LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - Like any other sunny day, Carlos and Christopher Soto took their Chihuahua to a nearby Las Vegas dog park and planned to maybe grab Chipotle after, but within a few minutes of leaving their house the two brothers’ lives would change forever.

On Monday, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police responded to a crash that occurred around 4:20 p.m. involving two electric scooters and a car near West Warm Springs Road and South Torrey Pines Drive.

The 22-year-old man identified as Christopher Soto and his 14-year-old brother, Carlos, were riding the scooters and taken to a local hospital, where staff pronounced Soto dead. As of Thursday evening, Carlos was at University Medical Center with critical injuries.

Cat Velazuez, Soto’s mother, said she already has received an outpouring of support from her son’s coworkers and friends who assembled a memorial at the crash site.

“Christopher has so many friends and so many support systems everywhere,” she said. “We just all love him. He was that big goofball, teddy bear, Dennis the Menace.”

Not far from Velazquez, her son Carlos is still going through surgery inside the pediatric wing of the hospital after suffering multiple injuries from the crash.

“My son is still in critical condition, but he's fighting,” she said. “They won't say he's stable, but we're all hoping he's going to pull through, and he's a fighter.”

Moments after first responders arrived at the scene of the crash, witnesses told Velazquez someone heard the cries of the 8-year-old Chihuahua, Carmella, from inside the bubble of a heavy, black backpack. The dog lying in the road was taken to the nearby Aloha Animal Hospital.

“She's a little fighter too, so I know she's going to make it,” Velazquez said. “They're just taking care of her and feeding her and loving her.”

Velazquez said she wants the community to remember Christopher as the fun, outgoing person he was to his friends and coworkers from the nearby McDonalds and Chick-fil-A.

“They've been amazing, just supportive, loving, kind words, reaching out,” she said.

Velazquez said the memorial at the site of the crash has become a showcase of Christopher’s favorite things: sports cars, Prime energy, and music.

“It feels really good to see all the love and the support,” she said. “Because this is very difficult.”

One of the next big challenges will be the cost of burying and honoring Christopher’s legacy. Velazquez said she asks anyone who is able to help bury her son to donate to a GoFundMe, which one of her managers put together. 8 News Now has verified Katie DuBrule as Velazquez’s manager.

Velazquez said the pain has been unreal and unlike anything she has ever experienced, asking other parents to always hold their children close.

“Just hug your loved ones,” she said. “Tell your kids you're proud of them. Never hang up without saying, ‘I love you.’”

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - Family and friends joined law enforcement and community advocates Friday for a vigil to honor those killed on Southern Nevada highways.

In 2024, 412 people lost their lives in crashes on Nevada roadways, including 293 in Clark County.

Nevada Highway Patrol held the annual event at its headquarters near Bermuda and Sunset Roads to remember 88 people who died in their jurisdiction.

"You never get over that pain," Diane Malone said. "It's with you all the time."

Malone attended Friday's event to remember her daughter and son-in-law who were hit and killed by a drunk driver in 2018.

"They were just sitting at a stoplight waiting for the light to change," Malone said. "And he rammed them at over 100 miles an hour. They didn't have a chance."

Malone was one of many people who showed up to offer support as law enforcement and other community members spoke on the importance of what they called a commitment to reclaim the roadways.

"It's important that they know," Nevada Highway Patrol Major Kevin Honea said. "That we feel that loss too."

Major Honea and several others spoke on their efforts to focus on the faces behind the tragedies they deal with daily.

During the ceremony, the name of each person killed was read while troopers lit candles to remember them.

"It's important for everybody to know that we understand that that's a father, that's a sister," Major Honea said. "Everybody had an empty table at Christmas last year."

More people died in crashes across Clark County in 2024 compared to 2023, according to Nevada State Police.

Statistics released in January cited a 6% rise in overall fatalities, with impairment and speeding listed as top factors.

Major Honea also spoke with 8 News Now Friday about work to make changes and increase safety.

"We do what we can, obviously with the legislative session that we are currently in," Major Honea said. "There are a lot of traffic safety initiatives, there are a lot of little tweaks to the law."

Malone expressed her ongoing grief and sadness, which she described as never-ending.

She hopes her story serves as a reminder to never drive impaired.

"Just never drive drunk. There is absolutely no excuse for it," Malone concluded. "There are too many other options out there as far as transportation."

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS) — There’s been a large uptick in electric scooter and bicycle-related deaths. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, fatal collisions are up 200%, compared to this time last year.

This week, a man died and a teen was hospitalized following a crash involving two electric scooters near West Warm Springs Road and South Torrey Pines Drive. Last month, a 62-year-old man died following an electric bike crash at the intersection of Jones Boulevard and Elkhorn Road.

Despite the troubling statistics and safety challenges, e-bikes and scooters remain popular. One bicycle store manager told KLAS that although the store sells various types of bicycles, e-bikes make up the majority of his sales, adding that the number only continues to rise.

“Thirty percent of our inventory and probably 20% of our sales are e-bikes,” Shaun Fowler, store manager for Trek Bicycle Las Vegas West, told 8 News Now. “It's gone up significantly because it lets regular people just go further faster.”

Fowler continued, “People now too are considering it another form of transportation, so not just weekend but maybe they're going to park their car a couple of days a week and use it as transportation.”

Long-time cyclist Brad Curtis told KLAS it took him some convincing to get onboard with the idea of an electric bike.

“When I turned 60, my kids bought me an electric bike because I was refusing to go for it,” Curtis said.

Fast forward to today, he loves it due to its expanded capabilities. The avid biker also rides motorcycles and emphasizes the importance of defensive riding.

“Sometimes, they just don't see you,” he said. “I've been cut off a thousand times, right? So, you have to ride really defensively.”

Meanwhile, Trek store manager Fowler recommends focusing on offensive riding.

“Be aggressive like a car,” he advised. “Don't scoot all the way over. Give yourself space. Cars are supposed to stay three feet away from you.”

In Nevada, state law requires bike riders to follow the same traffic laws as other drivers, including speed limits and right-of-way laws.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - Technology played a key role in the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s investigation and arrest of Paul Kim, the man accused of setting fires at a Tesla collision center.

Flock Safety is a technology company that collaborates with Las Vegas Metro police. The CEO of Flock Safety told 8 News Now that every car has a fingerprint, and his tech revealed that the camera system creates a search engine for investigators to find cars.

Flock's search engine helped investigators find Kim's car — a major clue in the investigation. Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill gave credit to Flock while announcing Kim's arrest.

“This case is not solved without the use of technology,” McMahill said.

The sheriff said he takes pride in LVMPD’s status as a high-tech police department. They've worked with Flock for two years. Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley said there are now hundreds of cameras deployed in Las Vegas.

He pitched the idea to police, who welcomed the idea.

“It is a product they use every day, multiple times a day to help them deliver objective results to the criminal justice system,” Langley said. Results like the arrest of Kim.

Langley told 8 News Now he wasn't surprised his tech did the job when utilized by LVMPD’s officers.

“They are some of the most sophisticated crime fighters that I have the pleasure of interacting with,” Langley said.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS) — A proposal to sell public lands spread out among several small towns northeast of Las Vegas is getting people fired up on social media.

The Lincoln County towns of Alamo, Caliente, Crestline, Hiko, Panaca, Pioche, Mt. Wilson and Rachel are the sites identified in a document released by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). A combined 5,500 acres across 66 plots of land were selected as the BLM gets ready to open up land to comply with the Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation and Development Act of 2004.

Land along the famous Extraterrestrial Highway in Rachel is proposed, along with sites in picturesque Pioche, the county seat. There are larger plots in Crestline, nearer to the Utah border. There's not much development there and the plots appear to be adjacent to the Crestline landfill.

The BLM has posted these maps showing the various plots that will be sold (advance the slideshow by clicking the arrow):

Many of the communities in Lincoln County have closer ties to Utah than the Las Vegas valley.

A Facebook post on Thursday announcing the opportunity to make public comment on the proposed sale hasn't produced much action (three comments as of Friday afternoon), but the Facebook comments are a lively thread.

People question the legality of selling public lands. "You're selling freedom," is a refrain that resounds among the comments.

Others point to the possible growth of a tax base that could help the communities.

Still others rail against anything the BLM says or does.

Public comment will close on April 25. To participate, go to https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2037413/510 or send email to BLM_NV_EYDOWebmail@blm.gov.

Letters can also be addressed to BLM Caliente Field Office, ATTN: Jake Northup, PO Box 237, Caliente, NV 89008.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A federal magistrate judge declined Friday to immediately release the man accused of setting fires at a Tesla collision center, citing her concerns of returning him to the community without his mother's supervision.

Las Vegas Metro police arrested Paul Kim, 36, on Wednesday night on charges including arson and possessing an explosive device, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported. U.S. Marshals later took Kim into custody on federal charges.

The fires, which involved Molotov cocktails, happened Tuesday, March 18, around 2:45 a.m. at a Tesla center located at 6260 West Badura Avenue near Jones Boulevard and Warm Springs Road.

License plate readers, cameras, social media tools, DNA and other technology directly led to Kim, LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill said Thursday.

During a detention hearing Friday before Magistrate Judge Elayna Youchah, prosecutor Jacob Operskalski called Kim a "flight risk" and said the Department of Justice considered his alleged actions "domestic terrorism."

Operskalski noted there was no federal charge for domestic terrorism and highlighted the determination could lead to enhancements during sentencing.

Operskalski said investigators found "far-left extremist ideologies" in Kim's social media accounts, but said those were irrelevant and his alleged behavior speaks for itself.

Prosecutors added Friday that police found what Operskalski called an "escape plan" inside Kim's home, which included notes about switching out license plates and bringing hair ties.

"Given the opportunity, the government believes he is going to flee based on the evidence in his own home," Operskalski said.

Kim's public defender, Benjamin Nemec, said his client has no criminal history and has lived in Las Vegas for 11 years. He called the crime "property damage" and noted Kim did not leave the area after March 18 and voluntarily spoke to police.

"He didn’t do it," Nemec said. "He spent eight days in Las Vegas. If he wanted to run, he could have."

Youchah said the case involved a "very serious crime" and that she had concerns about releasing Kim back into the community without someone supervising him. Nemec said Kim's mother, who lives out of state, offered to live with him pending the criminal proceedings.

Youchah delayed deciding until Monday so she could hear directly from his mother, meaning Kim will remain in custody until at least then.

Kim allegedly shot at several security cameras and at least five vehicles before setting the fires, police said. Kim then drove off in his car, which police found while canvassing video from more than 700 locations across the Las Vegas valley.

Kim later reported his car stolen to his insurance company, documents said. Police found multiple firearms and gun parts in Kim’s southeast valley apartment, LVMPD Asst. Sheriff Dori Doren said. The FBI was analyzing Kim’s electronic devices.

Kim was expected to also appear in state court Tuesday on similar charges.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Police in Chicago arrested two people as part of an online job scam where Las Vegas residents lost hundreds of dollars, authorities said Friday.

At around 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 30, officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a “large disturbance” in the 3100 block of East Sunset Road. Police said there was a large gathering of people who were upset due to a scam.

On Jan. 21, an online ad was posted for third-party delivery drivers to work for Amazon at a business on East Sunset Road, LVMPD Lt. Erik Perkett said at a briefing in January.

As part of the ad, the victims went to the business and filled out applications and were directed to provide a $200 application fee. The fees were paid in several ways, including cash, credit card, and check, Perkett said.

A release from the LVMPD said the fraud incident “affected several Las Vegas residents.”

The victims were then given a future date to return to the business for a follow-up interview. Several victims returned to the business on Jan. 30 and found it was vacant.

Through investigation, detectives identified Juan Vera, 41, and Fabiola Llanes, 39, as suspects in the case.

According to a release from the Metro police, on March 27, officers with the Chicago Police Department took Vera and Llanes into custody pending extradition to Las Vegas.

Court records show they each face charges of establishing or possessing a financial forgery laboratory with intent to commit an unlawful act and theft, value of $5,000 or greater but less than $25,000.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS) — A report released Thursday shows Nevada's unemployment rate is holding at 5.8%, the highest in the nation.

The February jobs report from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) shows an overall loss of 1,600 jobs statewide and 3,600 in the Las Vegas metro area — better than January when 7,500 jobs were lost in Las Vegas.

"The unemployment rate remains steady, and trends in hourly wage growth remain strong, reflecting ongoing demand for workers in the state," according to David Schmidt, chief economist for DETR.

Reno gained 500 jobs and Carson City lost 200 jobs.

The shakeup in the federal government didn't appear to make an impact on unemployment in the February reports, but that could change in the coming months. The jobs report made no mention of possible impacts in Nevada.

8 News Now has reached out to DETR for comment, but we haven't received a reply yet.

Layoffs in the National Park Service and General Services Administration affected a relatively small number of employees in Nevada. Continued uncertainty surrounding federal programs and grant funding could mean layoffs.

DETR's jobs report showed no change from a year ago (February 2024) in federal government jobs in Las Vegas, but a decrease of 100 in the Reno-Sparks area.

Initial claims for unemployment benefits dropped by 16% from January to February. A total of 10,748 initial claims were filed in February, down 1.6% from a year ago.

"The jobs report for February reflects a labor market that is rebalancing after our rapid post-COVID expansion. Annual employment growth fell to 0.4 percent in Nevada, led by declines in the logistics, information, and professional and business services industries," Schmidt said. "Each of these saw rapid expansion in recent years, with the current job losses bringing employment levels more in line with longer-term growth trends in those industries."

The labor force grew by 3,318 in February, DETR said. The increase was the result of an increase of 3,658 in employed individuals and a decrease of 340 in unemployed individuals.

To file an unemployment insurance claim, go to https://ui.nv.gov/.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS) -- A Las Vegas man was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on Thursday for defrauding more than $380,000 in unemployment benefits, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Emelio Vladimir Rochester, 28, and his co-defendant Joseph Holmes Jr. conspired to obtain and possess 17 Employment Development Department (EDD) debit cards issued in the names of the victims without authorization.

Between Aug. 15, 2020, and Sept. 18, 2020, Rochester and Holmes stole personal information from the victims and filed fraudulent unemployment insurance claims.

They then used the debit cards that were loaded with unemployment benefit funds to make ATM withdrawals in Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, and Garden Grove, California.

On Sept. 18, 2020, officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Rochester with Holmes in the passenger seat.

A search of the vehicle recovered 17 EDD debit cards in different names, $89,710 in cash, five cell phones, three laptop computers, and a tablet.

According to a release, at least $385,000 in unemployment benefits were approved for the claims associated with the debit cards, and Rochester and Holmes withdrew at least $192,000 from the accounts.

“Emelio Rochester filed fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims in the names of identity theft victims to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in UI benefits to which he was not entitled. He enriched himself at the expense of a program intended to assist American workers struggling during an unprecedented pandemic,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).

“This sentencing underscores the commitment of the DOL-OIG and our law enforcement partners to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in DOL programs.”

Rochester pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess counterfeit and unauthorized access devices and one count of aggravated identity theft.

United States District Judge Cristina D. Silva sentenced Rochester to three and a half years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $192,234 in restitution.

Co-defendant Holmes Jr. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess counterfeit and unauthorized access devices and one count of aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced to 54 months in prison.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS) — Nevada Republicans are saying Sigal Chattah has been nominated to serve as interim U.S. Attorney overseeing Nevada.

Chattah ran against Democrat Aaron Ford in 2022, but Ford was re-elected as Nevada Attorney General.

Sue Fahimi is currently serving as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada, a position vacated by Democrat Jason Frierson on Dec. 30, 2024, before President Donald Trump took office.

Chattah is a civil and criminal defense attorney who previously served on the Las Vegas Planning Commission. She has also served as a member of the Southern Nevada Disciplinary Board of the State Bar of Nevada.

The U.S. Senate is tasked with confirming U.S. Attorney nominations.

"Today, we congratulate our own National Committeewoman Sigal Chattah, who is nominated to join the Department of Justice as the interim US Attorney overseeing Nevada," according to an announcement from the Nevada Republican Party.

They described her as "a fierce defender of personal liberties, best known for her work reopening churches in Nevada after their unconstitutional shutdown." The state placed limits on church services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are thrilled that President Trump and Attorney General Bondi have the warrior they need in Nevada," Nevada GOP Chairman Michael J. McDonald said. "Sigal will rigorously advocate for the President's priorities and investigate corruption throughout the Silver State. Under Sigal's leadership, it will be a bad day to be a bad guy — justice will be served."

U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement strongly opposing the appointment of Chattah:

“Sigal Chattah said our Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford should be hanged from a crane. She is an election denier who has advocated for political violence, suggested she would target her political enemies, and offered full support to many of President Trump’s blatantly illegal actions in office. U.S. Attorneys should be professionals who stand against corruption, serve as agents for justice, and understand that no one is above the law," Cortez Masto said.

“President Trump is abusing his power and bypassing Congress to insert a partisan political operative into this position because he knows Nevada’s Senators will not support her. U.S. Attorneys work for the American people, and it has been a tradition for every new administration – including during President Trump’s first term – to work with Nevada Senators to nominate and appoint a qualified candidate. By law, this appointment can only last 120 days. To all the dedicated public servants working in the District of Nevada, I will continue to support you and will fight to make sure we confirm a U.S. Attorney with integrity and a commitment to the rule of law,” Cortez Masto said.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A 19-year-old accused of killing a man kept a journal with a pros-and-cons list about becoming a serial killer, prosecutors said Friday.

A Clark County grand jury voted Thursday to indict Joshua Martinez on a charge of murder with the use of a deadly weapon, prosecutors announced during a grand jury return hearing Friday. Martinez was previously in custody on an open murder charge.

Martinez is accused of shooting a man in the early morning hours of Feb. 17 outside of a business in the 6800 block of North Durango Drive near Deer Springs Way.

Martinez returned home after the shooting and told his parents what he did, but they believed he was drunk, prosecutor Nick Portz said Friday. Martinez later searched for news articles about the shooting. A parent also saw news of the shooting on TV.

Several hours after the murder, a person arrived at the crime scene and identified Martinez as the person responsible, police said. Officers arrested Martinez later that morning.

“They found a journal in his room with a pros-and-cons list about becoming a serial killer,” Portz said.

Martinez remained in custody Friday. A judge declined to set bail after his arrest due to the murder charge.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- The police sergeant accused of abusing his power while on the job and also possessing child pornography faces new accusations of installing cameras inside bathrooms, prosecutors said.

A Clark County grand jury voted Thursday to indict LVMPD Sgt. Kevin Menon on 28 counts of capturing the image of the private area of another person, prosecutor Christopher Hamner announced during a grand jury return hearing Friday.

Menon allegedly began recording from the two cameras in his home in September, Hamner said. During the hearing, Hamner played video from one camera, showing Menon installing a camera and positioning it in a vent, which pointed downward toward a toilet.

Police made the discovery in November, Hamner said. In March, they found 96 recordings of women using the restroom. Hamner also noted Menon was out of custody on bond at the time on his two ongoing criminal cases.

Prosecutors said Menon repeatedly searched for images of teenagers urinating, which Hamner called a "fetish" and a "sickness."

"There is no way the state, the court and Metro can monitor him to keep the community safe," Hamner said, asking Clark County District Court Chief Judge Jerry Wiese to set bail at $1 million.

Menon was not in court on Friday, and Wiese issued a warrant for his arrest on $56,000 bail, adding the district court judge handling the other cases would better address that.

In his first case, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office alleges Menon abused his power by creating fake scenarios that resulted in citizens, mainly Black men, being detained on the Las Vegas Strip.

Menon had been leading a team of officers on the Las Vegas Strip. Body camera and surveillance videos showed Menon dressed in plain clothes while officers were dressed in uniform.

Detectives said when they seized Menon’s electronic devices for the investigation, they found child sexual abuse material, also known as child pornography. This resulted in a second criminal case against Menon for child pornography-related charges.

Police arrested Menon on Aug. 30. A Clark County grand jury later indicted him for 13 charges related to the alleged abuse of power and then four felony sex crimes charges in the second case.

In court documents, Menon claims he tried to expose racism within the police department and is being retaliated against.

Menon remains out of custody after posting bond in his two ongoing cases. After his arrest, the department placed Menon on leave with pay and suspended his police powers pending an investigation. The department has since stopped paying him.

Menon's legal team has tried to disqualify the judge handling his criminal cases due to allegations of abuse from his daughter. The judge responded that he is unaware of any active investigations regarding his daughter’s claims.

Menon was scheduled to go on trial on March 31 in the first criminal case he faces. A hearing is scheduled about the motion to disqualify the judge on April 3.

Vanessa Murphy can be reached at vmurphy@8newsnow.com. David Charns can be reached at dcharns@8newsnow.com.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested an eight-time deported undocumented immigrant, accusing him again of living in the country illegally.

Sergio Morelos-Torres, 52, faces a charge of being a deported alien found in the United States, according to federal court records. Federal officials previously deported Morelos-Torres eight times, from 1997 to 2016.

Morelos-Torres was previously convicted in California on a burglary charge, documents said. He also faced prior federal charges twice for remaining in the country illegally.

On March 15, officials with the U.S. Forest Service arrested Morelos-Torres in Las Vegas, documents said. The exact reason for the arrest was not included in court documents and a spokesperson for the service directed questions to the Department of Justice.

On March 18, ICE took Morelos-Torres into custody at the Clark County Detention Center. Morelos-Torres remained in custody Friday at the Henderson jail, which also serves as an ICE detention center.

Earlier this month, 8 News Now asked an ICE spokesperson how many people the agency had arrested in southern Nevada since President Donald Trump took office. The spokesperson could not say, adding that a new tracking system was expected to come online in the future.

Federal court records the 8 News Now Investigators have reviewed since Jan. 20 show a handful of cases involving illegal immigration. The department has since started posting information and photos of people in their custody, though Morelos-Torres was among them.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Shops in the Las Vegas Arts District are preparing for Mom and Pop Business Owners Day in hopes that customers will check out some of the unique offerings in their shops.

Emily Johnson owns For The Love, LV, a women's boutique that features locally-sourced clothing and accessories. There is even a hidden gem at the back of the store -- a vintage clothing section where fashion from the past finds a new life.

"90s fashion is making a comeback, you can never go wrong with timeless vintage pieces," she said.

Another shop, Main Street Moto, is a boutique motorcycle shop. Owners Tara Pierce and Steve McAnulty have been part of the Las Vegas community for 17 years.

The shop is more than just motorcycles, it also offers clothing and accessories designed by local artists. Steve Moto gave 8 News Now a behind-the-scenes look at some incredible bikes they’re working on, including a 1923 motorcycle and a 1974 Honda Trail 70.

National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day is designed to focus on small local businesses that help support the community and each other.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A federal lawsuit filed against the City of Las Vegas and two city marshals accuses them of "exceeding their law enforcement jurisdiction" and "infringing on the rights" of people, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court Thursday.

The suit filed by attorney Adam Breeden, on behalf of Derek Myers, accuses the "renegade city marshals" of conducting illegal traffic stops, searches, and arrests on property where they have no authority.

Myers was driving on I-11/US95 on Jan. 9, 2025, when he was pulled over by the two city marshals, Jason Brooks and Sergio Guzman, for alleged traffic violations. According to the lawsuit, he and his vehicle were searched without a warrant, and he was taken into custody for 17 hours. To date, no charges have been filed against Myers, the lawsuit stated.

Myers' lawsuit alleges he is one of "hundreds if not thousands of victims of a rogue law enforcement agency." It also goes on to place blame on city leadership for doing nothing to rein in its marshals.

Myers' lawsuit seeks more than $1 million in compensatory and punitive damages and a declaratory judgment to place the marshals back within their legal boundaries.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A woman is in police custody Friday morning after speeding, hitting parked cars, and crashing into a police vehicle, according to police.

According to Las Vegas Metropolitan police, officers who were responding to a call of a disturbance just before 5 a.m. in the 9000 block of Lugo Street near Eastern and Serene avenues saw a woman get into a gray SUV and speed off.

Police said the woman struck a couple of parked cars and drove toward the area of Windmill Parkway and Eastern, where she crashed into a police vehicle. Windmill was closed to traffic for nearly two hours.

The woman, who was taken into custody, was transported to a local hospital, police said. The crash is under investigation.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- The suspect accused of a deadly shooting at Aliante casino on Thursday and then allegedly carjacking three vehicles as he attempted to flee police has been identified.

Aerion Warmsley, 19, is facing charges of murder and robbery with the use of a deadly weapon. He was taken into custody Thursday following a car chase that reached speeds in excess of 100 mph, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan police.

Warmsley is accused of killing a person at the Aliante casino around 4:30 a.m. When North Las Vegas police arrived at the scene, the suspect had already left.

Las Vegas police became involved after responding to a report of a stolen car about three hours later. Warmsley is accused of leading police on a chase and carjacking at least three drivers before crashing into a bus stop on Boulder Highway and Tropicana. Two people at a bus stop were injured.

Warmsley is being held at the North Las Vegas Detention center.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - Video obtained by 8 News Now shows the moment an SUV crashed into a downtown storefront, leaving a path of destruction.

"I got a call from my mom," Linda Ruiz recalled. "That my store had been hit."

Ruiz owns 'Off The Threads' on Commerce Street near Imperial Avenue in the Arts District.

She told 8 News Now that she first saw the damage to her business on her security camera on Saturday morning at around 3 a.m.

"When I checked it, I was like 'Oh my gosh,'" Ruiz said. "You just hear the loud noise."

The ear-piercing crash was followed by tires screeching as the driver backed out of the crash site and was then seen walking away, leaving the SUV and Ruiz to pick up the pieces.

"The whole structure is messed up," Ruiz said. "The brick is affected, the framing, I can't access my store."

Ruiz told 8 News Now she filed an insurance claim, but it will take a while to process. In the meantime, she can't access her inventory while the store's walls and windows are boarded up.

"Just with like all the bills coming up, and I can't even access it," Ruiz said. "I don't have any income. I was able to take out two racks, but even then, compared to all the inventory I have, it's nothing."

It's a situation that's still hard to swallow, but unfortunately, Ruiz said this turn of events is not surprising, considering her past experiences, including several burglaries.

"It's always been a thought in my mind," she said, referring to Commerce Street. "Just because there is always crazy driving down here."

Ruiz hopes this serves as a lesson that reckless driving can spell disaster for so many in our community.

"You're not just hurting people," she concluded. "You're hurting small businesses."

Ruiz has started a GoFundMe page to help with expenses, titled 'Help Off The Threads Recovery After Drunk Driver Crash.'

While she cannot access most of her inventory, Ruiz was able to pull several racks of clothing. She will have them on display at For The Love and Bogart Vintage this weekend.

She is also holding a raffle fundraiser to raise money. For more information, visit the Off The Threads Instagram page.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - Amid the sound of explosions, 911 callers detailed the moments surrounding the fire and shooting at a Las Vegas Tesla service center.

8 News Now obtained the 911 calls from the Clark County Fire Department for the Mar. 18 fire at the Tesla Collision Center. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested Paul Kim, 36, on Wednesday in connection to the “targeted attack” on charges including arson and possessing an explosive device.

“Hi, yes, I see Tesla car burning,” a 911 caller told dispatchers. “And I think it's exploding.”

It would take only a few minutes for dispatchers to connect the calls of a fire from the corner near Badura Avenue and Jones Boulevard were connected to the calls of a shooting.

“They’re saying that they're also hearing gunshots,” a caller told the dispatcher. “And they think the suspect was firing at the cars as well.”

Some callers provided more details and information regarding the fire while explosions were heard in the background.

“Right behind me, and it looks like it's on fi-,” a caller said before interrupted by the sound of an explosion. “Yeah, you hear that?”

One caller exclaimed during the repeated sound of explosions but was able to point police in the direction the alleged shooter fled.

“And I saw a person running away, so I think they set it on fire,” a caller told the dispatcher.

Last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk referred to the fire as “terrorism.” The fires came amid a wave of incidents at Tesla locations amid criticism of Musk’s role in the Trump administration.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - A judge issued a warrant for a woman accused of giving a man fentanyl, leaving him to die in a Las Vegas hotel room, and stealing his car and debit card to go shopping, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.

A Clark County grand jury indicted Cori Lynn Perkins in connection with the overdose death of Ricardo Ortiz on May 1, 2024, according to court documents.

Clark County District Court Chief Judge Jerry Wiese issued the warrant and set bail at $1 million Thursday morning.

Perkins is charged with 15 felony counts, including second-degree murder while failing to render or seek medical assistance for a person injured or killed by the use of a controlled substance, administration of a drug to aid in the commission of a felony, residential burglary, burglary of a motor vehicle, grand larceny auto, theft, five counts of use of a credit or debit card, and four counts of burglary of a business.

Clark County Deputy District Attorney James Puccinelli called the allegations "particularly egregious."

Ortiz was found stripped naked and dead in a hotel room after a call for service was made about an overdose at the Rio Hotel, according to Puccinelli.

Ortiz's wallet was emptied, Puccinelli said.

Detectives reviewed surveillance video which showed Ortiz and Perkins entering the hotel room on the 18th floor, Perkins leaving alone, and then entering Ortiz's mother's gold Nissan Sentra, according to Puccinelli.

Perkins spent more than $2,000 with Ortiz's debit card at businesses including Smith's Grocery, Target, Sprouts, Walmart, and Pizza Hut, according to the indictment.

Perkins confessed to the murder and said she provided the fentanyl for Ortiz to smoke and ingest, according to Puccinelli.

Puccinelli called Perkins a "danger to the community," as he explained she targets individuals on the Las Vegas Strip to give them fentanyl and then take their belongings, and in the current case, she did not attempt to seek or render medical assistance for the victim.

As of Thursday afternoon, it appeared Perkins was not yet in custody.

If Perkins posts bail after her arrest, she will be required to comply with high-level electronic monitoring.

Perkins has a history in Las Vegas Justice Court, according to records. She pleaded guilty to drug charges in cases in 2013 and 2014 and received no prison time, records show.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS) — Nevada lawmakers continue to work through questions in the state budget for K-12 education. But a lot of unknowns remain as they parse through the details.

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo's proposed state budget sets per-pupil funding in 2026 at $9,416, just $2 higher than the current funding level. Going higher than that is "impracticable."

That prompted a spokesman for the Nevada State Education Association (NSEA) to call Lombardo "$2 Joe."

"Two dollars will not keep up with increasing costs, especially with the 3.5% PERS increase that's coming in July," the NSEA's Alexander Marks said. The Clark County Education Association, which represents teachers in Southern Nevada, has not commented.

A formula in state law dictates that per-pupil funding adjusts depending on economic growth, inflation and enrollment growth. But even with stagnant enrollments, Lombardo's budget sets out spending levels that are less than the formula prescribes, according to officials with the Legislative Counsel Bureau's Fiscal Analysis Division.

Marks calls that "very unfortunate," and the union wants to know more.

"The NRS does prescribe it should be going up to $9,942. So, the self-proclaimed education governor can't follow Senate Bill 543 from 2019. We're not sure what the practicality is in this context. We would love some more details on why they found that it wasn't practicable," Marks said.

Budget decisions don't take place until May, Lombardo said.

He has prioritized making teacher raises permanent, removing the guesswork over one-shot funding that teachers can't count on. Opportunity scholarship tax credits are another priority if funds are available, Lombardo said.

Economic growth figures released in December indicate a 3.4% increase in revenue for the state, and new figures are due out in May. But the three-year average for inflation is at 5.61%, according to officials. Enrollment has actually gone down slightly, but the governor has it as flat in the budget.

A total of 465,927 pupils were in Nevada's public and charter schools in 2024.

Lilliana Camacho-Polkow, a program analyst in the Legislative Counsel Bureau's Fiscal Analysis Division, laid out the budget figures for lawmakers at Thursday's joint committee meeting in Carson City.

"Adjusting the per-pupil amount by the combined rate of inflation and the growth of enrollment over the biennium as practicable required under NRS would result in a statewide base per-pupil amount of $9,942 which is $456 more than the governor's recommended — as amended — statewide base per-pupil amount of $9,486 in fiscal year 2027," Camacho-Polkow said.

"The governor determined it is not practicable to adjust the statewide base per-pupil amount from the immediately preceding biennium by the combined rate of inflation and the growth of enrollment," she said.

Analysts calculate that the state would need another $240 million to meet the $9,942 per-pupil funding level.

Law states that if the governor says it's impracticable, legislation must be proposed to come up with the additional funds. That legislation hasn't been introduced yet, 53 days into the 120-day legislative session.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS) — Resorts World will pay a $10.5 million fine for "unsuitable methods of operation," agreeing to the second-largest fine ever assessed by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

It's a heavy price for what Nevada Gaming regulators regard as a grave situation at a Las Vegas Strip casino. The complaint originally filed in August detailed two illegal bookmakers operating with impunity, gambling millions as anti-money laundering (AML) regulations went by the wayside. Casino hosts and upper management allowed or ignored the situation, resulting in a culture of money laundering.

Only Wynn Resorts has paid a higher fine — $20 million assessed in February 2019 for failing to properly investigate sexual harassment allegations against former CEO Steve Wynn.

On Wednesday, Resorts World announced that it was laying off around 50 employees. If one thing was clear from Thursday's hearing, the company's AML program wasn't included in the layoffs. Resorts World has redoubled its efforts and has set a goal to be an industry leader.

Commissioners discussed the scale of the penalty before voting to approve the settlement, with Commissioner Abbi Silver recusing herself from participating because of a longtime friendship with Scott Sibella, who was in charge at Resorts World when the events spun out of control. Sibella lost his gaming license.

"Personally, I feel that the fine is on the low side," Commissioner Rosa Solis-Rainey said during Thursday's hearing.

"We've seen a larger fine for things that weren't on the gaming floor, and not over the same period of time," Commissioner Brian Krolicki said.

"At the end of the day, the folks who made those decisions, allowed those decisions, who were in the C-suite, who were on the floor, who were in the pit, who were the hostesses … they're gone," Krolicki said.

The amount of the fine was disclosed a week ago, and became final with Thursday's vote. Resorts World has two days to pay the state.

The investigation into Resorts World started as regulators examined the activities of Mathew Bowyer, a Southern California man who pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling business in August 2024. Bowyer took bets from the interpreter who worked for Los Angles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani in a case that received massive media coverage.

Bowyer's wife, Nicole, was an independent contractor at Resorts World, working as a casino host for customers including her husband, according to statements during Thursday's commission meeting.

The investigation also involved Damien Forbes, a patron when the resort opened in 2021 who was known to be an illegal bookmaker by a casino host. That host even sent business to LeForbes, according to the August complaint.

Names of the hosts were not released by gaming regulators.

The allegations against Resorts World were "particularly egregious," according to Darlene Caruso, Nevada's chief deputy attorney general. She outlined the terms of the settlement:

• Resorts World will pay a $10.5 million fine, due to the state within two days
• Conditions have been attached to the company's gaming license, specifying it will retain core elements of its recently revised AML program, including ongoing updates and an annual review.
• Certain AML documents must be retained for at least five years.
• Within 60 days, Resorts World will assign all independent agents an AML training module.
• In two years, a internal audit and report are required. If regulators are not satisfied, an external audit will take place.
• Resorts World will report any notice of a criminal investigation to Nevada gaming authorities.
• The company will retain at least its current AML staffing levels.
• Nevada gaming regulators reserve the right to bring additional actions against Resorts World.

Major changes in leadership have already taken place since regulators got involved. A board of directors over the resort has been established — a big change for corporate owners Genting Berhad. That board includes Chair Jim Murren, former CEO at MGM Resorts International, former Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, former Nevada Gaming Control Board Chair A.G. Burnett, Genting Berhad executive Kong Han Tan, and executive Michelle DiTondo.

The company has a new CEO, a new COO/CFO and a new position for a compliance officer, which Resorts World is actively working to hire.

The company has trained 1,100 employees and is working with UNLV to create a customized gaming compliance program for executives and key employees.

Krolicki said this should send another signal to gaming operators.

"I also believe this is a clarion call up and down that street that aml, compliance, audit, all of these things we talk about all the time, we really mean it. It's easy to say, but it's harder to do," he said.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- The city of North Las Vegas held its State of the City address on Thursday. The event focused on the city’s accomplishments, upcoming projects, the mayor’s vision for the future, and her plan for North Las Vegas to be a “complete city.”

“A city that provides every opportunity our residents need to prosper and achieve their dreams without ever needing to leave home,” Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown said.

City leaders said their goal is to revitalize the city and keep up with the growth and demand of residents.

“Revitalization in terms of community investment in some of the older parts of our community, in our parks, in law enforcement, in public safety. We’re making strategic investments in all those areas,” Mayor Pro Tempore and Councilman for Ward 3 Scott Black said.

In her address, Mayor Goynes-Brown said the city is laying out six strategic goals: innovative, efficient, and stable government; infrastructure enhancement; community safety; economic growth; community health and well-being; and community identity and engagement. Each goal is intended to further invest in the community, including new developments, amenities, and services.

“Lots of downtown redevelopment projects of our VA hospital, of our Tule Springs area,” Mayor Goynes-Brown said. “Just revitalizing the whole core of the city. Lots more amenities that our residents need and want.”

“With the residents, services they can see, feel, and participate in. Recreation opportunities, investments in parks,” Councilman Black added.

The city also plans to invest in affordable housing for residents and grow safety partnerships across the city to protect the quality of life.

“We want people to feel safe in their neighborhoods… so that people are comfortable and they’re proud to call North Las Vegas home,” Mayor Goynes-Brown said.

A home where residents and businesses have opportunities to thrive.

“Just a city where people love to come home, and I just want them to come on home, but they have to have the amenities that they need focusing on living, working, and playing right here in this community so that they never have to leave, ” Mayor Goynes-Brown said.

North Las Vegas is home to nearly 300,000 residents. It is the largest minority-majority city in Nevada and the fastest-growing city in the state.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - The parent of a 3-year-old girl police said died from stab wounds inflicted by her babysitter called 911 Wednesday for over 17 minutes, during several frenetic, heart-wrenching phone calls, audio first obtained by the 8 News Now Investigators reveals.

"My baby isn't breathing anymore," the parent screamed and cried to the dispatcher. "A crazy girl cut my baby up."

On Thursday, the victim’s mother identified her daughter as Journei Ross. The child died Wednesday after she was stabbed several times in the torso, legs, and neck, allegedly by a woman who was first identified as her babysitter, Marketta Phillips.

Phillips made her first court appearance Thursday morning.

"What the f---," the parent asked, through tears, rhetorically. "And this girl just walked out the f------ house from cutting my baby up."

Seemingly speaking to the person she blamed for the murder, the parent said: "My child is f------ three years old. The f--- is you doing?

The parent continued speaking to the dispatcher: My baby is not breathing. My baby just bled all over the (expletive) bed."

And to a third party, the parent could be heard saying, "You get back here," and screaming, "What the f--k? What you do? No!"

In an arrest report released by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Ross described Phillips as both his roommate and his “on-and-off girlfriend.” He told police he left Journei in the care of Phillips when he went to work at 6 p.m. on March 25.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- The man accused of setting fires at a Tesla collision center in Las Vegas reported his car stolen less than three hours after what police call a "targeted attack," documents said.

Officers arrested Paul Kim, 36, on Wednesday night on charges including arson and possessing an explosive device, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported. Kim made his first appearance in federal court on firearm and arson charges Thursday afternoon.

Police found Kim by tracking his car with license plate readers and cell phone data, documents said.

The fires happened Tuesday, March 18, around 2:45 a.m. at 6260 West Badura Avenue near Jones Boulevard and Warm Springs Road. Around 5:30 a.m., Kim reported to his insurance company that his tires were slashed and his vehicle stolen, documents said.

Kim did not report the vehicle stolen to police, documents said.

Kim purchased an AR-style weapon on March 6 at a Las Vegas gun shop, prosecutors said. The caliber of the firearm matched bullet fragments from the fire scene.

Kim follows the Socialist Rifle Association on Instagram, police said. A photo from 2018 shows him training with firearms.

Police arrested Kim at the Venetian hotel during a cybersecurity convention. He was scheduled to fly out of Las Vegas on Thursday.

Kim did not appear for a probable cause hearing in Las Vegas Justice Court on state charges as he was in custody for his federal charges. In federal court Thursday afternoon, Kim's federal public defender requested a one-day continuance so Kim could hire his own attorney.

Kim remained in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Las Vegas grand jury will decide whether an officer who fatally shot a homeowner who called police for help should be charged, his attorney told the 8 News Now Investigators.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer Alexander Bookman shot and killed Brandon Durham, 43, after Durham called 911 to report a home invasion on Nov. 12.

Video showed Durham and Alejandra Boudreaux struggling over a knife when Bookman opened fire fourteen seconds after breaking down Durham’s front door.

David Roger, who represents Bookman through the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, said Bookman will receive a "Marcum Notice," which means prosecutors intend to present evidence to the grand jury, which could include video and witness testimony. The grand jury would then decide whether Bookman should be charged.

“While Mr. Durham’s death is tragic, Officer Bookman was trying to eliminate a threat and did not commit a crime,” Roger told 8 News Now Investigators. “We have faith in the criminal justice system and look forward to a fair result.”

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the same department Bookman works for, investigated the shooting and presented the information to the Clark County District Attorney’s office.

Durham’s family has repeatedly expressed that they believe Bookman should be criminally charged.

A Clark County grand jury indicted Boudreaux, 31, on four felony charges, including home invasion with a deadly weapon, in December.

Boudreaux confessed to breaking into the home, saying she intended for police to kill her, according to court documents.

Boudreaux remained in custody Wednesday on $1 million bail.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS) -- The Clark County coroner's office needs help identifying a man who was found dead in the Las Vegas valley nearly 2 years ago.

According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, the man was found near East Philadelphia Avenue and Carillo Street, a neighborhood near East Sahara Avenue and Veterans Memorial Highway.

On July 23, 2023, at around 11:55 a.m., employees from a nearby business noticed the man lying unresponsive on the ground and called 911, the NAMUS website said.

Medical personnel responded and pronounced him dead at the scene. The NAMUS website provided a photo of the man, shown below:

The man is described as 6'3", white, and around 110 pounds. The NAMUS website did not list an estimated age range or cause of death for the man.

Anyone with any information can contact the Clark County coroner's office at 702-455-3210. The case number is #UP117028

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS) — Controls on access to apartment complex master keys got even tighter Thursday as lawmakers passed changes to a bill requiring criminal background checks for employees with access to the keys.

"Miya's Law," named for a 19-year-old Florida woman who was killed by an apartment maintenance worker in 2021, was passed by the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor. Senate Bill 114 ( SB114) initially applied to complexes with 200 or more apartments. An amendment brought that down to 100 units as the bill was approved in a work session Thursday.

The bill also requires landlords to keep a log to account for the issuance and return of each key, along with written policies and procedures regarding their use.

During a bill hearing on Monday, Miya Marcano's mother and father urged Nevada lawmakers to make Nevada the third state to pass legislation that could have saved their daughter. Florida and Virginia already have similar laws.

"What happened to Miya is not just my personal tragedy. It's a public safety failure," Miya's mother, Yma Scarbriel, said. "No parent should have to go through what we went through. No family should have to bury their child because basic housing protections were not in place."

Her father, Marlon Marcano, said, "Let Miya's name represent action, not tragedy."

The man who killed Miya had a criminal conviction involving the detonation of a bomb at a school, according to a representative of the Miya Marcano Foundation.

Lawmakers were reminded of a similar case in Nevada. In 1982, an 18-year-old student in Carson City was found dead in her apartment, a victim of strangulation. The case went unresolved until a DNA match in 1999 connected her death to David Mitchell, who worked at her apartment complex.

Sheila Jo Harris was the reigning Miss Douglas County when she was killed. She had moved from Gardnerville to Carson City to be closer to school. Harris was killed five days after she moved in.

SB114, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Julie Pazina, now advances to the full Senate for consideration.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS) -- The woman accused of stabbing a 3-year-old to death while her father was at work allegedly wrote a message on a bedroom wall in blood and told police she "snapped," documents show.

The victim's mother identified her daughter as Journei Ross. The child died Wednesday after she was stabbed several times in the torso, legs, and neck, allegedly by a woman who was first identified as her babysitter, Marketta Phillips.

Phillips made her first court appearance Thursday morning.

Phalan Whitson and Jeremy Ross, Journie's parents, sat through the brief hearing as Phillips, 41, acknowledged the open murder charge she is facing in the child's death. Judge Suzan Bacum said Phillips would be held without bail.

Ross said he and Phillips had been living together for about a year, but he never had an indication of a problem. "I didn't know she was a crazy case," Ross said.

In an arrest report released by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Ross described Phillips as both his roommate and his "on and off girlfriend." He told police he left Journie in the care of Phillips when he went to work at 6 p.m. on March 25.

He said when he arrived home after work around 3:30 a.m., he saw Phillips sitting on the kitchen floor "surrounded by multiple knives" and noticed blood on her.

"She was just out of it or something. I walked into the room and I seen my baby girl .... on the bed." He called 911 and began chest compressions.

While on the phone with 911, Ross was heard yelling, "You murdered my baby," according to the arrest report.

While police were dispatched to the scene, Phillips left the apartment on foot. At around 5 a.m., officers located a woman matching Phillips' description with blood on her hands standing in a parking lot north of the apartment complex.

Police attempted to take her into custody, but Phillips was uncooperative, and an electronic control device had to be deployed in order to make an arrest.

At the scene, officers found "multiple" kitchen knives and a pair of scissors with apparant blood on them. They also found three sheets of paper in a path from a hallway to the bedroom with notes reading "See what happens when you [expletive] with people's lives," "Your and idiot [sic]," and "Now we both have nothing" written on them.

Additionally, written on a wall in the bedroom in what appeared to be blood was "Everybody who played me is cursed."

When detectives spoke to Phillips, she told them she "snapped" and confessed to stabbing Journei "more than once." When asked why, Phillips said, "to get back at him," but did not elaborate further.

Whitson, who shares custody with her daughter's father, said Thursday's court appearance was the first time she had seen the babysitter. She said she last saw her daughter when Ross picked her up on Monday.

"She took my baby," Whitson tearfully said following the court hearing. "I didn't know this woman. Today was literally the first day I saw this woman."

Whitson said she learned her daughter was stabbed 10 times. She said her daughter was non-verbal and "on the spectrum" but was a bright child who liked to sing.

"She could light up a room wherever she was at," she said. "I deserve justice."

Journie would have turned four in July.

"She didn't deserve none of this," Ross said.

Phillips' next court hearing was scheduled for April 1.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A man suspected of killing a person Thursday morning at the Aliante casino led Las Vegas police on a chase, carjacking at least three drivers in the process and later crashing into a bus stop.

The murder happened overnight in North Las Vegas. According to an afternoon release from the North Las Vegas Police Department, officers responded to a shooting at Aliante casino around 4:30 a.m.

Officers found a man who medical personnel pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect left the scene before officers arrived.

The incidents involving Las Vegas Metro police started in the northeast valley at Cheyenne Avenue and Queen Street with a report of a stolen car around 7:45 a.m. A crash then happened near Spring Mountain Road and Interstate 15, LVMPD Undersheriff Andy Walsh said late Thursday morning.

While investigating that crash, another person was carjacked, Walsh said. Metro police used license plate readers to follow the stolen car through downtown Las Vegas. Officers then found the car and began following it.

Police chased the murder suspect toward Boulder Highway when a second carjacking occurred in a fast-food drive-thru, Walsh said. The murder suspect then crashed into a bus stop at Boulder Highway and Tropicana Avenue.

Police estimated the murder suspect drove more than 105 mph on Boulder Highway, Walsh said. Two people at a bus stop were hurt in the crash.

The murder suspect then carjacked a third person. During that chase, police rammed that vehicle and arrested the driver around 9 a.m.

Police did not name the driver during their brief news conference.

North Las Vegas police had not provided any information about their murder investigation as of Thursday morning.

Boulder Highway was closed for several hours and reopened shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, according to RTC Southern Nevada.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- If you love tacos, tamales, and high-flying wrestling action, then the Tacos and Tamales Festival at Desert Breeze Park is the place to be over the weekend.

Attendees can expect more than 40 vendors serving up mouthwatering tacos and tamales, including vegan options. There's also craft beer, tequila tastings, and the People’s Choice Best Taco and Tamale Competition, where people get to vote for the best of the best. There’s also live music, local artists painting in real-time, and a carnival for the whole family.

Chef Gas from Cooking Wit Gas will be among the taco trucks serving tacos and salsa, including his jambalaya tacos. Chef Gas started his food truck in 2020 and serves food all over the valley.

Lucha Libre Wrestling Las Vegas promises to bring high-flying, mask-wearing, gravity-defying entertainment.

The Tacos and Tamales Festival runs March 28-30 at the new Events Center at Desert Breeze Park. For tickets and more info, visit this link.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Police have arrested a man for what they called a "targeted attack" at a Tesla collision center last week, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported Thursday.

Officers arrested Paul Kim, 36, on Wednesday night on charges including arson and possessing an explosive device. Kim made his first appearance in federal court on firearm and arson charges Thursday afternoon.

The fires happened Tuesday, March 18 around 2:45 a.m. at 6260 West Badura Avenue near Jones Boulevard and Warm Springs Road.

“It’s incredible work by everybody involved,” LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill said Thursday, highlighting his team’s work as well as their collaboration with the FBI. “This case is not solved without the use of technology. The speed and success of the solve of this case are a direct result of hard work by the police department and the special agents in charge, investigative specialists and the analysts who all came together to work on this, but the technology is actually what helped solve this.”

License plate readers, cameras, social media tools, DNA and other technology directly led to Kim, McMahill said.

Kim arrived in a car, which he parked near the collision center, LVMPD Asst. Sheriff Dori Koren said. Kim then, armed with a rifle, shot at surveillance cameras outside of the business. He then spray-painted the word “resist” on the front doors.

Kim then shot at least five vehicles and set fires with Molotov cocktails, Koren said. Kim then drove off in his car, which police found while canvassing video from more than 700 locations across the Las Vegas valley.

Kim later reported his car stolen to his insurance company, documents said. Police found multiple firearms and gun parts in Kim’s southeast valley apartment, Doren said. The FBI was analyzing Kim’s electronic devices.

DNA they swabbed from Kim during his arrest matched DNA located at the scene of the fires, Koren said.

“It’s nothing short of exemplary,” said FBI Special Agent In Charge Spencer Evans. “The seamless collaboration you see to keep the community safe here in southern Nevada is unparalleled.”

“There’s nothing courageous or noble or firebombing private property and terrorizing your local community,” Evans said. “The self-righteous mob that’s cheering you on today to commit acts of violence on their behalf will leave you high and dry and forget about you tomorrow.”

McMahill said the investigation continued to see if the Las Vegas incident was connected to any others across the country.

Kim did not appear for a probable cause hearing in Las Vegas Justice Court on state charges as he was in custody for his federal charges. In federal court Thursday afternoon, Kim's federal public defender requested a one-day continuance so Kim could hire his own attorney.

Kim remained in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk referred to the fire as “terrorism.” The fires came amid a wave of incidents at Tesla locations amid criticism of Musk's role in the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump, Musk and others implied, without any information about the actual attacker, that Democrats or the "woke left" were responsible. A person with the same first name, middle name, last name and birth year as Kim was registered as a nonpartisan, according to Clark County Election Department records.

Kim's social media included posts about communism and support for Palestinians, Koren said.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Police are investigating a homicide at the Aliante Casino and Hotel on Thursday morning.

North Las Vegas police officers responded to the casino after reports of a shooting around 4:30 a.m. When officers arrived, they found a man who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect left the scene before the officers could arrive. He then led Las Vegas police on a chase, carjacking at least three drivers in the process and later crashing into a bus stop, police said.

North Las Vegas police did not provide preliminary details about the homicide until 3:15 p.m. -- nearly 11 hours after it occurred.

Anyone who may have information about this crime is urged to contact the North Las Vegas Police Department at 702-633-9111. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Delivered on a horse-drawn wagon, the fruit from Kiel Ranch was one of the best things coming out of Southern Nevada. Over a hundred years later, the City of North Las Vegas is starting to replant the same crops.

Eddie Rodriguez, the first municipal forester for North Las Vegas, explained the history of Kiel Ranch is not all man-made while pointing at a nearby cottonwood tree.

“It's one of the oldest trees here in the valley,” he said. “Some of these trees are being watered by the spring. Over to the right of us that has been here since even before that, the early 1800s.”

The history of Kiel Ranch can be told in many different ways: stolen bodies, divorces, and piles of dirt.

Rodriguez said the city has asked him to showcase the Kiel family’s chapter of the ranch, which was a time of growth—literally.

“One of the people named Kyle Conrad developed this into a ranch where he would take the spring and use it to grow a large orchard,” Rodriguez said. “It was that idea that gave us the thought, let's bring back the orchard that was once here, that once worked and thrived in this valley.”

After the purchase of similar wagons used on the site from North Dakota, Rodriguez placed them around the ranch’s new chapter with the reintegration of the family’s orchard.

“This orchard is what we have brought back from the days early days of the 1850s to now, we have tried our best to replicate what was there in those days and gave it kind of a modern touch,” Rodriguez said.

However, one new obstacle will test the orchard. Whether the crops that flourished in the 1850s will survive the climate of 2025.

“It seems like spring keeps getting farther and farther out,” he said. “We keep we stay cooler for longer than hotter for longer, and it seems like things kind of keep moving away. So yes, it is looking different, and as it begins to change, so does the plant material and the trees and the shrubs and the type of things that we're going to be using.”

The challenge doesn’t stall Rodriguez who said just like the Kiel family it might take a couple of attempts for something to crop up.

“It's kind of a test run, I think, in the beginning, but we're going to just keep working it,” he said. “Working all those planters, until we get it right.”

Kiel Ranch Park will be holding a grand opening for the orchard at 10 a.m. on April 30, according to city officials.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - Clark County elected officials held a town hall meeting on Wednesday to address what many have called an escalating homeless crisis in the central Las Vegas valley.

"I don't have anything against the homeless," Matthew Kailimai said. "I do have a problem when they start breaking our property."

Kailimai, Property Manager of Tamaras Park Apartments, is at his wit's end.

He told 8 News Now that issues with the homeless near Maryland Parkway and Flamingo Road are truly out of hand.

"We've spent tens, maybe easily hundreds of thousands of dollars," Kailimai explained. "On damages over the years."

Kailimai was one of many who shared his concerns at a town hall at Flamingo Library Wednesday.

Clark County Commissioner for District E, Tick Segerblom, hosted the event.

"It's surfacing the issue," Commissioner Segerblom said of homelessness in his district. "And now we just have to figure out how to address it."

In January 2024, Clark County recorded 7,906 people as homeless, with 4,202 identified as unsheltered and 3,704 in shelters.

This represents a 20 percent increase from the previous year, with many of those moving into neighborhoods and leading to a rise in crime, according to officials.

"It's a societal problem, but we can't allow neighbors to have their life destroyed," Commissioner Segerblom told 8 News Now. "Because someone else is unhoused."

He town halls with police, non-profits, and elected officials listening and discussing action as the first step to finding a long-term solution.

"We just want to let people know that we're serious," Commissioner Segerblom said. "And that police, Metro, people like that see the problem."

It's something Kailimai told 8 News Now he hopes to see sooner rather than later.

"It's hopeful," Kailimai concluded. "But we'll see the results at the end of the day."

Commissioner Segerblom told 8 News Now he will continue to hold town halls to address homelessness in his district, with the next one scheduled for the end of April.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - Two people were hospitalized after what police described as a high-speed crash in the east Las Vegas valley.

It happened Thursday near Flamingo and Sandhill roads shortly after 9 p.m.

A dark colored SUV was seen weaving through lanes at a high rate of speed before the driver allegedly struck two vehicles, according to Las Vegas Metro police.

The driver was also accused of leaving the scene of the crash but was later found by officers nearby with a damaged vehicle and detained.

The intersection of Viking and Sandhill roads was closed to traffic following the crash Thursday night.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A Las Vegas Strip resort announced Wednesday it laid off nearly 50 employees as part of ongoing efforts to "optimize efficiency," a statement said.

A Resorts World Las Vegas spokesperson released the statement Wednesday saying that the layoffs were in an effort to "maximize" the experience it gives to guests.

The statement read in full:

“To best position the company, we have made the difficult decision to restructure a portion of our operations by less than 50 full-time team members. We appreciate the contributions all affected team members have made. This decision is part of our ongoing efforts to optimize efficiency and maximize the exceptional experience we seek to deliver to our guests.”

The layoffs come as Nevada gaming authorities seek a $10.5 million fine against Resorts World and its parent companies, according to a March 20 news release.

An amended complaint filed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) against Resorts World and Genting Berhad alleges “unsuitable methods of operation” in connection with illegal bookmakers Mathew Bowyer and Damien LeForbes. The investigation described a culture of money laundering at the casino.

The fine would be the second-largest in Nevada history, behind a $20 million fine assessed against Wynn Resorts in February 2019 for failing to properly investigate sexual harassment allegations against former CEO Steve Wynn.

The proposed settlement between the state and Resorts World is on the agenda for approval at the Nevada Gaming Commission’s meeting on March 27. The settlement also addresses “wholesale changes” to executive leadership at Resorts World, according to the NGCB news release.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - A report from a state agency said the quality of charter schools is decreasing as the number of them increases.

However, that won't dissuade Republican Governor Joe Lombardo. He's all in on school choice.

"Increasing the number of charter schools that are available within all the participating jurisdictions," Lombardo told 8 News Now on Monday.

A report from the State Public Charter School Authority that was submitted to the Nevada Department of Education included data on student performance. It showed that test scores for SBAC, also known as Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, were higher among charter students than their public-school peers.

In the 2023-2024 school year, elementary and middle school students scored 13% higher in ELA and 12% higher in math compared to public school students, according to the SPCSA's report.

"Charter schools are accountable schools. If they don't do a good job, they close them. That's the difference with the school district. If they do a poor job, [lawmakers] give them more money," Valeria Gurr, a school choice advocate, said.

Gurr said charter schools outperform public schools and the data shows - she's right.

High school charters graduated 2% more students than public schools in the 2023-2024 year, according to the SPCSA report.

"It's not one versus the other. It's about how we all co-exist in the system. So we that can serve kids the best - is possible for them," Gurr said.

The report from the State Public Charter School Authority highlighted some problems with charter schools.

It showed that pre-COVID, 2% of charters were 1-star schools, but in the 2023-2024 academic year that number climbed to 15%. The increase in 1-star schools comes as charters grow in Nevada.

8 News Now previously reported on the state closing Eagle Charter School for failing to pay back more than $800,000 in taxpayer funds. Eagle was open for less than a year.

In an interview with our 8 News Now Investigators, Gov. Lombardo reiterated his support for school choice.

"School choice is all-encompassing. It's charter schools, it's different education opportunities. It's open zoning, the ability to receive transportation to go to a different school versus a traditional place where you reside," Lombardo said.

In the 2024-2025 school year, more students were enrolled in Nevada charter schools than in the Washoe County School District, making charters the second largest school system behind the Clark County School District.

Five new charter schools are scheduled to open this fall for students, four of them are in Clark County.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Clark County’s top prosecutor said lawmakers need to amend Nevada law to increase penalties when it comes to impaired driving, adding tougher consequences would deter potentially deadly behavior.

“Whatever we're doing right now isn't working,” Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said. “We're not getting the message out because people are still doing it.”

Nevada law classifies a person’s first DUI as a misdemeanor. It carries a potential jail sentence of 2-180 days, though the law is written to say the time can be served through community service. Judges can also revoke a person’s license, issue a fine and order them to attend a class. Should an offender have a blood-alcohol level of more than 0.18% -- more than double the legal limit -- a judge can order that person to treatment.

A DUI becomes a felony in Nevada after two previous DUI convictions within seven years. However, the 8 News Now Investigators found some people pick up DUI charges so quickly, their misdemeanors pile up.

Las Vegas Metro police arrested Alfredo Jauregui, 22, on Oct. 5 on charges of DUI resulting in death, records said. Jauregui, who does not have a driver’s license, is accused of killing George Brown, 48, as Brown was in the road on Marion Drive near Nellis Boulevard and Cheyenne Avenue.

Brown’s death marks Jauregui’s fifth DUI accusation since 2021, records said. His third DUI conviction did not rise to a felony because of other concurrent cases.

“I think if people start to think, 'Oh my god, I'm going to spend a few days in jail,' that will deter many people,” Wolfson, a Democrat, said.

An accused DUI driver will spend some time in jail as they sober up after their arrest, but even after a second DUI conviction, the 8 News Now Investigators found judges often sentence a now-repeat drunk driver to days, not months in jail.

With several failures to appear, judges sentenced Jauregui to 98 days in jail for one case and 82 days in jail for two cases combined, spokespeople for the cities of Henderson and Las Vegas said.

Jemarcus Williams, 47, drove impaired on Nov. 30, 2023, colliding with Sgt. Michael Abbate and Trooper Alberto Felix on an Interstate 15 offramp near Downtown Las Vegas. The two policemen were standing on the side of the road investigating a second DUI driver when Williams killed them.

A municipal court judge later sentenced that second DUI driver to 10 days in jail with the stipulation that he could serve on weekends only.

Nevada law states penalties for a second DUI conviction within seven years of a person’s first can be tough, including six months in jail, fines, license revocation and a required class.

“The laws are there -- and our laws are tough,” Las Vegas Justice Court Chief Judge Melisa De La Garza said, adding jail is not always the answer.

“When they come out of the jail, are they any better? Is our community any safer? And the answer is probably, ‘no,’” she said.

It costs taxpayers $240 a day to house an inmate at the Clark County Detention Center, De La Garza said. The justice court's DUI court, which sees on average 102 cases a day, can issue a suspended jail sentence, meaning a person will only go to jail should they violate the terms they agreed to.

In the end, judges have discretion about sentencing and often sentence a person to a suspended jail sentence if they do not change their behavior. Oftentimes, judges will give a DUI defendant, at least after their first or second offense, the opportunity to go to treatment and avoid jail time.

“Initially, don't we want to try and get to the root of the problem, so we don't just have people coming in and out of our jail just circulating and coming back, and our community, quite honestly, is still at risk?” De La Garza said.

“You should have to spend a minimum of five days in jail, OK? That will start to deter people,” Wolfson said, agreeing that treatment and education are appropriate in some cases.

He worries others just do not care.

“I hope our legislators are listening because we need to do something,” Wolfson said. “We need to increase the punishments. We need to change the laws so that we are deterring more people from drunk driving.”

In an interview in January, LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill also suggested creating tougher consequences to deter drunk driving.

Wolfson and De La Garza enforce the law. They do not write it.

As the 8 News Now Investigators first reported Monday, Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo wants tougher penalties for DUI drivers, including charging impaired drivers who kill another person with second-degree murder.

Nevada prosecutors, including Wolfson’s office, have tried to charge DUI drivers, who kill a person and who speed and who drive with no care for another person’s life, with murder, but the Nevada Supreme Court ruled the DUI with death law was more appropriate.

Wolfson said he supports the governor’s proposal.

Another proposal from Republican State Sen. Jeff Stone would amend the state’s vehicular homicide law to kick in after a person’s first DUI conviction should they then drive impaired and kill someone -- right now, it’s three strikes and you’re out.

De La Garza said a committee was exploring how delays in testing, another issue the 8 News Now Investigators uncovered, can mean delays in justice.

For months, a judge could not jail Jauregui -- even amid his fourth DUI accusation -- because prosecutors had yet to file charges against him without his blood results. Eventually, while awaiting a future court date, he drove impaired again and killed Brown, police said.

Lombardo’s proposal to amend the law to allow prosecutors to charge impaired drivers who cause death with second-degree murder is part of a larger crime bill, which had yet to be introduced as of Wednesday.

While Monday marked the deadline for the governor to introduce his bills this legislative session, he will receive a waiver because the Legislative Counsel Bureau was not finished reviewing them, a spokesperson said.

8 News Now Investigator David Charns can be reached at dcharns@8newsnow.com.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- The 2025 Nevada's Small Business Persons of the Year was awarded to Tacotarian.

Each year, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) celebrates outstanding achievements of small business owners and entrepreneurs across the country.

“There are so many great businesses in Nevada, so many people working so hard. We know we work very, very hard, so it was just an honor for us to be selected when we’re competing with so many great people,” Regina Simmons, co-owner of Tacotarian, said.

The quadruple business team, consisting of Dan and Regina Simmons and Carlos and Kristen Corral, first opened the restaurant in 2018 with a desire to bring authentic Mexican food with a plant-based twist to the valley.

“A lot of people don’t even know that it’s plant-based. The food is just that good,” Kristen Corral said. “75% of our customer base doesn’t identify as vegetarian or vegan, so we just tell people to leave your labels at the door and come enjoy just delicious food.”

The owners mentioned that reaching their current success took hard work, passion, resilience, and support along the way. The U.S. SBA offers resources and support for entrepreneurs and small business owners to help launch, grow, and expand their businesses.

“There’s plenty of resources out there through the SBA, through the state, through many different channels,” Dan Simmons said. “Do your research, find these resources, and be able to capitalize and get your business going.”

The Tacotarian team utilized both the SBA’s T.H.R.I.V.E. Program and the 7A loan program to start and grow their business, including opening their new location at Miracle Mile Shops.

They hope to inspire other aspiring business owners to take the first step to achieving the American dream of business ownership.

“Dream big. Go for it but prepare yourself,” Regina Simmons said. “Build a business plan. Get the team together. Make sure you’re ready before you do that big jump. But don’t stop dreaming about it.”

The Tacotarian team will travel to Washington D.C. in May where they will be formally recognized for their incredible achievement. There, they will have a chance at winning the national title of Small Business Persons of the Year.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- The man accused of shooting and killing another man in front of a Las Vegas casino was allegedly driving a stolen vehicle, documents said.

On Tuesday, March 11, at around 4:15 a.m., a person called 911 to report that a man was shot near the entrance of a Dotty’s Casino on West Charleston Boulevard near Jones Boulevard.

Arriving officers found a man, later identified as Richard Banda, 31, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to his chest. Medical personnel arrived and began life-saving measures, but Banda succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead, according to an arrest report.

Surveillance video showed Banda arriving at the casino with his girlfriend shortly before 4 a.m. and Banda appeared to be rummaging through his trunk. Shortly after, a two-door dark blue vehicle pulled into the parking lot.

Banda faced the vehicle and waved his arms toward it. The car appeared to slow as it passed Banda before suddenly reversing into a parking spot next to Banda. Surveillance video then shows a muzzle flash from inside the vehicle.

Banda collapsed by the front door of the casino as the vehicle drove off, the report stated.

Banda's girlfriend told police Banda spoke to a man in the casino, believing Banda wanted to sell "various items" that he would sell for cash. She saw Banda go outside to look for something in his vehicle while she stayed inside, the report stated.

Approximately 20 seconds later, the girlfriend said she heard a "loud sound that she thought was a rock hitting the window" of the casino, so she ran to the bathroom to hide before she heard other patrons say Banda was shot outside.

She told police she did not know anyone who would want to harm him, according to the report.

A vehicle matching the suspect vehicle's description was reported stolen a few days before the shooting. The owner of the vehicle told police she started her vehicle to warm it up and left it running for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. When she left her apartment, her vehicle was gone, the report stated.

A few days after the shooting, officers located a vehicle in front of a residence. Using items found in the vehicle, police were able to identify the suspect as Salvador Delgadillo, 37.

The arrest report noted that Delgadillo lived close by to where the vehicle was located. A records check showed Delgadillo has "numerous" priors and convictions for stolen vehicle, prohibited person in possession of a firearm, and invasion of a home.

On March 24, an officer advised detectives of a battery domestic violence call involving Delgadillo and another man battering a person before fleeing a residence. The residence was frozen and during a search of the residence, officers located Delgadillo and took him into custody.

Delgadillo originally told police he was not involved in any criminal activity since he was released from prison in October, but later told police he did not recall what happened the night of the shooting before asking for a lawyer.

Delgadillo was held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail on a charge of open murder with a deadly weapon. His next court appearance was scheduled for March 27.

The arrest report did not list a motive for the shooting.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Tremaine Neverson, also known as ‘Trey Songz,’ is expected to testify in his defense in a civil trial, according to court documents obtained by the 8 News Now Investigators.

Clark County District Court Judge Jacob Reynolds scheduled a jury trial for March 16, 2026.

The plaintiff, Tyrelle Dunn, alleged Neverson and his security guards beat him after he tried to rescue his wife who reported being held against her will at The Cosmopolitan on Nov. 28, 2021.

Reynolds had ordered an $11.2 million default judgment, which included nearly $28,000 for medical expenses, $5 million for pain and suffering, $5 million for punitive damages, and $1.2 for prejudgment interest, against the singer on Oct. 10. Reynolds dismissed the judgment on Jan. 16 after Neverson claimed he was unaware of a lawsuit filed against him despite a reporter reaching out to an attorney who said he represented the singer more than one year ago and despite previous news stories on the lawsuit.

An early case conference was held on Feb. 25, according to court documents.

In Dunn's description of what occurred, he said he heard his wife screaming for help, attempted to enter the room to help her, and was physically assaulted and battered by Neverson and his associates.

Dunn previously wrote in an affidavit that he suffered fractures to both eye sockets, and injuries to his nose, face, ribs, stomach, ear, and head, and missed more than a month of work as a Maryland Capitol police officer.

In Neverson's description of what occurred, he claimed sex was consensual and when Dunn barged in, he defended himself. Security guards escorted Dunn away where an altercation apparently occurred, according to Neverson.

Dunn is suing for battery, assault, negligence, and negligent hiring, training, supervision and retention.

"The parties briefly discussed settlement during the early case conference, which did not result in resolution of the matter," the report stated.

Dunn's medical bills to date amount to nearly $28,000, according to the report.

Las Vegas Metro police responded to the incident. In March 2022, police said Neverson would not be charged.

"The LVMPD has concluded the investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Tremaine Neverson and determined that no criminal charges will be filed. If any new evidence comes to light, the case will be reopened for further investigation," the department said in a statement.

Neverson is best known for 2010 hits, "Bottoms Up," and "Say Aah." He referred to himself as a "prominent R&B singer," in an affidavit.

Neverson has faced previous allegations of sexual and physical assaults.

In June 2023, a woman filed a lawsuit against Neverson alleging he pulled down her bikini top to expose her breast in front of a crowd of people including her co-workers at an event in Connecticut in 2013.

Women claim singer Trey Songz drugged and sexually assaulted them.

"Plaintiff, while nervously laughing to mask her shock and humiliation, immediately pulled her top back on and prepared for another assault, holding her arm over her chest for an extended period of time," the complaint filed in the Central District of California stated.

The incident was captured on video.

The month prior, Neverson pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct violation after he was accused of assault in New York.

In April 2023, a woman filed a lawsuit in California alleging Neverson sexually assaulted her at his home in 2016.

"Songz repeatedly asked plaintiff if he could 'get that [expletive],' meaning have anal sex," the woman alleged. "Plaintiff repeatedly told defendant Songz no in response to defendant Songz's requests."

The woman claimed the singer then threw her to the ground and brutally sexually assaulted her. The woman ran out of the home, called a Lyft, and the driver, who noticed that the woman was in distress, rerouted the ride and took her to the hospital, the lawsuit alleged.

The medical center contacted Burbank Police, but the woman did not cooperate with police because she was terrified of Neverson, according to the complaint.

On at least two occasions, the woman and singer happened to be at the same events, the complaint stated.

"Songz would shout 'get that slut out of here' and create an environment so terrifying that Plaintiff would be forced to leave," the lawsuit alleged.

At a New Year's Eve party, Neverson saw the woman and started screaming that she was a "slut" and a liar," and then his security detail assaulted the woman and told her to leave, according to the complaint.

The woman said that she relocated to another state because the singer's terror was so severe.

In December 2021, Dylan Gonzalez, a former University of Nevada Las Vegas basketball player tweeted, "Trey Songz is a rapist."

"With what seems like endlessly reoccurring news of the alleged sexual assaults committed by Trey Songz, I am forced to repeatedly relive in my mind, and suffer anew, the long-suppressed horror and unbearable PTSD of my rape by his very hands at a well-known Las Vegas hotel," she said in a statement. "I want to send my love, strength and hope to all who are victims of sexual assault and its fatal nature. You are not alone."

In 2020, a woman filed a lawsuit accusing Neverson of sexual assault and battery at a Miami nightclub in 2018.

The unnamed woman claimed that he forcefully and inappropriately touched her without her consent.

The woman and her friends had spent New Year's Eve celebrating at the home of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs when Trey Songz invited them to EllEVEN nightclub, the complaint stated.

The unnamed woman stated another woman had confided in her Neverson had also sexually assaulted her earlier that night.

In 2018, two men filed a lawsuit against Neverson in the Eastern District of Michigan Southern Division. Robert Avery was working crowd control as a sergeant for the Detroit Police Department and Andrew Potter was a professional photographer with credentials.

Neverson became irate, hurled heavy equipment off of the stage and into the crowd, destroyed items on the stage, and picked up a microphone and threw it at Potter, according to the complaint.

In a dressing room, Neverson was combative and shouted racially derogatory expletives to officers, the lawsuit alleged. Neverson struck Avery in the face with a closed fist and then caused Avery to hit his head on the concrete and injure his hip, the complaint stated.

The complaint also referred to videos posted by Neverson showing disdain for law enforcement days before the incident, in which he yelled, "[expletive] the police!"

Neverson is part of "The Millenium Tour," which includes a stop at MGM Grand Garden Area on April 25, 2025.

To reach investigative reporter Vanessa Murphy, email vmurphy@8newsnow.com.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A top Democrat in the Nevada Legislature said lawmakers will not consider any of President Donald Trump’s election-law changes signed as part of an executive order.

The order seeks to amend how states register voters and administer elections, however, the president has no authority over state law.

One issue directly affecting Nevada is a warning from the president that federal funding would be conditional on a state counting all ballots by Election Day. Nevada law requires all mail-in ballots to be mailed and postmarked by Election Day. There is then a four-day period after Election Day when county clerks can accept the postmarked ballots and process them. If the ballot does not have a postmark, county clerks can process ballots up to three days after Election Day.

“Donald Trump's executive order concerning elections is an affront to Nevada's voters,” Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said. “His threats to withhold federal funds is shameful; Nevada's ability to hold free and fair elections should not depend on Donald Trump. Nevada runs safe, secure, and lawful elections, and the president cannot be permitted to blackmail the state into remaking its election laws to suit his personal partisan preferences and his campaign to weaken our democracy.”

"For far too long, many Nevadans -- and Americans -- haven’t had full confidence in our elections system," a spokesperson for Lombardo said in a statement. "Governor Lombardo supports President Trump’s efforts to make our elections more secure, timely, and efficient, and he hopes both Congress and the Nevada State Legislature will take similar steps to secure our elections. Restoring trust in our electoral process should be a bipartisan priority of every elected leader."

Trump’s order also calls for the requirement of proof of citizenship on federal registration forms. In Nevada, a person has to show proof of residence when registering to vote, which includes a driver's license. While the Department of Motor Vehicles can give a noncitizen driving privileges, its system will reject any noncitizen from access to voter registration.

It is illegal for undocumented immigrants or noncitizens to vote. While Trump, his campaign and some Republicans raised concerns about noncitizens voting in Nevada, even filing a lawsuit in about it, there is no evidence it happened.

Previous lawsuits challenging the automatic registration process failed.

In the order, the president is calling for states to share their voter rolls with federal departments to identify noncitizens who may be registered. If a state refuses, it could lose out on federal money, the order said.

“The Legislature will not consider any of the demands the president made in his order, because Nevada's elections are the responsibility of Nevadans, their representatives, and their hard-working election workers,” Yeager said. “I urge Governor Lombardo to affirm that Nevada's elections won't be held hostage to Donald Trump's threats.”

In November, Nevada voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question to require identification at the ballot box. The ballot question requires one more statewide vote before heading to the Legislature for review. Nevada Republicans are pushing for leadership to bring voter ID to the floor this session amid November’s result.

In 2020, all of Trump’s and Republicans’ fraud allegations were lost in court, including one citing out-of-state residents voting in the election. The voters were military families and students who at the time were legally allowed to vote in Nevada.

After the 2020 election, Former Attorney General Bill Barr, a Republican, said there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

While claiming fraud in the 2020 election, Nevada Republican leaders did not make the same claims for the 2022 primary nor the 2022 general election, which followed the same procedures.

Voting twice is a crime. As of last week, the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office was investigating about 300 double votes in the 2024 general election, representing 0.02% of all votes cast. The investigations do not mean 300 people will be charged with a crime. The office stresses that double vote attempts can occur if someone forgets they already sent in a mail-in ballot.

Either way, Nevada’s election system only casts one vote per person. Any attempted double vote does not count and alerts the state to the potential crime.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS) — Cave Creek Reservoir has reached full capacity, according to a Tuesday announcement from state wildlife and parks officials.

A five-year project made improvements on the 90-year-old dam, as well as expanding water storage capacity at the reservoir and the spillway.

"The reservoir is now spilling over into the newly constructed dam spillway as expected, and all systems are functioning correctly," according to a joint news release.

Crews are working to restock the reservoir with 17,000 fish, and a celebration has been scheduled.

A "Rediscover Cave Lake" event is planned on Saturday, June 7, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Volunteers are needed for the event, which will feature outdoor activities, entertainment and family-friendly fun.

The state is taking applications from vendors at parks.nv.gov/events. The application deadline is May 7.

The lake is a popular escape in the mountains 14 miles southeast of Ely in White Pine County, not far from Great Basin National Park. Cave Lake State Park is about 255 miles north of Las Vegas via U.S. 93 and State Route 318.

Officials urged caution at the lake because of expected debris from vegetation that grew in the dry lakebed during the project.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A woman pretending to be a police officer by flashing her headlights and playing a siren sound through her speakers is accused of threatening another driver and stealing his car, police said in documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained Wednesday.

Angela Corona Perez faces charges of kidnapping, robbery, burglary and impersonating a public officer, records said.

On March 18, a person called police saying another person posing as a police officer stole his car on Eastern Avenue near Warm Springs Road, documents said. The victim said a car “pulled up behind him” with flashing lights. A woman then approached him, pointed a flashlight in his face, saying she was an armed police officer.

The woman then ordered the man out of his car, destroyed his phone, threatened to shoot him, took his car keys and left, documents said.

A witness told police she noticed the two cars stopped on the side of the road and believed there was a crash, documents said. The witness recorded one of the car’s license plates, which matched Corona Perez.

A short time later, Corona Perez came back and yelled at the man again, police said. She then returned to her car and left in her own vehicle.

Police later found Corona Perez, who told police she believed someone was following her, documents said. She also admitted to playing “a police siren sound” from an app on her phone.

During a search of Corona Perez’s car, police said they found items belonging to the victim.

Corona Perez was not transported to court for her initial appearance because she was “disruptive,” records said.

On Monday, Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Rebecca Saxe released Corona Perez from custody with the highest pre-trial release conditions, records said. Prosecutors did not oppose the release.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for May.

Police suggest calling 911 and speaking with a dispatcher if there are concerns during a traffic stop.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A second victim has come forward in a sex crimes case against a former high school assistant principal, according to the Clark County District Attorney's office.

A grand jury indicted Hearley Smith, 54, on multiple charges related to both alleged victims, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.

Hearley is accused of paying to touch a teenager's genitals in a school office nearly a dozen times, according to an arrest report.

Officers with the Clark County School District Police Department responded to Canyon Springs High School in February after a report of possible inappropriate contact between a staff member and a student.

Smith was employed with CCSD since 2004 and resigned from his position on March 3.

Police arrested Smith at the Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport on March 7 as he was waiting to board a flight to Canada.

Smith told police he "would never do anything to hurt or injure any kids" and retired from the CCSD after talking to a union member about accusations involving a student, the report stated.

A judge previously set bail at $130,000. Smith remains in the Clark County Detention Center.

On Wednesday, Clark County District Court Judge Tara Clark Newberry ordered Smith to have no contact with both alleged victims or other minors and to comply with medium-level electronic monitoring if he posts bail.

Smith is scheduled to appear in court on April 8.

Медиа: image / png

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A man accused of killing his stepfather missed several previous court hearings related to domestic violence charges and had an active arrest warrant, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.

Carlos Magana, 32, faces an open murder charge for the death of his stepfather, Luis Torres-Avila, 57, in an apartment near Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue, police said. While speaking with reporters Tuesday morning, LVMPD Lt. Robert Price identified Torres-Avila as Magana’s father.

Shortly after the murder, Magana called police to say that he had stabbed Torres-Avila five times, police said. Magana then cleaned the knife, placed it on a table and brushed his teeth. Police then arrived and took Magana into custody.

A witness told police she heard Magana and Torres-Avila arguing before the stabbing early Tuesday morning, documents said.

In December 2023, a person called police saying Magana had repeatedly threatened her and other people in her family, documents said.

Magana sent that person messages about violating a restraining order, “[slicing]” a family member and firing bullets, documents said.

In that case, prosecutors charged Magana with aggravated stalking constituting domestic violence and violating a protection order, records said. Prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against Magana on those charges on March 7, 2024. Magana failed to show up to court several months later, leading a judge to issue a warrant for his arrest.

Police arrested Magana on the warrant in February, records said. Though prosecutors objected to Magana’s release from jail, Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Nancy Bernstein released him from custody, but ordered him to the highest-level pre-trial release program, records said.

Magana then failed to appear weeks later for a bench trial, leading to another warrant for his arrest.

During Magana’s initial court appearance on the murder charge, Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Suzan Baucum denied setting bail.

Magana was due to appear in court Thursday.

Медиа: image / png

UPDATE: Steven Ashmore has been located. He is receiving medical treatment at a Las Vegas, NV hospital.

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS) — A 62-year-old man who was transferred to a Las Vegas hospital for treatment after he suffered a stroke has been reported missing.

Steven Lantz Ashmore of Bullhead City, Arizona, was released from care in Las Vegas, according to information provided by his roommate to police on Monday, March 24, at 11 p.m. Ashmore's roommate said he seemed to be disoriented during a phone call Monday afternoon.

He is no longer reachable by phone, the roommate told Bullhead City police, adding that he is concerned for Ashmore's welfare.

Ashmore is white, about 5-feet-8 inches tall, 190 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair.

If you have information about Ashmore's whereabouts, call Bullhead City Police at (928) 763-1999.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A second victim has come forward in a sex crimes case against a high school coach and contractor, according to the Clark County District Attorney's Office.

A grand jury indicted Deshae Bowen-Edwards, 32, on multiple charges related to both alleged victims, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.

Clark County School District police arrested Bowen-Edwards on Oct. 15 on charges related to sexual misconduct with a student at Legacy High School.

Bowen-Edwards began working as a coach for CCSD in 2017, according to the district. Police said he also worked as a contractor for Communities in Schools, which aims to help underserved students stay in school, according to the organization's website.

The district attorney's office expressed frustration with North Las Vegas Justice Court, where the criminal case first originated, during Wednesday morning's formal announcement of the indictment because bail for Bowen-Edwards had quickly been set at $10,000. Bowen-Edwards immediately posted bond and is no longer in custody.

District Court Judge Tara Clark Newberry set bail at $500,000 with conditions including high-level electronic monitoring and no contact with the alleged victims, minors, or Legacy High School.

This is a developing story.

Медиа: image / jpeg

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Nevada's attorney general issued an alert Wednesday that Nevadans who have shared genetic information with 23andMe should delete their information.

“I urge Nevadans to access their accounts on 23andMe’s website and consider deleting their shared genetic data in order to ensure their privacy,” said AG Aaron D. Ford. “23andMe has indicated they will continue to honor such actions, and users should make use of this option as soon as possible.”

Deleting the data and account will stop that from being used in research. An account holder can request 23andMe to destroy the DNA sample by doing the following:

• Go to "Settings" and then "Preferences"
• Withdraw any consent you have given for your sample to be stored or used for research and under "Research and Products Consents," you can also revoke consent for future research participation

To delete your 23andMe account:

• Go to "Settings" and then "23 andMe Data"
• Click "View"
• Select "Delete Data"
• Click "Permanently Delete Data" and follow the prompts

The company recently filed bankruptcy while it looks for a buyer.

Медиа: image / jpeg