SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a series of burglaries on December 19, in Salina have a suspect in custody.
Police investigators developed information that 43-year-old Matthew Hewitt was a possible suspect, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman. On Christmas Eve officers located Hewitt at the Value Inn on 1640 W. Crawford in Salina. When officers arrived they discovered Hewitt was inside a hotel room with a woman identified as 51-year-old Mindy Burr.
Officers made announcements that Hewitt was under arrest and that all occupants needed to exit the room. However, there was no response and a Salina Police negotiator made contact with Hewitt by phone.
During the phone call, Hewitt stated he was armed and that "officers should not come inside the room if they want to make it Christmas."
Later as Hewitt started to exit the room, he failed to comply with the officer's attempt to make the arrest. A K9 was then released and it bit Hewitt.
Hewitt was then taken into custody and transported to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of minor injuries.
Burr was also arrested on the scene and booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of Felony Interference with Law Enforcement and Harboring a Subject with a warrant.
A search warrant was then conducted inside the hotel room and a AR rifle, items taken in the burglay from the Boy Scouts of America, along with several other items were recovered.
Hewitt was booked into jail on requested charges of Burglary, Interference with Law Enforcement, Criminal Use of a Firearm and Criminal Threat.
He also had a federal warrant for Probation violation for Firearms Violation that was issued by the US Marshals Service.
Hewitt is expected to face more charges as he is also a suspect connected to the burglaries in downtown Salina at the end of November.