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Mickel Cherry, a 25-year-old from Topeka, Kansas, was identified as a suspect and apprehended in connection to the s*xual assault and murder of a five-year-old. CBS affiliate WIBW-TV reported that Cherry was booked into the Shawnee County Jail at around 4:15 am on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, for the r*pe of Zoey Felix. The 25-year-old was charged with murder in the first degree and r*pe with the offender being older than 18 and the victim being less than 14.
Deputy director of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, Timothy Phelps, said that Mickel Cherry's bond was set at $2 million. Additionally, Phelps noted that there was no attorney listed for the suspected criminal.
Booking records show Mickel Cherry was listed as homeless
Law & Crime reported that at around 6 pm on Monday, officers responded to a medical call at the Dillons gas station near Southeast 29th and California Avenue in Topeka. Upon arrival, first responders located 5-year-old Zoey and had to perform life-saving measures. She was then transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. However, she succumbed to her injuries and was declared dead by the hospital.
CBS News reported that police spokesperson Rosie Nichols said that Zoey knew Mickels but stated that she couldn't give additional details about how the two knew each other. Nichols also declined to provide additional details about the cause of the five-year-old's death.
Meanwhile, booking records revealed that Mickel Cherry was listed as homeless.
It is worth noting that according to some neighbors, Zoey lived with her mother. They also said that before the incident, Mickel and several others lived in the same residence as Zoey and her mother. However, around two weeks ago, the five-year-old's mother allegedly threw all of them out.
A report by the Topeka Capital-Journal mentioned everyone, including Zoey moved to a campsite located less than a mile away. The relationship between Mickel, Zoey, and her mother remains unknown.
Neighbors also told news outlets that Zoey had lived in a dilapidated residence with her mother, a teenage sister, and an adult male. According to the Topeka Capital-Journal, the male was reportedly a convicted child m*lester. It remains unclear whether the supposed child m*lester who stayed with Zoey and her family before was Mickel Cherry or another man.
Zoey Felix's mother is on probation for aggravated battery
The 5-year-old victim's mother, Holly Jo Felix, is on probation for aggravated battery committed a year before. Shawnee County District Court records indicated that in that case, the victim, who was only identified as "Z.F." with the birthdate mentioned as XX/XX/2018, was Zoey Felix.
A local who frequents the neighborhood, Sheryl Tyree said that everyone on the block took care of Zoey.
"Everybody loved Zoey, except her parents," Tyree added.
Zoey was also reported as a victim of neglect by her neighbors to the Kansas Department for Children and Families.
Mickel Cherry's first court appearance has been scheduled for December 21, 2023.
