Clay County Investigates Inmate Death

Clay County detectives opened an investigation into the death of an inmate in the Clay County Detention Center on Thursday, Feb. 20. A female inmate was found by a cellmate and alerted detention staff.

55-year-old Wende K. Routh was found by a cellmate shortly after 4 am. The cellmate alerted deputies that something was wrong with Routh. Deputies entered the cell and began trying to resuscitate Routh.

Medical staff took over the life-saving measures until EMS personnel arrived on scene. Preliminary reports say the death appears to be from natural causes.

Routh was incarcerated at the detention center on February 3, on a probation violation. She was sentenced to 180 days of jail time for the violation.

The death investigation is ongoing.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Fourth Suspect Charged in Counter-Human Trafficking Operation

Clay County Sheriff's deputies were able to arrest a fourth suspect in their counter-human trafficking operation that occurred in January.

Samuel J. Weisse, 34, of Leavenworth, Kan.

Samuel J. Weisse, 34, of Leavenworth, Kan., has been charged with one count of felony attempted child enticement. Weisse was allegedly trying to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex after deputies arrested him in a sting operation Wednesday night.

Weisse was allegedly messaging with under-cover detectives during the Sheriff’s Office original counter-human trafficking operation Jan. 23 and 24. He continued communication until Wednesday night, Feb. 5, when he made arrangements to meet whom he believed to be the 13-year-old. Instead, deputies took him into custody at the meet-up location. He is being held on a $25,000 bond.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office has already arrested and charged three other men in this operation: Jose Trinidad-Diaz, 33, of Kansas City, Mo., Dominic Shelby, 34, of Kansas City, Kan., and Josue Rivera, 27, of Kansas City, Kan.

Enticement of a child or an attempt to commit enticement of a child is a felony which carries a penalty of up to thirty years in prison.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Additional Suspect Charge in Human Trafficking Case

An additional man has been charged for trying to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex after deputies arrested him in a sting operation on Thursday, Jan. 30.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, led a counter-human trafficking operation Jan. 23 and 24 that resulted in the arrest of two men who sought to have sex with a child, as well as services provided to more than a dozen potential trafficking victims.

Josue Rivera, 27, of Kansas City, Kan. has been charged with one count of felony attempted child enticement.

Jose Trinidad-Diaz, 33, of Kansas City, Mo. / Mexico and Dominic Shelby, 34, of Kansas City, Kan. were charged with felony attempted child enticement after they tried to meet whom they believed to be a 14-year-old girl for sex. It was actually under-cover detectives who had been chatting with them online and by text message

Josue Rivera, 27, of Kansas City, Kan. has been charged with one count of felony attempted child enticement.

Rivera was messaging with under-cover detectives during the original operation last week and continued communication until Jan. 30, when he made arrangements to meet whom he believed to be the 14-year-old. Instead, deputies took him into custody at the meet-up location. He is being held on a $25,000 bond.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Counter-Human Trafficking Operation Leads to Arrests, Victim Assistance

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, led a counter-human trafficking operation Jan. 23 and 24 that resulted in the arrest of two men who sought to have sex with a child, as well as services provided to more than a dozen potential trafficking victims.

Jose Trinidad-Diaz, 33, of Kansas City, Mo. / Mexico

Two men have been charged with felony attempted child enticement after they tried to meet whom they believed to be a 14-year-old girl for sex. It was actually under-cover detectives who had been chatting with them online and by text message. Those men are Jose Trinidad-Diaz, 33, of Kansas City, Mo. / Mexico and Dominic Shelby, 34, of Kansas City, Kan.

Dominic Shelby, 34, of Kansas City, Kan.

At the same time as the predator operation, investigators conducted a victim advocacy operation at a Clay County hotel. They had posted an online ad purportedly soliciting sex, knowing that many sex workers are victims of human trafficking. Twenty-seven sex workers responded to the hotel, and 13 agreed to accept services to leave a life of sex trafficking and/or sex work. Advocates from the organizations Value Unconditional and Relentless Pursuit met with them to begin giving them resources for their journeys.

The operation was a joint effort by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations – Kansas City, and the Ray County Counter Human Trafficking Task Force. The Ray County Task Force is a team of subject matter experts in the counter-trafficking space who contribute their time and knowledge at no cost to host law enforcement agencies. They are credentialed law enforcement officers and analysts from several sheriff’s offices and have deep connections to a network of aftercare and survivor support service organizations.

During this operation, Task Force volunteers hailed from the Butler, Bourbon and Greenwood County sheriff’s offices in Kansas, the Washoe County, Nev., Sheriff’s Office and the Goodyear, Ariz., Police Department. They work discreetly with in-jurisdiction agencies with the support of the Ray County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office and many other credentialing agencies. Financially, they are supported by private donations from generous donors who believe in the mission of supporting law enforcement.

January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Last week’s operation aimed to reduce the occurrence of human trafficking that takes place in Clay County and the Kansas City metropolitan area.

KPGZ News – Sarah Boyd contributed to this story.

Man Threatens Deputies with 85,000-Pound Crane

A Kearney business owner was arrested for threatening deputies with a crane on Thursday, January 16th. Clay County deputies were originally at the business at 6 am to seize business assets.

Deputies were executing a court order at LPG Ventures, a storage, tanking, and equipment company located at 971 N Jefferson St in Kearney. Seven levy orders were issued by the Clay County Circuit Court for all businesses under the LPG company, owned by August J. Baanders and his wife.

Seized assets in the case were to be sold to pay an $800,000 judgement. Evidence, including footprints in the snow, showed the Baanders, 64 of Kansas City, parked a distance away and snuck onto the property. Baanders threatened deputies by driving an 85,000-pound crane at them and their patrol cars, coming within about 6 inches of flattening a patrol vehicle.

Baanders was climbing down the ladder, then, changing his mind, stayed on the crane, refusing to come down. Deputies had to go up and pull him off the ladder to finally arrest him. No injuries were reported.

The sheriff’s office reports Baanders is charged with interference with a legal process. He is being held on a $2,500 bond on top of the $800,000 that he owes. Baanders is currently in the Clay County detention center with more charges likely to come.

KPGZ News - Blake Magnusson contributed to this story.