By Erika Hernandez
04 Oct 2023, 18:38 PM EDT
Authorities reported Tuesday that A 25-year-old man was arrested for the rape and murder of a 5-year-old Kansas girl.
Officers responded just before 6 p.m. Monday to a medical call at a Topeka gas station and found a crew of firefighters attempting to save Zoey Felix’s life, police said in a news release.
Units rushed the girl to a hospital and later pronounced her dead.
Investigators identified a 25-year-old man as a suspect and booked him into custody Tuesday morning on suspicion of first-degree murder and rape.
The subject was identified as Mickel Cherry, of Topeka, who was booked into the Shawnee County Jail around 4:15 a.m., CBS affiliate WIBW-TV reported.
His bail is set at 2 million dollars and no attorney is listed for him, said Timothy Phelps, deputy director of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.
Booking records indicate Cherry was listed as homeless and, court records show, no formal charges were immediately filed.
The news release said Zoey knew the man, but police spokeswoman Rosie Nichols said she could not provide additional details about how.
“This morning, authorities notified DCF of the death of Zoey Felix, a 5-year-old girl, which occurred during the night of October 2. “Our thoughts today are with Zoey and all those who loved and supported her,” a DCF spokesperson said.
Also He declined to release information about the girl’s cause of death.
Neighbors told WIBW that Felix lived a life of instability. The house where she and her mother lived had no water or electricity and sometimes the girl was left home alone, they said.
“Loving girl,” neighbor Desiree Myles told the station. “I love children, all the children play with her. Everyone took care of everyone, they took care of Zoey. She was a Curious George with nowhere to go. Nowhere to go.”
Neighbors also indicated that they did what they could for Zoey, helping her bathe, dress and feed her, even going so far as to report her living conditions to local authorities.
“The information and all evidence from the investigation will be compiled and sent to the district attorney’s office for a formalized decision on criminal charges. And at that time, additional information may be released,” Police Chief Bryan Wheeles said.
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