Garden City Police Make Arrest In Beating Of Elderly Woman

Police have arrested three people on drug charges, one of them accused of robbing and beating an elderly woman early last month.

It began March 6 as a 76-year-old woman was leaving a Dillons store in the 1300 block of East Kansas in Garden City.

As she was walking through the parking lot, another woman approached asking for a ride. The other agreed and drove her to an unknown street in the northern part of town. As soon as she stopped the car, police say the suspect began hitting the older woman over the head with a grocery bag containing several canned goods. The suspect then took the woman’s purse, which contained a checkbook and about $86 in cash.

EMS treated the 76-year-old for wounds to her head and hand.

During a follow-up investigation, it was determined that some of the stolen checks were used at a Garden City business. That led officers to 31-year-old Candice Craig, who they believe wrote the checks. Craig was also already under investigation for her alleged involvement in the sale of methamphetamine.

Last Friday, officers from the Garden City Police Department, Garden City/Finney County Drug Task Force and the Garden City SWAT team served a search warrant at her residence in the 2000 block of North Eighth Street.

During the search, Craig and 49-year-old Michael Ayers were found to be in possession of suspected meth. A third person in the home, 46-year-old James Chambers, was found to be in possession of suspected marijuana.

Officers recovered 14 grams of suspected meth, 1.5 grams of suspected marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a small amount of money.

All three were arrested and booked into jail. Craig is facing charges of aggravated robbery, four counts of forgery, possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute within 1000 feet of a school, possession of drug paraphernalia, no Kansas drug tax stamp and possession of proceeds from drug sales.