Teens arrested in Shawnee shooting allegedly texted about robbing victim hours before
A fatal Nov. 30 shooting in Shawnee that led to the arrest of five teenagers came after a robbery discussed hours before through text messages by the teenage suspects, prosecutors say.
Sabrina Clark, 17, of Gardner; Kyleigh Guzman, 17, of Gardner; Roger Hernandez, 17, of Olathe; Fernando Gonzalez-Prado, 17, of Olathe; and Fernando Reyes-Lara, 18, of Olathe, were all charged with the first-degree murder or first-degree felony murder of 25-year-old Kansas City resident Jarod Rogers.
Rogers died on Dec. 2 after being hospitalized.
The victim had planned to meet Guzman to sell her marijuana at the time of the shooting, according to documents filed in Johnson County District Court earlier this month.
Police found text messages between Guzman and Reyes-Lara that took place hours before the shooting. Reyes-Lara allegedly told her to “come to the room” so they could discuss the robbery. Text messages continued between the two about robbing Rogers during the drug transaction, according to prosecutors.
Before the drug deal, Rogers and Guzman exchanged Snapchat messages, arranging to meet at the 11000 block of Johnson Drive that evening. Guzman had promised to compensate Rogers via Cash App, though prosecutors say Rogers was never paid.
After the meet-up was scheduled, Hernandez drove Guzman and the other teens to the location around 6:40 p.m. Court documents say Reyes-Lara and Gonzalez-Prado got out of the car and took a “big gun” with them. Guzman told police that the pair said they would “take care” of the payment.
Guzman also told police she and the other teens were waiting in the car, out of sight, when they heard a gunshot. Hernandez allegedly got out to look for the pair but couldn’t find them. The three then drove off without Reyes-Lara and Gonzalez-Prado, according to court documents.
After later meeting up with Gonzalez-Prado and Reyes-Lara in Overland Park, Guzman was allegedly told to turn off her phone and remove its SIM card. The pair provided marijuana to the other teens, prosecutors say.
Reyes-Lara allegedly told another teen, Clark, that the victim had been hurt “pretty bad” and was shot in the head. Clark told police Reyes-Lara did not indicate whether he or Gonzalez-Prado pulled the trigger.
Guzman told police she knew Rogers would be robbed, but did not believe he would be shot. Prosecutors allege Guzman sent text messages to her mother after the shooting, claiming that she did not know anyone had a gun until they got there.
Rogers’ black Dodge Ram was later found in Missouri. Prosecutors believe Reyes-Lara and Gonzalez-Prado stole the vehicle after the shooting.
Court documents state that, during Reyes-Lara’s Dec. 1 arrest, he led law enforcement on a high-speed chase across Johnson County, involving officers from multiple agencies. Reyes-Lara has 15 prior juvenile offenses, including felony firearm possession charges. He is accused of first-degree murder and engaging in a conspiracy to arrange a drug sale with the juveniles.
Clark, Guzman, Hernandez and Gonzalez-Prado are each accused of first-degree felony murder, a charge that alleges a person committed a felony that directly led to murder. Guzman is charged with using a cell phone to commit a felony.
Prosecutors have filed motions in Johnson County District Court for the four juveniles to be tried as adults.
In the court documents, prosecutors noted the investigation into the murder is “lengthy and ongoing,” and additional charges are anticipated.
This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 3:53 PM.