Aug 23, 2024

Police capture Kan. man who cut off ankle monitor, skipped sentencing

Posted Aug 23, 2024 2:00 PM
Harris is being held in Shawnee County
Harris is being held in Shawnee County

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man who cut off his ankle monitor and skipped an August 16, sentencing hearing for his role in a homicide is back in jail. 

Just after 9p.m. Thursday, 64-year-old Kevin Harris was arrested in Topeka and booked into the Shawnee County Jail where he awaits transfer back to Sedgwick County, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.

In August of 2023, police arrested Harris of Lawrence after a 16-hour standoff in Lawrence for the death of 51-year-old Jose Lumbreras of Wichita.

Just after 11 p.m. August 22, police learned Harris had fled Wichita and was believed to be inside an apartment in the 1400 block of Bristol Terrace in Lawrence, according to Police Sgt. Drew Fennelly

While working to gather more information from Wichita, officers in Lawrence set up a perimeter on the apartment building, and gathered information that led investigators to believe Harris was there.

The Lawrence Police Crisis Response Team was activated and responded to the area, as well our Crisis Response Negotiators and  the Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle team.

Crisis Negotiators were able to establish contact with people in the apartment and verified Harris was there. The Lawrence Police tactical team then began methodically evacuating the apartment building when it was clear the suspect was not going to come out, and was allegedly armed.

After multiple hours of discussion, negotiators were able to convince Harris to allow a woman in the apartment to leave.  Following multiple additional hours of discussion, negotiators convinced Harris to also leave the apartment and he peacefully surrendered at 3:30 p.m., according to Fennelly.