Two Arrested — One Being Sought After Early Morning Burglary and Pursuit

ARKANSAS CITY, KS — (MARCH 17, 2023) Arkansas City Police, Cowley County Sheriff's Office, Kansas Highway Patrol, and Blue Line Trackers are currently searching the area around Parkerfield for a suspect who fled from officers after an early morning burglary on the east side of Arkansas City.

Arkansas City Police were called to the 900 block of N. F Street at 5:40 a.m. to a report that suspects were committing a burglary to storage units in that area. Officers arrived at 5:44 a.m. and found a truck speeding away from the scene with one individual on foot attempting to run from the crime scene. The initial responding officer gave chase and quickly took the suspect on foot into custody at 5:45 a.m.

At the same time, a second responding officer located the suspect truck at the roundabout and attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle. However, the truck refused to pull over and led the officer on a brief pursuit until the vehicle suffered a mechanical failure and stopped in the 9000 block of U.S. 166. The driver of the truck fled on foot, while one passenger was taken into custody at 5:49 a.m. The still outstanding suspect is described as a white male wearing a red sweatshirt, black hat, and gray pants.

Law enforcement is currently utilizing human and canine trackers to attempt to locate the driver that fled from the vehicle. The truck has since been collected as evidence.

The suspect arrested at the scene is identified as Lazaro Torrez, age 40, of Arkansas City. He is currently at the Cowley County Jail, listed on the preliminary charges of burglary, theft, and interference with law enforcement. His bond at this moment is listed at $9,500.

The suspect arrested at the vehicle in the 9000 block of U.S. 166 is identified as Samuel Corza-Carrera, age 30, of Arkansas City. He is currently at the Cowley County Jail, listed on the preliminary charges of burglary, theft, interference with law enforcement, and two bond violation warrants issued by Cowley County District Court. Corza-Carrera is being held without bail due to the active warrants for his arrest.

If the public has information about the third suspect, or if they see a suspect matching the description listed in the area of Parkerfield, they are encouraged to call the Arkansas City Police Department at (620) 441-4547 or 911.

A court of law determines a suspect's guilt or innocence.

If you have questions or concerns about this or any ACPD press releases, please contact Police Chief Eric Burr at (620) 441-6601 or email him at eburr@arkcity.org.