Las Vegas Strip Motel 8 Murder Suspect Heading to Court
Posted on: June 20, 2023, 04:59h.
Last updated on: June 20, 2023, 05:03h.
The man accused of murdering another man at Las Vegas Strip’s Motel 8 is scheduled to appear at a Justice Court hearing on June 29.
Bryan Contreras, 32, was arrested on an open murder with a deadly weapon charge on June 9 for the 2021 incident.
A recently-released police report revealed the deadly shooting of Jesse Poncelet, 32, on August 23, 2021, was intentional based on a statement from a witness, Las Vegas TV station KLAS reported.
Contreras, his girlfriend, Poncelet, and three others were in a room at the Motel 8 on South Las Vegas Boulevard. That is when a gun discharged, and Poncelet fell to the floor.
He later died from the wound at University Medical Center.
Autopsy Reveals Homicide
His death was ruled a homicide following an autopsy by the Clark County coroner’s office. According to the autopsy, Poncelet died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Detectives arrested Bryan Contreras, 31, after an early morning shooting left one person dead near Las Vegas Blvd and Russell Rd. Click here for more: https://t.co/9gCutmysiO#BREAKING #LasVegas pic.twitter.com/wxIPiveJPc
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) August 23, 2021
Initially, it was believed the shooting at the motel was an accident.
The motel is located on South Las Vegas Boulevard near Hacienda Avenue. It is across from the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.
Police found out he was a convicted felon. So, officers charged him with being a prohibited person in possession of a gun. It is unclear what charge he was convicted of.
After the summertime shooting, Contreras allegedly fled from the crime scene. He later was identified, and soon apprehended on the prohibited person gun charge.
Several Court Appearances
At first, Judge Joseph Bonaventure released Contreras on his own recognizance on August 24, 2021. Initially, he refused to speak with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) detectives about the shooting.
In October 2021, Contreras and his girlfriend later were arrested in Laughlin, Nev. Contreras had a pending charge from California on an undisclosed criminal count.
Later, Contreras did not show up for a court hearing on the gun charge, so Judge Eric Goodman issued a warrant for his arrest on March 15, 2022.
As police further investigated the fatal shooting, another arrest warrant was issued a few months ago, on March 29, by Justice Court Judge Amy Chelini.
Contreras recently appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court on the open murder charge on June 12.
Contreras and his unnamed girlfriend were drug addicts, the police report revealed. She was not identified. A drug paraphernalia charge against her is apparently pending.
Contreras remains in custody at the Clark County Detention Center.
If convicted on the two charges, Contreras could face decades in prison.
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Source: casino.org
