One of five defendants in home-invasion robbery case rejects plea offer, will stand trial

A 21-year-old Lawrence man accused of involvement in a November 2014 home-invasion robbery rejected a final plea offer in court Thursday and will stand trial on Monday.

Gabriel Alexander Patterson is charged with four counts of aggravated robbery and one count of aggravated burglary in connection with a robbery at an apartment in the 900 block of Arkansas Street on Nov. 8.

At a preliminary hearing in December, co-defendant Zachary John Pence, 21, of Lawrence, testified that he, Patterson, Cody Kukuk, 22, and 20-year-old Lawrence residents Driskell Alan Johnson and Yusef Muhammad Kindell disguised themselves, broke into an apartment, battered its residents and stole marijuana, cash and an Xbox.

Kukuk, Johnson and Kindell have already taken plea deals and are awaiting sentencing. Kukuk pleaded no contest to aggravated robbery, robbery and aggravated burglary; Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery; and Kindell pleaded no contest to two counts of robbery.

Pence is scheduled to enter a plea on May 22.

Patterson’s trial will begin with jury selection Monday. It is expected to last through Wednesday.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office refused to release Patterson’s booking photo. Patterson has been out of jail since February after posting a $25,000 bond.