Harvey L. Bryant, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach, announced today that Tyquine Rahmer Lee, 20 years old, formerly of Chesapeake, Virginia, was found guilty by a jury of Statutory Burglary, Armed Robbery, Conspiracy, and two (2) counts of Use of a Firearm. The jury recommended a sentence of 34 years in prison. Circuit Court Judge Edward W. Hanson Jr., who presided over the trial, will formally sentence Lee on April 3, 2013.
The Commonwealth’s evidence proved that on the evening of October 13, 2011, Tyquine Rahmer Lee and a female co-defendant committed a home invasion at the Victoria Place Apartments, which is a senior citizens complex. An elderly woman was home alone when she heard a knock on her door and a plea for help. She looked out her peephole and saw a female lying on the ground, crying and begging for help. As she cracked open her door to help, Lee forced his way inside and pushed the victim to the ground. He pointed a gun at the victim and demanded her purse. The female co-defendant ransacked the home as Lee held the victim to the ground. Eventually they found about $100 cash. As they ran from the home, they threatened to come back and shoot the victim if she got up and called the police. Once the victim believed they were gone, she called 911 and provided a description of her assailants.
On October 24, 2011, Lee and his co-defendant were involved in a police pursuit on unrelated crimes that occurred in Norfolk and Chesapeake. When apprehended and questioned by detectives with the Chesapeake Police Department, Lee confessed to the home invasion at the Victoria Place Apartments in Virginia Beach.
Lee’s co-defendant is scheduled for trial on December 19, 2012, for charges of Statutory Burglary, Armed Robbery, Possession of a Sawed off Shotgun, and Conspiracy.
In November 2012, Lee was sentenced in Norfolk Circuit Court to 19 years in prison for charges of Burglary, Conspiracy, Use of a Firearm, Wearing a Mask, and two (2) counts of Assault and Battery. He is awaiting sentencing in Chesapeake Circuit Court for charges of Malicious Wounding, nine (9) counts of Robbery, seven (7) counts of Armed Burglary, nine (9) counts of Use of a Firearm, two (2) counts of Possession of a Sawed off Shotgun, Wearing a Mask, and two (2) counts of Credit Card Larceny.
The case was prosecuted by Associate Commonwealth’s Attorney Tabitha B. Anderson. Please contact Macie Pridgen if additional information is desired.