Austin Lee Williamson, born Sept. 11, 2005, was booked at approximately 4:10 p.m. on Sept. 1 under booking number 2026-00006166.

Booking records list two allegations associated with warrant 26CR1348. The first is described as breach of privacy — disseminating sexual media of a person 18 years of age or older, first conviction. The second is listed as criminal threat — causing terror, evacuation or disruption.

The booking report lists a $50,000 bond amount for each allegation, with the bond type shown as C/PS.

The booking information does not provide details about what allegedly occurred, the identity of any alleged victim, or the circumstances leading to the charges.

Williamson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Officers were called to the area of SE 6th Avenue and Branner Street at approximately 10 p.m. Sunday, August 30, following a report of a vehicle striking a pedestrian.

When officers arrived, they found the pedestrian, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to police, investigators believe the pedestrian was struck by a black passenger car. The driver allegedly left the scene following the collision.

The victim’s identity had not been publicly released as of the latest update.

The Topeka Police Department’s Accident Reconstruction Unit is investigating the fatal crash as officers work to identify the vehicle and driver involved.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the collision or who may have information about the vehicle or driver to contact authorities.

The incident occurred along SE 6th Avenue, a major east-west corridor through Topeka, near its intersection with Branner Street.

No arrest had been announced as of Monday morning.

This Is Topeka will update this story as police release additional information about the victim, suspect vehicle or investigation.

This is a developing story.

Erwin Tyrone Lockridge Jr. was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections at 1:50 a.m. Saturday, August 29, jail records show.

Lockridge was booked on a warrant alleging intentional and premeditated first-degree murder and criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied dwelling. Both allegations are associated with warrant number 2026-69184 and carry a listed $1.5 million bond.

The arrest represents a major development in a homicide investigation that began less than a week earlier.

18-year-old found dead on SE 23rd

Topeka Police were called shortly after 12:05 a.m. Sunday, August 23, to the 2300 block of SE 23rd Street following a report of a shooting.

Officers found Stockman unresponsive at the scene. He was pronounced dead, and police subsequently identified the 18-year-old as the victim. Authorities began investigating his death as a homicide.

Police announced Lockridge’s arrest six days later.

Booking record reveals additional allegations

Lockridge’s latest booking also includes a second warrant, 2026-69124, carrying a listed $75,000 bond.

That warrant includes allegations of:

• criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied dwelling;
• felony criminal damage to property;
• aggravated endangering a child involving a child under 18; and
• aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The booking record does not, by itself, establish whether the allegations under the second warrant stem from the Stockman homicide or a separate incident. That distinction will likely become clearer as court records and charging documents become available.

Lockridge remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

The combination of the murder allegation and the separate warrant also raises additional questions about the circumstances surrounding Lockridge’s arrest and whether investigators are examining other alleged incidents involving gunfire.

This Is Topeka will continue following the case as additional court filings and information from investigators become available.

TOPEKA, Kan. — One of Topeka’s longstanding fall traditions will celebrate its 45th anniversary when Cider Days returns to the Stormont Vail Events Center in September.

The 45th annual Cider Days Fall Market will take place Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20, inside and around Exhibition Hall at 1 Expocentre Drive.

The market will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Organizers say this year’s event will feature more than 250 creators, makers, artisans, pickers and other vendors. Shoppers can expect handmade products, artwork, home décor, clothing, gifts, specialty foods and other items from businesses throughout the region.

Cider Days has grown from a local seasonal gathering into one of the area’s largest fall markets. The event combines shopping with food, demonstrations and activities designed for the entire family.

Scheduled attractions include artisan demonstrations, live entertainment, a petting zoo, balloon artists, face painting, inflatables and photo opportunities. A pie-baking contest is also planned.

Food vendors will be stationed around the event, and Cider Days’ signature apple-cider slushes and kettle corn will return for the anniversary celebration.

The mix of vendors and activities allows visitors to shop while children participate in the event’s family-oriented attractions. Booths will be located both inside Exhibition Hall and in outdoor areas surrounding the building.

The celebration comes as Cider Days reaches a milestone few community events achieve. After 45 years, the market has become a familiar part of the fall calendar for generations of Topeka families.

The event also provides an opportunity for small businesses, independent makers and regional artists to introduce their products to thousands of shoppers during one weekend.

Cider Days will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, at the Stormont Vail Events Center.

Additional information is available through the official Cider Days website.

 Cox Communications trucks in Kansas will soon be sporting Spectrum branding after Charter Communications purchased the company. (Photo by Charter Communications)

TOPEKA — Charter Communications finalized its $34.5 billion deal to acquire Cox Communications on Thursday, and Kansans will soon see their Cox products marketed under Charter’s Spectrum brand. 

Along with its Cox transaction, Charter announced completion of its purchase of Liberty Broadband Corp. 

Now the largest cable company in the country, with services across 45 states, Charter will rebrand Cox services to the Spectrum name, said Chris Winfrey, CEO and president of the Connecticut-based company, in a media call. 

Winfrey said he expects frontline employees to see few changes. There are more than 1,000 Cox employees in Kansas. 

“The thing I want to make really clear is that from a frontline employee perspective, which is probably 90% of what each of these two companies have, there’ll be very little change, and we’re actually out hiring additional people today for sales positions,” he said. 

Charter plans to move all customer service to the United States, which is a “job creation opportunity,” Winfrey said.

The company will be hiring for 1,000 new sales positions, said spokeswoman Christine Martini in an email. The company’s new release said all employees would be paid a minimum of $20 an hour.

Cox’s Atlanta headquarters office will see some reorganization, Winfrey said, but part of the acquisition negotiations included maintaining a “significant presence” in the city. 

“Across many of our locations, the composition of the different types of employees is going to change to optimize for the footprint that we have and the talent that we have,” Winfrey said. “There’ll be certain functions that come out of Atlanta, and there’s certain functions that are already being moved into Atlanta.”

Charter’s southeast region is being moved to the Atlanta headquarter campus, Winfrey said. 

Cox customers will see the brand name shift to Spectrum beginning in September, which includes changing all building and truck signage.

However, cost changes will occur immediately, Winfrey said. Internet pricing will be “better” and new Cox Mobile customers can receive a free mobile line for a year, he said. 

“The value is higher for Spectrum products with more apps included, often better internet pricing,” Winfrey said. “The average pricing of internet is much lower with Spectrum, and mobile is lower, and video is also lower, but also has more value with the app.”

Winfrey said no Cox customers will be forced to switch but can elect to do so once Spectrum pricing and packages are launched in mid-September. 

Charter is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. Cox Communications was a privately held company.

TOPEKA, Kan. — Internationally recognized Christian artists will take the stage in downtown Topeka this fall for a free concert celebrating music, community and the city’s place in religious history.

Open Skies Topeka is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Evergy Plaza, 630 S. Kansas Ave. The event is free and open to the public.

The concert will feature Bethel Music with Jenn Johnson and Dove Award-winning Christian hip-hop artist KB. Topeka native and boxer John Cantrell is also scheduled to appear and share his personal testimony.

Organizers describe Open Skies as an evening of worship, hope and community intended to bring together people from different churches and Christian traditions. Those who do not identify with a particular faith tradition are also invited to attend.

“Come for the music, come with questions, come to worship or simply come experience the night with your community,” AIM 5 Foundation founder Cody Foster said in the event announcement.

Bethel Music has become one of the most prominent organizations in contemporary worship music. Its catalog includes widely performed songs such as “Goodness of God,” “Raise a Hallelujah,” “It Is Well” and “Reckless Love.”

KB is a rapper, pastor and author whose albums have reached the top of Billboard’s Christian Albums chart. His work combines hip-hop performances with messages focused on faith, purpose and hope.

The concert also arrives during the 125th anniversary of the 1901 Topeka Outpouring, an event widely associated with the beginnings of the modern Pentecostal movement.

Events at Charles Parham’s Bethel Bible School in Topeka helped launch a religious movement that would eventually spread internationally. Organizers hope the concert will introduce a new generation to that history while highlighting the broader influence religious communities have had on Topeka.

“Topeka has a remarkable story of faith that stretches back nearly to the city’s founding, and Open Skies gives us an opportunity to share that story with a new generation,” Visit Topeka President Sean Dixon said.

Organizers also point to the influence of Christian abolitionists and Free-State settlers, the Congregationalist roots of Washburn University and Topeka minister Charles Sheldon, whose 1896 novel In His Steps popularized the question, “What would Jesus do?”

The inaugural event is being organized by the AIM 5 Foundation, a Christian organization that works with community partners and supports local initiatives. In addition to live music, the evening is expected to include food trucks and other activities.

Organizers said they anticipate thousands of people could attend and believe Open Skies could become one of the largest events held at Evergy Plaza.

Additional information is available through the official Evergy Plaza calendar and the Visit Topeka event announcement.

TOPEKA, Kan. — Another Topeka man has been booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on an allegation involving child sexual exploitation, adding to a string of similar cases that have surfaced in the capital city over the past year.

Shaun Augustine Gomez, 45, was booked at approximately 10:10 a.m. Thursday, July 30, according to Shawnee County booking information.

Gomez was arrested on a warrant alleging sexual exploitation of a child involving possession of media depicting a child under the age of 18.

Booking records list a $100,000 bond.

The booking information alone provides few details about the investigation, including what allegedly led authorities to Gomez, how much material is alleged to have been involved, or when investigators believe the alleged offense occurred.

But Gomez’s arrest is becoming noteworthy for another reason: his is hardly the only case of its kind appearing in Shawnee County.

A Pattern That’s Getting Harder to Ignore

Over the past several months, This Is Topeka has reported on case after case involving Topeka-area men accused of possessing, distributing or otherwise being involved with child sexual abuse material.

Earlier this year, Devin Lee King was charged with 11 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, with prosecutors alleging he possessed visual depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Court filings identified Joseph James Lake III in connection with the broader investigation; Lake has separately faced multiple child-exploitation counts.

Then there was Charles K. VanCamp, 26. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation announced in February that its Child Victims Unit arrested VanCamp after receiving a cyber-tip submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. At the time of his arrest, the KBI said he was suspected of criminal sodomy and two counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

In May, Jose Ramirez-Sosa, 32, was booked on an allegation of sexual exploitation of a child involving possession of media depicting someone under 18. He was released later that same day after being held on a $25,000 bond.

And this month, Koby Allen Hoar, 25, was formally charged with nine off-grid felony counts alleging promotion of performances involving a victim under 14, along with another Level 5 felony count alleging possession of a visual depiction of a child under 18. He was being held on a $1 million bond when those charges were announced.

The list extends further. In March, Shane Arthur Spencer, 53, was booked on allegations that included sexual exploitation of a child, indecent solicitation and aggravated indecent solicitation.

And the problem isn’t confined to new arrests. Earlier this month, federal prosecutors announced that Joshua Craig Abel, 44, of Topeka, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. Federal investigators said forensic examination uncovered more than 28,000 images and 850 videos. Abel had a previous federal conviction for distributing child pornography.

So the uncomfortable question becomes difficult to avoid:

What is happening with Topeka men?

That’s not a question a stack of booking reports can answer.

Nor would it be responsible to conclude from several highly visible arrests that Topeka suddenly has a uniquely high rate of these crimes. Increased arrests can mean increased offending, but they can also reflect better detection, more cyber-tips, more specialized investigators or some combination of all four.

There is evidence that investigators are increasingly finding these cases through the digital trail offenders leave behind. The VanCamp investigation began with a cyber-tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The investigation involving Hoar reportedly began the same way.

That distinction matters.

What residents are seeing in the jail roster may represent not simply a new crime problem, but law enforcement becoming increasingly capable of uncovering a crime that historically could remain hidden behind closed doors and computer screens.

And the issue extends well beyond Shawnee County. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas reported in June on numerous federal child-exploitation prosecutions across Kansas during just March, April and May. Federal prosecutors specifically described child sexual exploitation and abuse as a major focus of specialized prosecutors working from Wichita, Topeka and Kansas City.

Under Kansas law, knowingly possessing qualifying sexual depictions of children can constitute sexual exploitation of a child, generally classified as a severity-level 5 person felony for the possession offense. More serious conduct involving producing or promoting such material can carry substantially greater penalties.

For Topeka residents, however, the statutes don’t make the recurring headlines any less unsettling.

One arrest can be dismissed as an isolated case. Two may be coincidence.

But when names continue appearing on the Shawnee County booking roster under variations of the same disturbing allegation, people are understandably going to start asking whether they are witnessing a larger problem — and whether authorities are catching more offenders because the problem is growing or because technology is finally making these crimes harder to hide.

For now, Gomez represents the latest name in that conversation.

The allegation against him has not been proven in court. Gomez, King, Lake and other defendants with pending criminal cases are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

TOPEKA, Kan. — Two women were taken to a Topeka hospital Tuesday morning following a two-vehicle crash near Southwest 12th and Lane streets that left one vehicle badly damaged and required firefighters to cut at least one occupant from a car.

The crash was reported at approximately 8:42 a.m. Tuesday, July 28, at the central Topeka intersection, according to published reports.

The collision came during a brief break in the rain that had moved through Topeka Tuesday morning.

Within minutes of the crash, a large emergency response converged on the intersection. Two Topeka Fire Department trucks, two ambulances and multiple Topeka Police Department units responded, with emergency vehicles seen traveling south on Washburn Avenue toward the scene.

Photos taken at the scene show two heavily damaged passenger vehicles — a blue Honda CR-V and a blue Hyundai sedan — separated by the intersection. The Honda came to rest on the grass near the corner with significant front-end damage and a traffic sign knocked to the ground nearby.

The Hyundai sustained substantial damage along the driver’s side. Firefighters worked around the vehicle as emergency medical personnel treated its occupant. A detached door can be seen lying nearby after firefighters used hydraulic rescue equipment, commonly known as the “Jaws of Life,” to gain access to the woman inside.

Both women involved were alert following the collision, according to observations at the scene, but each was ultimately placed on a stretcher and transported by ambulance to a local hospital. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Several children and other bystanders could be seen nearby as firefighters, paramedics and police worked the scene.

Witness information indicated that one of the vehicles may have failed to stop before the collision. However, police have not publicly confirmed which driver had the right of way or whether a traffic violation caused the crash. The official cause remains under investigation.

The number of people occupying the two vehicles at the time of the collision also remains unclear.

Photos from the aftermath show the force of the collision scattered across the corner: broken vehicle pieces in the roadway, a knocked-down street sign, deployed airbags and extensive damage to both vehicles.

Despite the severity of the wreck and the need to extricate one occupant, everyone visible at the scene appeared conscious and responsive while being treated by first responders.

No citations or arrests related to the crash had been publicly announced as of Wednesday morning.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be added if Topeka police release further details about the cause of the collision or the conditions of those hospitalized.

TOPEKA, Kan. — Three young men were booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections within minutes of one another Tuesday evening in connection with the same theft warrant, according to jail booking records.

Joseph Marcellus Schrempp Jr., 18; Eithen Lee Roy Folsom, 19; and Jovan Jose Guadalupe, 18, were booked between 7:30 and 7:45 p.m. on July 28. All three booking entries reference warrant 2026-23181 and list an allegation of theft of less than $1,500 from a building. The arrests were listed as no-bond bookings.

Schrempp was booked first at approximately 7:30 p.m., followed by Folsom at 7:40 p.m. and Guadalupe at 7:45 p.m., according to the records.

Folsom faces an additional allegation of interference with law enforcement under unknown circumstances, a misdemeanor, according to his booking information.

The matching warrant number, identical theft allegation and closely spaced booking times indicate the arrests are connected to the same alleged incident, although authorities have not yet publicly released details describing what was allegedly taken, the location of the reported theft or the circumstances leading to the arrests.

The booking agency is identified in the jail records by agency code KS0890000.

Folsom has appeared in Shawnee County booking records previously. Records show he was booked April 13 on allegations including felony interference with law enforcement and criminal damage to property. A separate booking entry from that date also lists an allegation of domestic battery.

No additional charges were listed for Schrempp or Guadalupe in the July 28 booking records provided.

This is a developing story. Additional information may become available as law enforcement releases details surrounding the case or as court records are filed.

All individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

TOPEKA, Kan. — An 18-year-old Topeka-area man is being held on a $1 million bond after being booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections early Monday morning on allegations including aggravated criminal sodomy and sexual battery.

According to Shawnee County booking records, Scott Tad Grahnert, whose date of birth is listed as June 6, 2008, was booked at approximately 4:30 a.m. on July 27.

Grahnert has been arrested on the following allegations:

• Aggravated Criminal Sodomy
• Sexual Battery

Jail records indicate both charges are associated with the same warrant. Bond has been set at $1,000,000 cash or professional surety, and Grahnert remains in custody as of the latest available booking information.

A court appearance is currently scheduled for October 15, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., according to jail records.

As of publication, prosecutors have not publicly released a criminal complaint detailing the factual allegations underlying the case. Without the charging affidavit or probable cause statement, additional information regarding the alleged victim, the circumstances of the investigation, or the date of the alleged offenses has not yet been made public.

A booking is an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be published as court documents become available and the case proceeds through the Shawnee County District Court.