COPS: Remaining suspect in theft ring arrested
The 14th suspect in a theft and narcotics ring broken up by Nye County Sheriff’s detectives several weeks ago was recently arrested for her alleged part in the activities.
Rikki Wells, the last identified suspect police were looking to question in a string of electronics thefts from Walmart stores in Pahrump and Las Vegas, was arrested on charges of burglary, attempted petit larceny and conspiracy to commit burglary earlier this week.
According to a declaration of arrest in the case, Wells and accomplice Michelle Schulz entered the Pahrump Walmart on Jan. 14 around 4:45 p.m. and attempted to steal a TV from the retailer.
They soon realized they were being watched by store employees and abandoned the item, fleeing the location.
Schulz was later contacted by police and agreed to meet them at a gas station on State Route 372 and Blagg Road to talk about the incident.
Although she initially denied any involvement, she finally admitted to officers she had been with Wells that afternoon at Walmart.
Schulz was arrested that day, and Wells remained at large until this week when police were able to bring her into custody.
COPS: Drunken shooter popped on firearm charges
One man was arrested over the weekend after police were called by concerned neighbors about an intoxicated male shooting his guns in the direction of their home.
According to a declaration of arrest in the case, Nye County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the area of 840 E. Elderberry Street Saturday for a report of gun fire.
When they arrived, a neighbor told one officer that a man wearing a red shirt was firing a shotgun at her home.
Upon closer inspection, the deputies noted there was damage to the outside of the woman’s residence consistent with gunfire from a shotgun.
The officers then relocated to the home of Michael Zweifel, who matched the description given to police of the alleged gunman, to question him about the shots fired in the area.
Zweifel appeared to be intoxicated when police began speaking with him, and allegedly admitted he had consumed six beers that afternoon.
As officers looked around his backyard, one deputy reportedly noticed empty shotgun shells next to an open container of alcohol.
Zweifel allegedly explained to police he was doing target practice with this shotgun and revolver in the backyard, which also happened to face his neighbor’s home.
Police then conducted a field sobriety test with Zweifel to test for intoxication, which he failed.
The man was then placed under arrest for possession of a firearm while intoxicated and discharging a firearm into an occupied structure and transported to the Nye County Detention Center to be booked into custody.
COPS: Ditch ends car thief’s getaway attempt
The driver of a stolen vehicle who attempted to flee from police reportedly ended up crashing the SUV in his attempt to get away.
On Jan. 16 a NCSO detective was at a residence in the 700 block of Alaska Way conducting an investigation when he noticed an SUV drive eastbound down the road before circling back and turning into a driveway moments later.
The detective recognized the driver immediately as Nickolas McGriff, and walked up to the SUV to speak with him.
McGriff and his passengers appeared nervous as the officer approached the vehicle.
After one of the passenger’s whispered something to McGriff, the suspect reportedly took one look at the detective, then looked to his steering wheel and put the vehicle in drive, pulling out of the driveway and fleeing southbound from the residence.
A short way down the road, the SUV hit a ditch and McGriff and his passengers jumped out of the vehicle fleeing from the scene on foot.
The detective was able to run the VIN number and license plate numbers on the SUV, at which time he discovered the plates on the vehicle did not belong to the SUV and were reported stolen out of Nye County. The officer also learned that the vehicle was stolen out of Henderson.
McGriff was later apprehended and transported to the Nye County Detention Center to be booked on two counts of possession of stolen property, concealing evidence and resisting.
COPS: Beer ruse ends in beer bust for brothers
Two brothers were arrested Sunday after allegedly conspiring to steal beer from a local convenience store using the same scheme twice in two days.
According to a declaration of arrest in the case, on Saturday a NCSO deputy was called out to the Horizon Market on State Route 160 for a report of burglary.
A male, later identified as Nicholas Himes, reportedly entered the store around 3:15 a.m. asking for directions. He then walked outside for a moment before coming back in and grabbing an 18-pack of beer.
Himes walked towards the cash register as though he were going to pay for the item, and when the clerk turned around to grab him a pack of cigarettes, Himes allegedly ran out of the store without paying for the beer.
On Sunday, a second deputy arrested Himes and his brother Jeremy Himes, after Nicholas attempted a second time to steal beer using the same ruse.
Nicholas was identified on surveillance video as the male who entered the store in both incidents. His brother Jeremy was determined to be the get-away driver in at least the second incident.
Both Himes brothers were arrested for conspiracy to commit burglary and transported to the local detention center where they were booked into custody.
