ATCHISON—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have a suspect in custody.
Just before 4a.m. Wednesday, an employee of the Massasoit Apartments in the 200 block North 3rd Street in Atchison interrupted burglary, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.
As the employee opened the office door, the suspect later identified as 39-year-old Gale Hewitt pointed a handgun at the employee.
The employee was able to flee that immediate area and called police. Officers arrived quickly but the suspect had fled after taking a handgun and cash, according to Wilson.
The same suspect described as a white male, 6-foot-2, stock build, bald head, a goatee and wearing a gray sweatshirt and bleached blue jeans, appeared at the door of a residence in the 200 block North 4th about 5:30a.m. He confronted the resident, displayed a gun during a conversation but left without taking anything.
By late Wednesday, police identified Hewitt as the suspect and just before 5p.m. a police officer spotted him driving a 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser at 6th and “M” Street in Atchison.
Hewitt got out of the vehicle holding a handgun and subsequently ran into a wooded area. Police officers were joined by Atchison County sheriff deputies and Kansas Highway Patrol troopers at the scene as a perimeter around the wooded area was secured. At 5:18PM Hewitt was taken into custody north of the wooded area, just south of Harper Drive in the 500 block with the assistance of a Kansas Highway Patrol K-9.
Hewitt was transported to the hospital by EMS for treatment of minor injuries and subsequently taken to the County Jail, according to Wilson.
He is being held on requested charges that include burglary, aggravated assault, theft, theft of a firearm, criminal damage to property, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, and felony interference with law enforcement.