The Ark City Police Department arrested an Ark City man Wednesday on several charges for the second time in a month after he turned himself in, according to a press release from the ACPD sent to media.
Dylan Edward Wayne Upchurch, 18, was arrested on suspicion of one felony count each of aggravated interference with parental custody and sexual exploitation of a child.
He also was arrested on suspicion of two felony counts of contributing to a child’s misconduct by sheltering or concealing a runaway, as well as one misdemeanor count each of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.
Upchurch (Photo courtesy ACPD)
Upchurch was transported to and booked into the Cowley County Jail in Winfield on a bond of $75,000 through Cowley County District Court in Ark City.
He remained in custody at the time of this release.
Upchurch previously was arrested Nov. 4 on suspicion of one misdemeanor count each of contributing to a child’s misconduct, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana after police were dispatched to the 400 block of North Seventh Street for a report of a juvenile runaway.
Officers located the 16-year-old female runaway and her boyfriend, later identified as Upchurch, inside a vehicle at that address. They noted a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.
Rolled marijuana cigarettes, green vegetation and drug paraphernalia were found inside the vehicle. The juvenile was taken into police protective custody. Upchurch was arrested and later released.
But on Nov. 13, the same 16-year-old Ark City female was reported as a runaway again. Investigators found information linking Upchurch to the most recent runaway report, as well.
Police applied to district court for an arrest warrant for Upchurch in connection and the court issued an arrest warrant Nov. 18 for Upchurch, listing the above charges and setting his bond at $75,000.
Police then were dispatched at 9:01 a.m. to the district court, located on the second floor of City Hall, for a report of a person who wanted to turn himself in on an active arrest warrant.
Officers responded, contacted Upchurch and took him into custody without incident.
Shortly after his arrest, officers received information that the juvenile runaway had returned to her home in the 900 block of West Elm Avenue. They responded to that location and took her into custody.
This incident remains under investigation and police anticipate more arrests in the case as information comes to light regarding the identity and locations of the persons who might have harbored the runaway during the past three weeks.
