Two Manhattan men were arrested Thursday and are currently being held in Riley County Jail. The arrests are unrelated.
Thomas Tyrone Epting, 47, was taken into custody at 2:30 p.m. at the K-State Student Union. He faces charges of rape, sexual battery, criminal restraint, and kidnapping, all involving the same victim. Epting was arrested by K-State Police and is being held on a $100,000 bond. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing.
Separately, Kenneth Eracardi Sanders, 38, was arrested at 1:42 p.m. at the Police Department after voluntarily coming in for questioning. Sanders faces two counts of aggravated offender registration act violations, six counts of offender registration act violations, and two counts of perjury. These charges stem from a report filed in August 2025. He is also held on a $100,000 bond.
Riley County Police have not confirmed the specifics of Sanders’ prior convictions, but court documents mention a 2020 extradition case to Louisiana related to third-degree rape and sexual battery. It is unclear if these cases are connected.
