On the afternoon of October 22, Metro dispatch got a call advising that there was a fight behind 33 West Owens by the Railroad tracks. When officers arrived, they found 57-year-old Richard Banks with life-threatening stab wounds. He was transported to UMC where he died from his injuries.

Homicide Detectives learned that Banks had been involved in a fight with 49-year-old Marleau Miller which resulted in Banks being attacked. Police arrested Miller a few days later.

In the early morning hours of October 12, Metro Officers responded to a business near Charleston and 17th after getting 911 calls of a man shot. When Police and EMT’s arrived, they found 22-year-old Hermindo Casillas, Jr. suffering from several gunshot wounds. He was transported to UMC where he later died.

Casillas was with family members when he was approached by three Hispanic men. The men shot Casillas and then fled north on 17th to Lewis where they were picked up by a dark colored vehicle, possibly an SUV, which continued west on Lewis.

The motive for this shooting is not yet known.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555.

On the evening of September 10, Metro Police Officers responded to a parking lot on the northwest corner of Carson and 8th Street after a body was found in a trash can.

When officers arrived, they found a deceased woman inside the trash can, covered in debris. Homicide detectives responded and are investigating.

The victim was an African-American female in her late 20’s to early 30’s. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call the Homicide Section at (702) 828-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

In the early morning hours of July 26, Metro Police received several 911 calls reporting a woman stabbed at F Street and Washington. Callers also reported a man down at D Street and Washington.

Patrol officers arrived and found a 30-year-old female with a stab wound to the leg and 26-year-old Eduardo Velasquez dead from a stab wound to the chest. The woman was transported to UMC Trauma with non-life threatening injuries to the leg.

Homicide detectives responded to the scene and determined both had been stabbed by the female’s ex-boyfriend, 47-year-old Ignacio “Ceasar” Mirando. Detectives located Mirando in a house on Vernon Ave. He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center for one count of murder with a deadly weapon and one count of attempt murder with a deadly weapon.

The female was treated at the hospital and released.

In the early morning hours of June 27, Metro Police responded to a call of a man who had been shot in the alley behind apartments on Sunrise Avenue.

Officers and medical personnel discovered 25-year-old Paul Mendez, shot dead in the alley.

Witnesses reported that the victim had approached a large, white four door SUV with chrome rims when a person inside the vehicle fired several shots at the victim.

Homicide detectives are investigating.

Anyone with information about this murder is urged to call the Homicide office at (702) 828-3521 or Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555.

Police are investigating the shooting death of 29-year-old Josue Bautista. Bautista died at the scene of the crime. Police believe his death may be gang related.

No other details have been released.

On the night of April 11, a 911 call reporting shots fired and a female down at 11th and Fremont was made. Patrol officers arrived and found a 47-year-old female, later identified as Twila Naomi Cline, deceased with a gunshot wound.

Homicide detectives were called and determined Cline was standing on the sidewalk on 11th Street when a faded blue sedan with tinted windows driving south pulled up to the curb.

A short conversation took place and she was shot. The blue vehicle was last seen traveling east on Fremont Street.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at 828-3521. If the caller wishes to remain anonymous, they can call Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

On April 6, 2008, Metro Officers saw a male walking near the intersection of Palos Verde and Frederika. According to police, the man, later identified as 31-year-old Juan Apariciopara, appeared despondent and was holding a jacket up to his neck as if he was injured.

The officers stopped Apariciopara to see if he needed help. Apariciopara told officers he had just killed his girlfriend and tried to run away. When the officers tried to detain him, he started to cut his own throat with a box cutter. A violet struggle took place as the officers fought to prevent the man from committing suicide, with another officer using his Taser to subdue the suspect.

One officer was cut on the hand with the box cutter, and was later treated and released. Apariciopara was transported to Sunrise Hospital Trauma, where he was admitted in serious condition with multiple incised wounds to his neck.

Officer’s checked his apartment in the 500 block of North Circle, and found a deceased male, later identified as Edwin Rodriguez, with obvious sharp force injury. The girlfriend was located uninjuried.

A preliminary investigation by Homicide detectives indicated Apariciopara became upset when he discovered his girlfriend having sex with his roommate. A fight ensued and Apariciopara killed Rodriguez.

Apariciopara was booked in absentia at the Clark County Detention Center for murder with a deadly weapon, battery on a police officer with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest with a deadly weapon.

On March 6, 2008, workers cleaning up a vacant desert lot discovered a deceased male. Patrol officers and Homicide detectives responded and discovered a partially decomposed body of a Hispanic male, age 35-45 years, approximately 5′5″ tall, and weighing 135 lbs.

The male was wearing a green sweatshirt, black and white sweater, grey pants, and brown leather shoes. He had a silver wedding band on his left ring finger, a thin mustache, black and grey hair, and had a noticeable decayed upper front tooth, with a portion missing shaped like a crescent.

The victim did not have any identification and does not match any missing person reports on file.

Anyone with information regarding the identity of the victim, or the murder is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 385-5555 or the LVMPD Homicide Section at 828-3521.

——UPDATED——

On March 19, 2008, Metro detectives served a search warrant in an apartment on west Bonanza, just south of where the victim’s body was found.

Detectives arrested 43-year-old Jerry Nash for the murder. The victim has been tentatively identified as a 47-year-old Asian male. When his identity has been confirmed, and next of kin notified, his name will be released by the Coroner’s Office.