Man charged with murder after police say high-speed chase led to motorcyclist's death

A man has been charged with first-degree murder after a vehicle he was allegedly chasing at high speed struck and killed a motorcyclist in Topeka over the weekend.

Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay on Thursday announced his office had filed charges against Geovany Andrew Arellano, 23, in connection with the death of Sam Rice, a motorcyclist who was struck and killed by an SUV police early Sunday.

According to police, Arellano and an unnamed person had been at a party early Sunday morning when they got into an argument with a group of other people. Arellano and that unnamed person then left the party but waited in their SUV for the people they had been arguing with to leave the party, and proceeded to chase their two vehicles at high speeds.

The driver of one of the vehicles being pursued by Arellano then struck Rice, who was not involved in the chase, on his motorcycle near S.E. 6th and Chandler.

That driver, whom the report also does not name, stopped to tend to Rice and called 911 about 3:18 a.m. He told emergency responders that Arellano had been chasing him at high speed, while a passenger in Arellano's SUV appeared to be leaning out of the window with a firearm.

Rice died from his injuries.

After the first crash, Arellano allegedly continued to pursue five occupants of a second car, which lost control and crashed into a building at S.E. 6th and Quincy.

Arellano was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Jail later Sunday evening. He has since been charged with first-degree murder committed during an inherently dangerous f, second-degree murder, six counts of aggravated assault, five counts of aggravated child endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving.

Arellano remained in custody as of Thursday afternoon with bond set at $1 million and a scheduling conference hearing set for May 26.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Geovany Arellano charged with murder in motorcyclist's death in Topeka