Two Manhattan men were arrested Thursday and are confined in Riley County Jail.
Their arrests are not connected.
Thomas Tyrone Epting, 47, was arrested Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the K-State Student Union.
He is charged with rape, sexual battery, criminal restraint and kidnapping. Epting’s charges all involve the same victim.
He is held in jail on a $100,000 bond, after being arrested by K-State Police.
A spokesperson with K-State Police said though an arrest has been made, the investigation remains ongoing.
Kenneth Eracardi Sanders, 38, was arrested at 1:42 p.m. for two counts of aggravated offender registration act violation, six counts of offender registration act violation and two counts of perjury. This arrest comes from a report filed in August 2025.
Sanders was arrested at the Police Department after he went in for questioning, and is held in jail on a $100,000 bond.
RCPD representatives could not confirm Sanders’ original convictions that led to the offender registration violation.
The Mercury was able to find documents filed with the Riley County District Court System that reference a 2020 extradition case to Louisiana charging third-degree rape and sexual battery, it was not clear whether the cases are connected.
