Crime Coverage

More LJWorld Crime Coverage

It was the case of the sword, the blind black cat and a pair of Chinese meditation balls. In fact, it was two cases with those same clues. So it didn't take police too long to figure out that the two crimes were connected.

At the scene of the first crime, at a home in the Easy Living mobile home park, 3323 Iowa St., a burglar apparently entered while residents were out, sometime before 5 p.m. Sunday, and made off with a medium-length Japanese-style sword, a blind black cat and the Chinese meditation balls, among other items, according to Sgt. Trent McKinley, a Lawrence Police Department spokesman.

Shortly after, the burglar struck again at another residence in the same neighborhood, McKinley said. About 5:20 p.m., the man terrified the residents of a nearby mobile home by barging in through their front door. He had no shoes or shirt on, but he was wearing the stolen sword on his waist in a scabbard, and was carrying the meditation balls and the cat.

The residents fled to a neighbor's house to call police, McKinley said, afraid for their lives, as the man entered their home and began eating their food.

About 90 minutes after police arrived at the home and arrested Blake Robert Hurd, 31, of Lawrence, the earlier crime was reported. Among the items reported missing in that first theft? The cat, the sword and the Chinese meditation balls. Connecting the two incidents, police arrested Hurd on suspicion of both crimes and returned the property and the cat, who goes by the name "Freddie."

Douglas County prosecutors charged Hurd Monday with aggravated burglary, burglary, and two counts of theft. He remained in Douglas County Jail Monday with bond set at $25,000.

pace 1 year, 1 month ago

What is sad is these actions are't as stupid as what Brownback does.

Katara 1 year, 1 month ago

The Governor will now pass a law permitting people to carry concealed samurai swords.

Remember! Only a good guy with a samurai sword can stop a bad guy with a samurai sword.

Fred Whitehead Jr. 1 year, 1 month ago

Steal a cat?? Somebodies kitty??Gads, shat next!

There are ,many cats available at the shelter and on Thursday, the adoption fee is waived.

Who the hell would stea lsombodies kitty??

Lock them up and thro wawy the key.

Matthew Del Vecchio 1 year, 1 month ago

brilliant

weeslicket 1 year, 1 month ago

life imitates fiction

Joe Shaw 1 year, 1 month ago

I have some major concerns with the timeliness of the response from the Lawrence PD. A lot can happen in the 90 minutes that it took for them to arrive on the scene.

First, obviously the blind cat's life was in immediate danger and it was tramatized.
The food that the sword wiedling gentleman was eating for the guy's lunch tomorrow, now what?
It is way too cold to not have on shoes or a shirt. Aren't we having blizzard conditions right now?

Except for those key concerns, the rest of the story seemed pretty normal.

mikekt 1 year, 1 month ago

Well, I had a thought . If we could some how just scrape together 25 grand, maybe we could get this guy out,.....and get him "a real job",....... as a Capitol Hill Preyer Room Attendant, in Topeka !!!!!

People walking into the Capital Hill Preyer Room would see Him, The Sword, The Blind Cat, the Chinese Meditation Balls ......and maybe even see an "Americanized image of Jesus", ( that looks remarkably like a certain state governor that we know), ...........and think that everything in Topeka, is as normal as one could expect it to be !!!! HA, HA, HA !!!!

The only major fly in the ointment is that this guy stole a sword...... and not a GUN !

He'd never make it ..........with the NRA Lobby !!!!

Some people will rob you (& others) with a gun.......while the really clever ones and their henchmen will use the power to create laws, to prey on you & others .