Waco, TX – December 11, 2014 – Jurors sentenced 25 year old Joshua Willis to 60 years in prison after finding him guilty of aggravated robbery after his attempt to assault a Repo Man and steal back his repossessed his car.
Jurors began hearing punishment evidence Thursday morning and started deliberations at around 2 p.m. and found him guilty on Wednesday.
Willis was accused of attacking a Repo Man who was attempting to repossess a blue Mercury Gran Marquis at around 4:20 p.m. on Nov. 14, 2012, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said.
On that day officers were sent to an address near Harlem and Turner streets where a Repo Man reported he had been assaulted by a man who was trying to prevent him from repossessing the vehicle.
The Repo Man told officers he had hooked his truck up to the car in front of a house that’s also known as The Barber Shop when a man ran out house, got into the car and tried to drive it off from the tow truck, Swanton said.
When that was unsuccessful, the man ran to the tow truck and tried to take the keys out of the ignition, police said.
When that failed the man began hitting the driver with his fists and bit the driver on the back, yelling for a friend to get his gun.
The driver said he feared for his life so he got out of his truck and turned it over to his attacker who drove off in the wrecker with the car attached to the back, police said.
Detectives later were able to identify the suspect and obtained a warrant for him.
Willis later was arrested Feb. 5, 2013 by U.S. Marshals when they served a warrant on another man and found Willis at the same location, Swanton said.
I’m all for making sure people suffer the consequences of their actions, but a 60 year sentence for punching and biting a repossessor isn’t fair and just.
If I were the repossessor, I wouldn’t have wanted this outcome. Obviously, the offender isn’t an upstanding citizen but 60 years is laughable when rapists are getting 20-25 years.
Our justice system isn’t always just.