On January 8, 2024, at approximately 3:12pm, Parsons Police received a call from a citizen concerning a possible burglary in progress in the 2300 block of Briggs Ave.

Corporal Christian Smith and Officer Donald Joy responded to the call and found a female at the residence who was displaying signs of being under the influence of narcotics. The female was able to be identified later as Karena Dawn Hickles, 41 of Parsons. Officers attempted to detain Karena when she became combative and attempted to bite officers. Karena was placed in a patrol car while officers conducted a safety sweep of the house. Officers found items in the home that were damaged and during a subsequent more intense search, found a juvenile, approximately 2-3 years of age, wrapped up in a blanket sleeping on a couch.

Officers were able to contact the owner of the home and determined that Karena was an estranged family member that had not been in contact for several years. Karena was then arrested for suspicion of Burglary and was transported to the Parsons Police Department Lockup. The Labette County Attorney's Office has received the following charges for review and official charging: Burglary, Criminal Damage to Property (Felony), Aggravated Endangering of a Child, Possession of Marijuana, and Interference with Law Enforcement.

Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks said, "I want to thank the citizen who called the police and reported this crime. Again, this shows that an involved community can help solve crimes that may take police much longer to investigate fully to make an arrest. 'See It, Hear It, Report It' has been very effective in the city of Parsons and I am pleased that it is being embraced by the public. I also want to thank the officers for their speedy response and action in arresting this individual as well as taking good care of her child that was obviously put in harms way."  

This continues to be an on-going investigation and citizens are encouraged to "See It, Hear It, Report It." All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If anyone has any further information on this incident or any other criminal activity, please contact the Parsons Police Department at 421-7060 or call the Tip Line at 421-7057 or email at tips@parsonspd.com.

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