Homeless 25-year-old Topeka man arrested in rape and killing of 5-year-old girl

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH

The Associated Press
October 3, 2023 at 6:42PM

A homeless Kansas man has been arrested in the rape and killing of a 5-year-old girl, authorities said Tuesday.

Officers responded just before 6 p.m. Monday to a medical call at a Topeka gas station and found a fire crew attempting to save Zoey Felix, police said in a news release. She was rushed to a hospital and later pronounced dead.

Investigators identified a 25-year-old man as a suspect and booked him into jail Tuesday morning on suspicion of first-degree murder and rape. His bond is set at $2 million and no attorney is listed for him, said Timothy Phelps, deputy director of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.

No formal charges were immediately filed, court records show.

The news release said that the man was known to Zoey, but police spokesperson Rosie Nichols said she couldn't provide additional details on how.

She also declined to release information on the girl's cause of death.

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HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH

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