Charges filed against man who killed innocent motorcyclist
TOPEKA (KSNT) - Charges have been filed against a man who struck an innocent motorcyclist in Topeka, killing the rider. Sam Rice, 53, of Topeka, was killed on May 15 when a car hit him at SE 6th Street and SE Chandler Street. Police said they received the call at 3:18 a.m. and when police [...]
TOPEKA (KSNT) - Charges have been filed against a man who struck an innocent motorcyclist in Topeka, killing the rider.
Sam Rice, 53, of Topeka, was killed on May 15 when a car hit him at SE 6th Street and SE Chandler Street. Police said they received the call at 3:18 a.m. and when police arrived on the scene they pronounced Rice dead. TPD later arrested Geovany Arellano, 23, of Topeka, on a charge of murder in the first degree, aggravated assault and reckless driving, among others.
On Thursday, Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay announced his office would be filing charges against Geovany Andrew Arellano in relation to the death of Rice.
According to Kagay, emergency services received a call at 3:18 a.m. on May 15 saying an SUV was chasing another vehicle and brandishing a weapon. The caller said the SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed. The caller said he was also driving fast when he collided with the motorcycle driven by Rice. The caller said the SUV continued chasing a separate vehicle while he stayed to attend to Rice.
Kagay said law enforcement was then called to SE 6th and Quincy for another collision. Police said they learned the SUV had continued to chase another vehicle that lost control and hit a building. Police said there were five people in that vehicle.
A later investigation revealed that the driver of the SUV, Arellano, and his passenger, got into an argument at a party with the occupants of the other two vehicles.
Law enforcement said Rice was not involved in the chase.
According to the district attorney's office, Geovany Arellano was the driver of the SUV.
Arellano has now been charged with the following:
- Murder in the first degree, committed during an inherently dangerous felony;
- Murder in the 2nd degree, reckless
- Six counts of aggravated assault
- Five counts of aggravated endangering a child
- Leaving the scene of an accident
- Reckless driving