Man indicted on murder charges in Dayton attempted armed robbery

Robert Brooks

Credit: Montgomery County Jail

Credit: Montgomery County Jail

Robert Brooks

A Dayton man is facing murder charges following an attempted robbery that ended with his alleged accomplice’s death.

Robert Anthony Brooks, 32, was indicted on four counts of murder (proximate result), two counts of aggravated robbery, two counts of felonious assault and two counts of having weapons under disability in the death of Kato D. Knight, 25, who was shot multiple times, according to Montgomery County Common Pleas Court records.

Brooks and Knight on Oct. 4 attempted to rob a man on Necco Avenue as he was sleeping in his vehicle, according to Dayton Municipal Court records.

The man in his vehicle told police that he was awakened by a man as another man approached with a gun in his hand, according to an affidavit.

“[The man in the vehicle] advised that he produced his personally owned pistol and fired rounds at both men as they began to fire at him,” the records read.

Knight fled the scene and was found on Cornell Drive. A woman called 911 and said that a man was falling down at her door and asking for help.

Knight was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.

Brooks is accused of murder for Knight’s death because under Ohio law, a person can be held responsible for a death that occurs while committing or attempting to commit a violent offense.

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