Third suspect arrested in garage burglaries

Lawrence Police arrested a third person thought to be involved in a string of garage burglaries in west Lawrence.

Brent Boeken, 18, was booked Tuesday into the Douglas County Jail. He appeared Wednesday in Douglas County District Court, charged with 12 separate offenses.

“I guess I apologize for everything I done, but (there’s) not much I can say right now to help me out,” Boeken told Judge Pro Tem Peggy Kittel.

Boeken is the third person arrested in connection with more than a dozen garage break-ins. Police last month arrested two 16-year-old boys on aggravated burglary and felony theft charges.

The Lawrence Police Department created a special task force to investigate the burglaries, which began in mid-June.

So far officers have recovered at least $15,000 worth of golf clubs, taken in a three-month period.

Kittel set Boeken’s bond at $20,000.

Police kill suspect after confrontation with knife

Kansas City, Mo. — A confrontation Wednesday between police and a man armed with a knife ended when officers shot and killed him.

Police were called to a Kansas City apartment building at 12:24 p.m. because of a disturbance involving a man with a knife, said police spokesman Darin Snapp in a statement.

Officers fired bean bag rounds — ammunition less lethal than regular bullets — to try to subdue the man. But police said the man continued to move toward officers with the knife, and was then shot.

Neighbors interviewed by Kansas City television station KMBC after the altercation said the man was blind and did not speak English.

Attorney general to speak today at KU

Kansas Atty. Gen. Phill Kline will speak today to Kansas University students.

Kline will speak as part of a lecture series called “Students Learning through Leaders.” The series gives students the opportunity to talk in depth with state and federal officeholders.

The public lecture will be at 1 p.m. today in the Jayhawk Room at the Kansas Union. The series will continue Nov. 12 with U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan.

Guilty plea entered in child porn case

A Salina man pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to a charge of receiving and distributing child pornography.

Jeff Groom, 37, also pleaded guilty to one count of forfeiture of the computer and related equipment used to commit the crime.

Groom’s computer was seized in a search of his residence in October 2002. An analysis of the computer revealed thousands of images of child pornography, Kansas U.S. Atty. Eric Melgren said. Groom had been distributing child pornography for about 10 years via the Internet.

Groom faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison without parole. Sentencing is set for Jan. 9 before U.S. District Judge Richard D. Rogers.