Man Who Stole Wedding Ring From Dying Woman At Wichita Taco Bell Finally Gets Sentenced
Taco Bell thief Daquantrius Johnson was sentenced yesterday by Sedgwick County District Judge Christoper Magana to spend 11 years in prison for robbing a dying woman in a Taco Bell drive through in December of 2013.
In all, Johnson will be facing approximately 20-and-a-half years in prison because he was also charged with several other crimes which he committed while on felony probation.
Getting ready for the sentencing of Daquantrius Johnson. He was found guilty of stealing woman’s wedding band #kwch12 pic.twitter.com/os1wVPaNIj
— Emily Griffin (@KWCHEmily) March 30, 2015
Johnson’s attorney, Terry Beall, tried to appeal to the judge, pleading for his client to be placed under probation again. Magana refused, concluding that Johnson is a threat to the society.
“Unfortunately, you have become a predator on others in our society… and the public must be protected from predators and the community must be safeguarded.
“I have considered your situation and your history, and there is much about that that is regrettable. But it’s also my job to consider the victim in this case, Danielle Zimmerman.”
During the trial, Johnson was shackled at his wrists and ankles. Although he did not speak, the suspect kept a cool demeanor and was smiling from time to time as the judge declared his sentence. Johnson’s lack of remorse provoked the victim’s husband, Kris Zimmerman, and drove him to ask Magana to impose the maximum sentence on Johnson.
Zimmerman gave a statement to the courtroom.
“Judge, I hope you impose the maximum sentence allowed. Mr. Johnson has displayed no remorse throughout these proceedings and his disrespect for the courtroom throughout has turned a tragic event into a crime of opportunity and needs to be held accountable for his actions.”
He also addressed the suspect, saying, “You disrespected Danny, me and my family. You also disrespected your family. When you became a father, you had the responsibility to be a good role model. You set no example of that. I hope when you’re released, you become a productive member of our society. I would think you want your children to admire you, not be ashamed of you.”
The victim, 43-year-old Danielle Zimmerman, was a wife and a mother of two. She went to Taco Bell in Wichita, Kansas, to buy dinner for her family. Unfortunately, she was struck by a brain aneurysm while at the drive through and her truck hit the restaurant’s speaker box. Instead of coming to her aid, three men took advantage of the dying victim and stole her purse, iPhone, and wedding ring. Later, police and rescue arrived at the scene, and she was taken to the hospital. Zimmerman died the following day.
After receiving a tip from Crime Stoppers, the authorities arrested the three Taco Bell thieves, namely Daquantrius Johnson, Quanique Thomas-Hameen, and Keith Hickles. In December, Hickles pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft and received a nine-month sentence in jail. On the other hand, Thomas-Hameen also pleaded guilty to the same crime and in aiding a convicted felon. He was given a 19-month sentence last October.
[Main image via ksn.com, image of Zimmerman family via YouTube]
