Slippery fugitive stays step ahead of cops by floating off on a log, Kansas reports say

Police are searching for a man they believe is connected to an armed robbery in Kansas, but he keeps slipping through their grasp, reports say.

Officials in Allen County are on high alert after they say Aaron Hutton, 29, donned a skull mask and robbed an Iola Cash Advance at gunpoint Wednesday morning, KOAM reported. Police say he left with cash as well as the cashier’s car and cellphone.

Since then, 11 law enforcement agencies from all over the area including Iola, Humboldt and Chanute as well as Allen, Neosho and Woodson counties, have joined the search, according to the news outlet.

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First, Hutton was spotted in the neighboring town of Humboldt going door-to-door attempting to enter several homes, the Iola Register reported. Some reports suggest he was at his brother’s home in the area, according to KOAM.

When Hutton noticed law enforcement on his tail, he made a break for it to the nearby Neosho River, shedding his backpack before hiding and eventually jumping in the water, according to the Register. Officials recovered the backpack and say they found cash, a skull mask, a handgun and clothing inside, KOAM reported.

K-9 units and a Kansas Highway Patrol helicopter were called to the area to help. Police lined both banks of the river, but to no avail; the helicopter ran out of fuel before Hutton could be found, police say. Later in the day, he was spotted floating down the river on a log, the Register reported.

At the time of publication, Hutton was still on the loose, Humboldt police said in a Facebook post.

The Allen County Sheriff’s Office has described him as being 5’ 11” and having a slender build, last wearing boxers and socks.

Law enforcement agencies across the county are asking for the public’s help in locating Hutton and are advising residents to keep their homes and cars locked, saying that he is considered “armed and dangerous,” Chanute police said. Anyone who spots Hutton is asked to call 911.

This story was originally published August 22, 2019 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Slippery fugitive stays step ahead of cops by floating off on a log, Kansas reports say."