BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged arson fire and have taken a registered Kansas sex offender into custody.
Just before 9:30p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to 3910 Cedar Park Place Apt. 8A in Great Bend in reference to smoke entering the apartment.
Police and fire crews discovered the smoke was entering apartment 8A from the wall conjoined with apartment 8B. The Great Bend Fire Department made entry into apartment 8B and was able to extinguish the fire inside the residence.
Fire crews reported to officers on scene of signs of arson inside the residence. An officer also observed an individual walking away from the complex that he has taken multiple calls about during the weekend. The officer identified the man as 27-year-old Michael Leeper.
Police found Leeper at a residence in Great Bend and he was detained pending investigation.
During the investigation, officers and firefighters located a broken glass and blood throughout the crime scene. When officers located Leeper, he had injuries to his hands and arms, consistent with burns and cuts.
The Great Bend Fire Department treated Leeper and placed. him under arrest and transported him to the Barton County Jail where he was booked on requested charges of aggravated arson. He has a previous conviction for aggravated indecent liberties with a child and has been registered as a sex offender since 2017, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. He is being held on a $100,000 bond.