Utah man arrested for assaulting minor for stealing his marijuana

LAYTON, Utah (ABC4) – A Utah man has been arrested after he allegedly assaulted a 15-year-old and also for recruiting teens to sell drugs for him.

Detectives began intercepting 19-year-old Preston Kilpatrick’s social media messages after a 15-year-old arrived at the Layton Police Department with his parents alleging that Kilpatrick assaulted him in a park — because the teen stole his marijuana.

The 15-year-old told police that he was invited to hangout with another teen and Kilpatrick to smoke marijuana at a park. After the three of them smoked, the 15-year-old reported that as he was walking back to the car, Kilpatrick struck him in the head from behind.

During the assault, a video shows Kilpatrick holding a gun to the 15-year-olds head telling him to give up his property. The victim suffered swelling and bruising to his head, face, and eye after the assault.

The victim gave police Kilpatricks Instagram account where they obtained warrants to intercept the suspect messages.

Beginning on Jan. 26, police discovered messages of Kilpatrick planning the attack on Jan.14 with two other teens. The orchestrated plan included taking any drugs the victim had, any money he had on him, his necklace, and his phone. Kilpatrick also told one of the minors that going home to get his gun.

The next day, Kilpatrick was bragging about the assault to a woman who confronted him for attacking the 15-year-old — he told the woman he knew how old the victim was but he had it coming for him for stealing from him.

Police also found multiple messages of Kilpatrick discussing with the teens the types and quantites of illegal narcotics the group would sell and how much money they would make from January 26 to February 7.

When police arrested Kilpatrick on Feb. 7, he admitted to having a group of “juvenille friends” who sold drugs with him and that he “wasn’t forcing them to do it,” court documents state.

He also admitted to planning and executing the aggravated robbery on the 15-year-old because the teen stole from him. He told police that the gun shown in the video was a BB gun.

Kilpatrick was arrested and booked into Davis County Jail for the following charges: