Kansas Man Kills Girlfriend, 4-Year-Old Daughter Before Calling Police to Report Them Missing

A Kansas man has been arrested and charged for killing his girlfriend and her four-year-old daughter after he reported them missing.

According to Ford County Sheriff's Office, Michael A. Peterson, 31, called police to report that his girlfriend, Kayla Vasquez, 31, and her daughter, Aaliyah Vasquez, were missing.

Crime Online reported that police officers arrived at Peterson's home in Spearville at around 1:20 p.m. Wednesday. However, they noticed evidence that a crime had occurred inside the house.

Police then detained Peterson for questioning. Later in the afternoon, the sheriff's office asked assistance from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), and they launched an extensive search for both mother and daughter.

Kansas Man Arrested For Killing Girlfriend and Daughter

According to KMBC, KBI agents and deputies from the Ford County Sheriff's Office conducted the search for the mother and daughter with the assistance of the Edwards County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities found Kayla's body in rural Ford County at around 4:15 a.m Thursday, while the child's body was discovered in Kinsley at 5:40 a.m.

Peterson was arrested at around 7:35 a.m. for the deaths of Kayla and Aaliyah. The Kansas man was charged with two counts of capital murder. Police said an autopsy on the victims is pending.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses. Police noted that no threat to the public is believed to exist related to this incident.

Authorities asked anyone who has information about this case to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME or the Ford County Sheriff's Office at 620-227-4501. Police said the case is still under investigation.

Kansas Crime Rate

The crime index rate in Kansas increased by 1.4 percent, from 29.3 offenses per 1,000 people in 2019 to 29.7 in 2020.

Violent index offenses were 24.4 percent above the 10-year average in 2020. Two years ago, Kansas's violent crime index rate was 4.7 offenses per 1,000 people.

There was a 9.3 percent increase in 2020 over 2019. Violent crimes were heavily affected by aggravated assault or battery offenses.

There were 11,201 aggravated assault or battery offenses reported in 2020, which equated to 81 percent of the violent crimes reported.

Meanwhile, murder, rape, and robbery totaled 2,695 offenses, which was 19 percent of the violent crimes reported. Murders were up by 48.5 percent in 2020, while rape was down by 8.2 percent. Robbery also decreased by 7.7 percent.

In 2020, 193 murders happened, with murders being 43 percent above the 10-year average. Murders rose by 48.5 percent from 2019 to 2020.

It was the highest increase since 1991 at 56.1 percent. The total murders in 2020 were the highest total since the Federal Bureau of Investigation published Crime in the U.S. in 1959.

Some 18.7 percent of the murders listed an unknown suspect. On the other hand, domestic violence murders have reached an average of 25 to 30 percent in recent years.

Domestic violence was 17.6 percent of the total in 2020. Drug and gang violence was determined to be a major contributor to the rise in murders during the 2020 calendar year.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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