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Man charged in armed carjacking involving children in KCK

15th & Wood carjacking.JPG
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man is facing charges after a pair of armed carjackings Sunday afternoon in KCK, including one involving two children.

Leonard Hayes, Jr. 42, is charged with aggravated battery, aggravated burglary, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, one count of theft, one count of criminal damage to property and one count of possession of marijuana.

According to KCKPD, a black male armed with a rifle stole a car around 2 p.m. Sunday in the 1500 block of Freeman Ave.

The vehicle was occupied by two young children, ages 4 and 7 years old, in addition to the driver, who was in the area making a delivery, according to police.

The children were located a short time later walking in the area of 15th St. and Wood Ave., according to a tweet from KCK Police Chief Terry Ziegler.

KCKPD told 41 Action News the children were OK and had been reunited with their mother after a concerned citizen gave the children shelter and called police.

The suspect returned to the scene of the initial carjacking, pointed a rifle at another driver and stole a second vehicle in that area. Police searched for a dark blue Chevrolet Trailblazer with damage to the right rear quarter panel.

Less than an hour later, police said a suspect was apprehended in the 2200 block of North 22nd St.

The incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).