Two men have been arrested and identified as police seek a third individual in a crime that ignited widespread outrage, leaving a family in Wichita, Kansas distraught and in disbelief.
On December 29, 43-year-old Danielle Zimmerman was making a run to an area Taco Bell to pick up dinner for her husband, one of her two teenage sons and one of the latter’s friends. Tragically, Danielle suffered a fatal brain aneurysm and her truck collided with the chain restaurant’s speaker box. As she lay stricken in the vehicle, someone stole her iPhone, purse and most disturbingly — her wedding ring off of her finger as others arrived to try to assist her.
The story became viral as police requested the public’s assistance in finding the cold-hearted culprits. A tip was called in Friday evening to Crime Stoppers which led to the arrest of Daquantrius Shaquill Johnson and Quanique Dontrell Thomas-Hameen (pictured above L-R), both 19, according to The Wichita Eagle.
Court records indicated that Johnson was being held in jail on suspicion of robbery, criminal possession of a firearm and a probation violation, with bonds totaling $315,000.Thomas-Hameen was being held on suspicion of robbery and various traffic charges, with a bond totaling $200,500.
Danielle Zimmerman died the day after being taken from the scene to an area hospital. Danielle and her husband Kris Zimmerman had been married for 21 years. Their two sons are Noah, 13, and Alex, 18.
Zimmerman family – Facebook
Before the arrests Kris Zimmerman said, “Instead of trying to help her, somebody robbed her. What really appalled me – the wedding ring. How could you take somebody’s wedding ring off their finger?” After he received news of the arrests he stated, “It helps maybe bring a little bit of closure.”
As for his sons, Kris stated that the horrible ordeal has become a brutal lesson for them. “They can’t believe that somebody would do that … a crime like that to somebody in her condition. It’s kind of a cruel wake-up call for them.” He added that he and Danielle had raised their boys to help those in need, “not take advantage of them.”
Danielle’s purse, which included photos of her children, was found near the Taco Bell by area kids sledding. $150 and credit cards had been stolen. Capt. Brent Allred said that some of Danielle’s missing property had been recovered after the recent arrests but not the wedding ring.
Kris said of his late wife and the mother of his children, “She was easy-going, fun. We could finish each other’s thought. We were just the perfect match really. And she was a great mother and great wife.”
