Topeka Man Arrested Following Violent Crime Spree Involving 17 Victims

A 47-year-old homeless man in Topeka, Kansas, was arrested and is currently being held on a $3 million bond following a violent crime spree that impacted 17 victims on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Police stated that the string of attacks involved stabbings, sexual assaults, and burglaries spanning across multiple locations in central Topeka.

The sequence of events began shortly after noon on Wednesday in the 1600 block of S.W. Fillmore, where police responded to a reported stabbing at approximately 12:07 p.m. Emergency responders located two individuals with severe injuries and transported them to a local hospital with life-threatening conditions. According to authorities, the suspect also committed a sexual assault at that address.

The suspect then moved through several nearby neighborhoods. Officials reported that he entered homes in the 1500 and 1400 blocks of S.W. Fillmore, including a residence where four children, ranging in age down to four months old, were present. While those children were uninjured, authorities noted subsequent break-ins and attacks elsewhere. A third victim was stabbed in the 600 block of S.W. 3rd St., sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.

The spree concluded at Ward-Meade Park in the 100 block of N.W. Fillmore St., where a 70-year-old woman was attacked and sustained minor injuries. As the suspect attempted to flee the park, bystanders intervened. Ron Hubbard, a local resident who witnessed the suspect running away, recounted stepping in to stop him. "I decided to step in, throw my leg out, trip him and he landed over here in the grass, and the knife fell in the grass," Hubbard told local reporters, adding that he kicked the weapon away while a second bystander held the suspect.

Although the suspect briefly broke away, law enforcement officers quickly captured him and took him into custody. He was booked into the Shawnee County Jail late Wednesday night. While formal charges had not yet been filed, Schwegman made his first appearance in Shawnee County District Court on Thursday, Oct. 29, where the judge established the $3 million bond.

City officials and police records detailed that the 17 victims targeted across five separate crime scenes ranged in age from four months to 70 years old. Four people sustained injuries, including stabbings and aggravated battery, while 13 other individuals were unharmed during the burglaries and confrontations.

Topeka police are actively investigating the incidents and are urging anyone with surveillance footage or additional information to contact the Topeka Police Criminal Investigation Bureau or submit anonymous tips through Shawnee County Crime Stoppers.