Cowley County Sheriff’s investigators have arrested a 15-year-old suspect they believe fired gunshots that struck Angela Krepps in the face and chest as she stood outside her Cambridge home early Wednesday.
The teen was taken into custody around 9 p.m the day of the shooting and is being held at a juvenile detention facility in Reno County. A detention hearing for the boy is set for 1:30 p.m. Friday in Winfield.
The teen is in Reno County because this county does not have appropriate juvenile facilities, officials said. He faces at least four felony charges but it’s unclear what those charges will be, according to Cowley County Attorney Chris Smith.
Krepps, 34, showed up in the emergency room at William Newton Hospital some time after 4 a.m. Wednesday after her 8-year-old son called his father and indicated his mother was injured. Wayne Krepps arrived home from work to find his wife was hurt, though at the time it was not clear she had been shot, investigators said.
Angela Krepps was evaluated and hospital personnel determined her wounds appeared to be the result of gun fire. Krepps was taken to St. Francis hospital and her husband was interviewed. From that point investigators believed they were investigating a shooting, Sheriff Don Read said.
But officers broke the case after receiving a separate report from parents of a teenage child who had taken their car without permission during the middle of the night. The people reporting the complaint lived in an area near the Krepps’ home, which is at 13999 253rd Rd.
"You get that report and know the kid was out driving around," Undersheriff Bill Mueller said. "It seemed like too much of a coincidence."
Read said trackers found evidence at the Krepps home that helped to further incriminate the suspect. Arrangements were made for the boy to be brought to Winfield by his father for questioning.
The suspect spoke with investigators for about an hour and information from the interview linked the boy to at least two burglary cases unrelated to the Krepps shooting, Read said.
A firearm believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered from the suspect’s home. Investigators believe the boy may have intended to burglarize the Krepps’ property but would not comment further.
Read said the woman heard noise prior to the incident and was just outside her backdoor when she was shot. She was not aware she’d been shot at the time.
Smith said he has not made a decision as to whether to charge the suspect as an adult. Krepps was in fair condition at the time of this report.
