Arkansas City man arrested again on numerous charges

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Arkansas City Police Department arrested an Arkansas City man Thursday on several charges for the second time in a month after he turned himself in.

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 was transported to and booked into the Cowley County Jail in Winfield in lieu of $75,000 bond through Cowley County District Court in Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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.