Crime
18-Year-Old Arrested for First-Degree Murder in Southeast Wichita Shooting
Wichita, KS – An 18-year-old man has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder following a fatal shooting in a southeast Wichita neighborhood.
The victim has been identified as 23-year-old Manuel Roach, a Wichita resident.
According to the Wichita Police Department (WPD), officers responded to reports of gunfire shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the 1200 block of South Bleckley Drive, located southeast of Lincoln and Oliver.
Upon arrival, authorities discovered Roach with life-threatening gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Roach was involved in a disturbance with three unidentified men, all dressed in black, before the shooting.
Witnesses reported seeing the suspects exit a white SUV, approach the victim, and open fire.
The suspects then fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.
The 18-year-old suspect, who has not been publicly identified, later arrived at a hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg.
Police determined he was involved in the shooting, leading to his arrest and booking into the Sedgwick County Jail on a first-degree murder charge.
Authorities believe Roach was targeted, though the circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation.
The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
WPD is actively searching for the three additional suspects and the white SUV seen leaving the scene.
Officials urge anyone with information to contact Wichita Police at 911 or provide anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.