A Kansas City man has been found guilty of robbery and assault for his involvement in a home invasion which resulted in a Parkville man being shot multiple times.
Re’Quon Dillard
Re’Quon Dillard, 21, was found guilty by a Platte County jury on Feb. 1 following a five-day jury trial.
“Platte County was once part of the Wild West, but those days have ended,” Platte County prosecuting attorney Eric Zahnd said. “The jury sent the message in this case that senseless acts of violence will not be tolerated in our community.”
At trial, prosecutors proved that on February 17, 2017, three men, including Dillard, grabbed a teenager off the street at gunpoint. They then forced the victim into his residence.
While in the residence, the men held multiple people at gunpoint. When the teenager’s grandfather tried to intervene, he was shot multiple times.
The three men stole a purse and fled the residence. The shooting victim was rushed to North Kansas City Hospital and survived.
The victims testified that Dillard was armed with a handgun when the men broke into the home and demanded money. They were later able to identify Dillard from Facebook, which ultimately led the United States Marshals Service to apprehending the defendant.
“Every person should feel safe inside his or her own home,” Zahnd said. “The defendant shattered this family’s sense of security, and he will now be held accountable.”
The jury found Dillard guilty of assault in the first degree, robbery in the first degree and armed criminal action.
The jury recommended sentences of 16 years for the assault, 11 years for the robbery and five years for the armed criminal action. Formal sentencing is scheduled for April 18.
The case was investigated by the Platte County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Marshal Service. It was tried by assistant prosecuting attorneys Amy Ashelford and Blake Sherer.