A man who robbed an Emporia liquor store last week by holding a woman at knifepoint while her 9-year-old granddaughter was in the store has been charged with aggravated robbery, kidnapping and battery.
Steven Wayne Gray, who had been staying at an Emporia homeless shelter, was an extremely frequent customer of Carlos Liquors, 928 Commercial. He came in four or five times a day to usually purchase a single can of beer, said store owners, Carlos and Mercedes Garate in a court affidavit.
Shortly after 4 p.m. Sept. 8, Mercedes Garate opened the door for Gray. He allegedly put his arm around Garate, put a knife up to her throat and drug her to the cash register.
Garate’s granddaughter was in the back room of the store. She made an attempt to get to the phone to call 911, but was blocked by Gray. Garate, however, was able to reach the silent alarm. Gray took between $120 and $130 and fled in a sports utility vehicle before the police arrived.
Garate had cuts on her neck and left hand, which she used in an attempt to cover up her neck. She was treated at a local hospital and released.
About two hours later, a family member saw a similar looking car and notified authorities, who learned it was registered to Gray. Around 9 p.m. police found the car parked at Emporia Rescue Mission, 1119 Merchant, Once he was identified by Carlos Garate, Gray was arrested.
Gray remains in jail with a $100,000 bond. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for 3 p.m. Oct. 21.
johncanyon (anonymous) says...
A homeless man that is able to afford to go to the Liquor Store several times a day and drives an SUV. Do Da welfare check not show up or what?
September 16, 2010 at 11:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
Remarks about "welfare" not withstanding, I also wondered about the SUV. But I thought the Homeless Shelter did not allow the consumption of alcohol by people staying there. Otherwise, I doubt a homeless man living in a shelter would be drawing "welfare" at all since that is generally for people with dependent children.
September 16, 2010 at 12:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oops (anonymous) says...
He isn't new to the system. I checked the Department of Corrections website and found a Steven Gray with some burglary and robbery charges from 2006 back in Sedgwick county. Shows his location as Lyon County. Here is a link you can use to take a look
http://www.doc.ks.gov/kasper/index_ht......
September 16, 2010 at 1:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
"But I thought the Homeless Shelter did not allow the consumption of alcohol by people staying there."
That's probably why he bought them one at a time. It sounds like he's very experienced at deception. I'm just wondering why he did this where he would be recognized. Think he's looking for a home with 3 squares, cable and internet? This is where the chain gangs would come in handy. At least the work he would do would save the county some road repair costs to offset his cost of living or simply accomplish needed work that isn't currently in the budget. But, noooooo..........humane treatment and all that. I wonder if he considered being humane before holding a knife to Mrs. Garate's throat?
(my sarcasm wasn't directed at you, biscuitboy. Your query was just a really good segue for my rant :-)
September 16, 2010 at 3:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
Winter's coming, you probably hit the nail on the head oh4, insects are the same way.
September 16, 2010 at 3:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
whatever (anonymous) says...
It's "dragged" not "drug". The word "drug" is always a noun. Run grammar check, will you? Here's a link for some help -- http://www.verb2verbe.com/conjugation...
September 16, 2010 at 3:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
No problem oh4.....You may have nailed it. In my day it was called three squares and a cot. Beats living on the street, especially now with winter coming on.
I have no problem with putting prisoners to work saving the government some money in return for those meals and a warm place to sleep. But only after their cases have been adjudicated. I would also hope the work was real work that actually did save us some money rather that just demeaning useless task designed to inflict an added level of punishment. Things like moving a pile of rocks from one place to another and then back again probably cost us more in added security cost than just leaving them to languish in their cells.
September 16, 2010 at 3:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
Few punishments can be worse than to be stuck in a small holding cell all day with a bunch of other idiots that are in there with you. I mean imagine spending all of your time stuck in close quarters with the type of people that usually get thrown in jail. No fun!!!!!
September 16, 2010 at 3:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Let the punishment fit the crime and throw this bozo in prison where he belongs. What he did is a felony. I hope they add a charge of endangering a minor because that's exactly what he did.
oh4, good comment on his experience with deception. Most alkies and druggies are. All the programs we pay for to help these people, and they still only practice their lying and screwing up. What a waste of good tax payer dollars.
September 16, 2010 at 6:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
neighbor:
That was exactly what I was getting at.
biscuit:
I'm not so sure they are bothered by their own kind. On the outside, they are all buddies. On the inside, they entertain each other....usually by mouthing off to the guards and being lude. It must seem better to this guy than the homeless shelter.
create:
I agree. Let private organizations rehab the ones who want it and put felons in the prisons. The state could use some cost off-set or budget-supplementing labor too.
September 16, 2010 at 6:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
oh4
Yea you are probably right. I was just looking at it from the perspective of a person that doesn't normally find themselves in jail'.
September 17, 2010 at 3:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
In the interest of honesty I should add.....not since I was in my early twenties anyway. Maximum testosterone and minimum maturity.
September 17, 2010 at 3:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )