Kansas City News Blog

Nikkolas Mata

Robbing a hydroponics store for grow lights isn't a great plan for a heist. Robbing it with a stun gun when the shopkeeper is packing a revolver -- even worse. The story gets much worse for 17-year-old Nikkolas Mata, who Jackson County prosecutors are charging him second-degree murder, attempted robbery and armed criminal action.

Court documents allege that Mata and Christopher Kubic tried to rob Grow Your Own Hydroponics, 3615 St. John Ave., but the store's owner fought back after Kubic shocked him with a taser. The store owner pulled out a .38 revolver and started shooting, and the robbers fled.

Later, Kansas City Police officers found a green Ford Expedition flipped over. Kubic, with a gunshot wound, was laying next to the wrecked SUV. He later died at the hospital.

The next day, detectives spoke with a witness who saw Mata leave his home in a green Ford Expedition. The witness claimed that Mata returned to the house a couple hours later "on foot" and was so shaken up that he "vomited all night long."

The next morning, the witness said, Mata relayed the entire story of trying to rob the hydroponics store. The witness said that Kubic and Mata wanted to steal grow lights so they could grow marijuana. Mata supposedly told the witness that the shop owner shot Kubic four times.

Other witnesses told police that they overheard Mata and Kubic talking about robbing the store.

KC Police arrested Mata Monday evening.