Four charged with burglary and stealing from Plaza stores during Saturday’s protests
Jackson County prosecutors have charged four persons who allegedly stole clothing, tennis shoes and other items from three stores on the Country Club Plaza that were vandalized during protest demonstrations held there over the weekend.
Donzell R. Davis, 29, of Kansas City, was charged with second-degree burglary and stealing. Raven Moses, 29; Richard Black, 27; Damien Smith, 27; all from Kansas City, were each charged with stealing. Prosecutors alleged that thefts occurred Saturday evening.
According to court records, police officers working the protest noticed a broken window at Anthropologie, located in the 500 block of Nichols Road. That store as well as other businesses were closed prior to the scheduled demonstrations.
Officers yelled into the store when they noticed several persons inside, including Davis. Officers searched Davis and found he had more than $500 worth of clothing stuffed in his pants. Davis admitted to officers that he attended the protests and then went inside Anthropologie. Davis also said that he did not break the window, but investigators noticed a fresh blood wound on the palm of his left hand, prosecutors allege.
Just after 11 p.m., police working the protest were alerted about a possible burglary and looting at The North Face store in the 300 block of West 47th Street. Arriving officers noticed Moses and a man walking south on Central Avenue at 47th Street. Moses and the man dropped several clothing items. The man ran and was not arrested. Officers arrested Moses. The items Moses allegedly dropped included a $500 jacket, a $660 sweater and another jacket that was priced at $199, according to court records.
Moses later told investigators she had gone to the Plaza to meet with some friends. She was walking to her car around 10 p.m. and saw several people coming out of The North Face store. One of them threw some clothes when officers showed up.
Prosecutors also allege that officers noticed a black Chevrolet Camero back down the alley behind the Foot Locker store. The passenger of the car, who police identified as Smith, got out and picked up clothing from behind a utility box in the alley. Smith then put the clothes in the back seat of the Camero. Black, identified by police as the driver of the car, helped Smith put the items inside the car, according to court records.
Police responded to the scene and arrested Smith and Black. Officers found numerous jerseys and Nike shoe boxes in the back seat of the Camero, including nine Los Angeles Lakers jerseys that were valued at $990 and six pairs of Nike shoes that were worth $1,000. Police believe those items were stolen from the Foot Locker store.
Officers also found inside the car a handgun that was loaded with one round in the chamber and six rounds in the magazine.
Prosecutors requested a $10,000 bond for Davis and Smith and $15,000 bond for Black and a $5,000 bond for Moses.
