previously been there. In the past, he has been In the communication to parents, Brown said the dis-
after being handcuffed Saturday by a called out Sept. 16 about the same approached by officers who stopped trict would initiate two weeks of remote learning and
Topeka police officer, his mother, concern, police said. to give him a bottle of water while plans to return to in-school classes Monday, Oct. 5.
Marlena Mitchiner, said Wednesday. They said the responding officer walking home after mowing the “During the next two weeks we will be looking at
Mitchiner was quoted in a news twice made contact with the 14-year- church grass." other measures to provide the face-to-face instruction
release put out by by four advocates old, whose name also hasn't been Mitchiner plans to meet with we know our community desires in spite of the
for her and her son. The advocates made public, and warned him that media members on Friday, Davis increased COVID-19 testing results,” Brown’s commu-
were Ariane Davis, Gregory Bland, he needed to take the dog home. said. nication stated.
Juanice Crowley and LaRonna Las- "At around 4:26 p.m. the officer The officer's encounter with the Students are asked to pick up what they need for
siter-Saunders. located the 14-year-old in the neigh- youth was "nothing short of heart- remote learning from 7:40 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. today
The four individuals asked local borhood a third time and conducted breaking and infuriating," Davis, (Tuesday) from their respective schools. Brown also
officials to "take a thorough look and a pedestrian stop," the police Face- Bland, Crowley and Lassiter- indicated building principals would provide parents
make necessary changes" to Topeka book post said. "He did not comply Saunders said in Wednesday's with additional details regarding the pickup procedure
police use-of-force policies. with the officer's commands. A use of release. and other information.
They said Police Chief Bill force was generated when he was "The take-down and handcuffing No activities will take place during the two week
Cochran "has stated on several occa- taken to the ground and handcuffed." of an autistic 14-year-old boy was an time period, but staff with the ABC Afterschool pro-
sions that they do not use the 'knee No injuries were reported to police abuse of authority and does not pro- gram plan to “reach out to provide homework support
on the neck' technique, but in this as a result of that incident, after mote trusting relationships between and other considerations;” but the program cannot
case, the officer did." which the youth was cited and the community and the Topeka provide before or after school supervision at any
The Topeka Capital-Journal for- released to a guardian, the police Police Department," they said in school sites.
warded a copy of Wednesday's news department said. their statement. Brown noted the decision to move to remote learn-
release to Topeka police and offered Wednesday's news release quoted Members of the boy's family are ing was not made lightly and was necessary because of
them a chance to respond. Mitchiner as saying her son suffered "very angry" and believe the officer the number of adults who have been affected by the
Police public relations specialist a fractured wrist and that she had acted excessively, the release said, coronavirus.
Gretchen Spiker replied, "At this time, filed a complaint with Edward Col- adding that the incident occurred He’s also hoping the two-week move to remote
we would refer you back to the state- lazo, the city's independent police "within feet" of his family's front learning will stop the number of positive cases.
ment that was issued on Monday." auditor. yard. “One of our primary goals for taking care of your
Police said Monday on Facebook Collazo will be investigating the It added that the boy recalled children is keeping them safe, while we are providing a
that an officer, whose name hasn't complaint, said Molly Hadfield, the afterward that he braced himself, world-class educational experience,” Brown said in his
been made public, responded Satur- city's media relations coordinator. fearing he was about to be shot, communication to parents.
day to the 400 block of S.E. Market, The Topeka police officer involved when he saw the officer "reach low at “We simply are not able to do this with face-to-face
where a community member lacked the ability to de-escalate the his hip."
instruction at this time.”
Hutchinson fire crew heads to Wyoming wildfire Eighteen more cases of COVID-19 were reported
Numbers

over the weekend by the Dickinson County Health
sandRa milbuRn one way we can give back shift here so we have to "Out in the west and in the Department raising the total to 130.
Tribune News Service and help other people," backfill their positions large areas of the National Of those, one required hospitalization.
said Hutchinson Fire Chief locally here, and that cost is Forests they don't have The largest age group was between 40 and 49 with
Hutchinson firefighters Steve Beer. covered. In addition to that luxury. There are fires six new cases. In the 10 to 19 years of age group there
Brent Fisher, Caleb Dunn These three were chosen their time out there, their going out in every state out were five more cases reported. Three were in the 50 to
and Jacob Ice had an early from 12 Hutchinson fire- 56-hour schedule and over- west and they are being 59 and three in the 20 to 29 group with one in the 70 to
start Wednesday morning. fighters who volunteered time is paid for," Beer said. stretched so thin. 79 age division.
The trio left at 6 a.m. on a to go. The truck will be making "These guys are going to There are still 87 that have recovered, leaving 43
10-hour drive to aid fire- This is the first time the $1,000 a day while it is make some tough deci- recovering, the most ever in the county.
fighters in Wyoming. Hutchinson Fire Depart- being deployed. sions over the next 14 days. Statewide, the number of cases increased 1,674 with
These local volunteers ment has ever deployed "So if the truck is out for Saving property and doing four new deaths.
will become part of 31,000 firefighters and equipment 30 days, it will help fund all kinds of things. They
firefighters deployed, fight- with the Kansas Forest our wildfire program," definitely need the com-
ing 85 wildfires in the Service. The three wild- Beer said. munity's support and
western United States. For land-certified firefighters Each firefighter is carry- prayers while they are
the next 14 days, they'll are taking a Type 5 wild- ing a variety of personal gone. (I) look forward to
join in facing the Mullen land engine truck that has gear. They each have two them sending us daily
Fire in Medicine Bow- a variety of firefighting packs: a 14-day bag updates to keep the com-
Routt National Forest. The capabilities. The truck has including clothes and a munity involved and
wildfire started last week been in service at HFD sleeping bag, and a line informed of what is going
just west of Laramie, Wyo. since June. gear pack filled with what on and what these guys are
"We are just one step in "We have an agreement they'll need for that day's doing."
the whole equation of with the Kansas Forest work. The public can follow
helping our friends out. In Service, the cost for the "The response time here updates on this fire at inci-
2017, when Hutchinson firefighters and equipment fighting wildfires is four or web.nwcy.gov or the
had the big wildfires here, is covered," Beer said. five minutes and we can Hutchinson Fire Facebook
we had 150 firetrucks "We are taking three of contain those fires to 10 and Twitter accounts for
come help us. So this is our firefighters off of the acres or less," Beer said. updates.