Police have arrested a Jewell, Kansas man in connection with an attempted theft and child endangerment case at a Salina motel.

Captain Mike Sweeney tells The Salina Post that officers were sent to the Ambassador Hotel, 1616 W. Crawford, at around 12 p.m. Saturday afternoon after an employee of the hotel observed a man attempting to pry open a coin operated washing machine.

The man, 27-year-old Justin Kemmerer was initially spotted near a van, but he fled as police were arriving at the hotel. Inside the van, police found Kemmerer’s children, ages 2, 6, 4 and 9.

Kemmerer later returned to the hotel and was taken into custody. He was booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges that included attempted theft, criminal damage to property and child endangerment.