A Wichita man appeared in court Tuesday to face charges in two kidnapping incidents involving three children.
24-year-old Manasseh Ward has been charged with kidnapping, four counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, aggravated kidnapping, three counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, two counts of attempted rape, aggravated assault and interference with law enforcement. His bond was set at $600,000, along with a $1 million bond from an earlier probation violation. Attorneys will discuss the case on January 26th.
On January 4th, a woman called 911 to report that her 13-year-old daughter was walking home from school when a man forced her into a vehicle near Harry and Woodlawn and sexually assaulted her. The girl was released a short time after the incident. The next morning, a 7-year-old boy went to Clark Elementary School and reported that he and his 10-year-old sister were approached by a stranger who offered them a ride. The boy was released but the man drove off with the girl and sexually assaulted her.
After the second kidnapping incident, police saw the suspect’s vehicle near Harry and Woodlawn and took the driver into custody after a brief foot chase.
