Dad jailed for kidnapping, battery tries to intimidate kids from jail (Ottawa, Kansas)

Jailed dad LEVITICUS HOUSTON is charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, assault, and lots of other things in an incident where he attacked his kidnapped girlfriend, attempted to strangle her, and then threw her in a pond. Their two children were witnesses in the backseat. Yet somehow, the police allow this guy to threaten and intimidate these kids on the phone from jail. Unbelievable.

http://www.kansas.com/news/crime-courts/story/894825.html

Jailed dad asked child to keep mum

By McClatchy Regional News
OTTAWA — In a recording played in Franklin County court, a man charged with choking his girlfriend and throwing her in a pond called their 6-year-old daughter from the Franklin County Jail, telling her not to talk to police.

Leviticus Houston, who was arrested June 9, faces charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, assault, misdemeanor battery, criminal damage to property and several other charges.

He also faces charges of intimidation of a witness stemming from phone calls to his children.

In the recording played at Wednesday's preliminary hearing, Houston asked his daughter if she has talked to police.

"Yes," she responded.

"Did they ask you a bunch of questions?"

"Yeah. They asked me what happened."

"Don't talk to anybody else, and don't tell anybody else anything," Houston told her.

Authorities allege Houston, 29, kidnapped his girlfriend, drove her to a Franklin County pond with their two children in the back seat, wrapped a seat belt around her neck until she gagged, then tossed her in the pond. She survived.

Detective Tammy Moews with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office said that, despite a court order forbidding him from calling his children, Houston did it twice. He also knew his calls were being recorded, she said.

After hanging up with his daughter, Houston called his 3-year-old son, who asked him why police had taken him from their home June 5.

"Your mom told them to," Houston told the boy. "Your mom did all that, buddy. I would not do that to you."

Moews said the girlfriend told her that when she tried to climb out of the pond, Houston kicked her in the face, knocking her back in. The woman told Moews that he eventually helped her out of the pond, only to throw her back in.

Houston's jury trial is set to start Nov. 3.