Elias Ricardo Trejo, 36, of Great Bend, was arrested Monday and booked into the county jail on a charge of second-degree murder in lieu of a $500,000 bond. The Great Bend Police Department announced earlier in the day that he was considered a “person of interest” in the death of Micah Merryman-Scifres, 39.

According to reports, the GBPD and Great Bend Fire Department Ambulance personnel were dispatched to the Best Western Angus Inn at 2920 10th St. at 11:53 p.m. Sunday for a report of a male laying on the ground, bleeding and not moving. Officers found Merryman-Scifres dead at the scene.

A search began for Trejo, who was identified as a person of interest and was last seen in a dark-colored four-door passenger car with unknown Texas license plates.

Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir said Trejo was arrested after a citizen reported sighting him at about 6:31 p.m. Monday. Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an area near SW 60 Ave. and SW 60 Road. Two minutes later, BCSO Sgt. Travis Doze located the suspect vehicle and conducted a felony traffic stop. Trejo was taken into custody without incident.

Assisting agencies in this GBPD case were the Barton County Sheriff’s Office, Ellinwood Police Department and Great Bend Fire Department EMS.

Friends of the deceased said he was from the Corpus Christi, Texas, area and was in Great Bend with his boss doing contract work for a utility company.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call the GBPD, 620-792-4120, or Crime Stoppers, 620-792-1300.

This is an updated version of a story that ran earlier.