crime

A scam to bill senior citizens for medical alert device service is gaining steam in Kansas and other Midwestern states.

The Better Business Bureau says there’s been a significant increase in calls about the scheme. A prerecorded message claims that someone has purchased a medical alert device for the person as a gift. Then, the recipient is asked to verify his or her identity with a bank account or credit card number.

The city of Wichita plans to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of Suhani Bhakta, a 12-year-old girl who was hit and killed by a police patrol car in Feb. 2012.

A Kansas Highway Patrol investigation verified that the officer was speeding in a 30 mph zone and was not using lights or a siren when the accident occurred. The officer hit Bhakta as she ran across a road near her home. Police said the officer was following policy at the time and that a sports utility vehicle may have obstructed his view.

Luxury goods manufacturer Coach has sued a The Fabulous Store in Wichita, its owner, and an employee for allegedly selling phony goods bearing its brand name. The civil lawsuit alleges copyright and trademark infringement, unfair competition, unjust enrichment and trademark dilution.

A man charged with killing four people in eastern Kansas appeared in court Monday. Twenty-seven-year-old Kyle Flack is being held on a $10 million dollar bond.

He's accused of murdering 18-month-old Lana Leigh Bailey; her mother, Kaylie Bailey; and 30-year-old Andrew Stout. Flack is also charged with first-degree murder in the death of 31-year-old Steven White.

The courtroom Monday was packed with onlookers. Flack waived an initial, preliminary hearing. He sat quietly with his attorney, acknowledging the judge once by saying, "Yes, sir."

A body has been recovered that's believed to be a missing 18-month-old girl. Her mother and two men were found dead at an eastern Kansas farmhouse several days earlier.

Franklin County Sheriff Jeff Richards said Sunday that remains are believed to be those of Lana Leigh Bailey. Richards says the body was found in Osage County by a sheriff's deputy who was scouring an area for items that could be connected to the deaths reported on May 6.

"We hope that a forensic examination will make a final identification," Richards added.

A federal judge has been asked to award three child pornography victims more than $2 million in restitution from a Kansas man convicted of downloading their images over the Internet.

Brandon Hollister of Horton, Kan., pleaded guilty last year to one count of distributing child porn and was sentenced Monday to five years in prison.