SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating six separate homicides that occurred in Wichita last week.
Just before 6:30 a.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a check welfare call in the 4800 block of N. Portwest in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.
Officers arrived on the scene and were informed that 80-year-old Margaret O'Neil did not answer the door for a friend, which was out of the ordinary. Officers saw through a window that she was lying on the kitchen floor and forced entry into the residence to render aid.
It appeared that she was fatally shot multiple times. Her 57-year-old son identified as Michael O’Neil of Wichita, was found inside the residence with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Just before a.m. 4a.m. Thursday, police responded to the 300 block of North Moore after a a street sweeper operator saw two gunshot victims in a vehicle in a parking garage in Wichita's Old Town and called 911, according to Gupilan.
EMS and fire arrived on the scene and attempted life-saving measures, but the victims identified as 20-year-old Josephina Lerma-Dominguez and 21-year-old Bryan Lara-Hernandez both of Wichita died at the scene. Police arrested 19-year-old Zachary Ramirez of Maize in connection with the killing.
These were the fourth and fifth homicides in Wichita this week.
On Tuesday, a woman dropping off her child at an in-home daycare saw the two homicide victims through a window of a home in the 1100 Block of North Woodrow. The victims were identified as 50-year-old Vanessa Crawford and 58-year-old Donald Eckert both of Wichita.
Police arrested 62-year-old Charles Crawford in connection with the murders. He made a court appearance on Friday and was charged with capital murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.
Just after 10p.m. Monday, July 24, police responded to a call in the 600 block of S. Laura in Wichita. First responders located 14-year-old Malachi Sicka of Wichita nearby with a gunshot wound in the 1100 block of E. Orme. EMS transported the boy to a local hospital where he died.
On Thursday night police reported the arrest of three juvenile male suspects on requested charges of 1st Degree Murder, Aggravated Robbery and Criminal Use of a Weapon, in the homicide Two of the suspects are 17 years old and the other is 15 years old, all from Wichita.