Crime Corner

One woman was arrested last week after she allegedly stole more than $2,500 worth of equipment from her neighbor’s property.

According to a declaration of arrest in the case, last Friday around 2 p.m. a Nye County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to a residence in the 1700 block of Michael Drive for a report of grand larceny.

When the officer arrived on scene he met with the victim who said two days earlier a neighbor called to tell her she saw three trucks on the victim’s property removing miscellaneous items.

Those items reportedly included three swing sets, a bicycle, a dog kennel, two chairs, chain link gates and fencing pieces, a riding helmet, a feeding trough and 37 pieces of black plastic pipe.

Based on the description she received of the three trucks on her property, the victim told the deputy she believed at least one of the trucks very likely belonged to another neighbor, Eldora Mills, who lives in the 4200 block of Gerald Street. She further stated she drove past the other woman’s home and observed her stolen property sitting in Mills’ yard.

When police went to question Mills about the property, she allegedly told officers the items were given to her by a former neighbor.

That claim, however, turned out to be false after a deputy contacted the other person and learned the statement was not true.

After she was confronted about the lie, Mills allegedly admitted to taking the items, telling officers she arranged for two of her friends to meet her at the victim’s home and steal some items from her property.

When deputies attempted to arrest Mills, she allegedly resisted, screaming at police and refusing to place her hands behind her back.

After a deputy on scene was able to place Mills on the ground, police were able to get her in handcuffs and place her in the back of a patrol vehicle to be transported to the Nye County Detention Center.

She was booked into custody on charges of grand larceny, possession of stolen property, trespassing, resisting a public officer and conspiracy to commit grand larceny.

COPS: Cashier busted letting customers steal thousands in merchandise

Police took one woman to jail after she allegedly let customers walk out of a local hardware store with approximately $5,000 worth of free merchandise over a period of three months.

On June 12, a deputy was called to Home Depot on State Route 160 for a report of theft.

When he arrived, the officer met with an asset protection employee who said one of their cashiers, named Beronica Nieves-Garcia, allowed a male to walk out of the store with a $496 toilet combo set after only having paid $25.32 for a bottle of water and another item.

The employee further told the officer Nieves-Garcia had allegedly been allowing this to happen on multiple occasions since April with the same customer or customers.

When the deputy spoke with Nieves-Garcia, she said she needed money and that she had met two males who would pay her upwards of $80 for each transaction they conducted where she allowed them to leave the store with free merchandise.

She said after she would let them leave the store without paying for certain items, she would meet them at CVS or China Wok on her lunch break to collect the money they promised her.

An investigation in the matter conducted by Home Depot showed Nieves-Garcia allegedly let the two men leave the store with approximately $5,000 worth of unpaid merchandise since April of this year.

Nieves-Garcia explained that she needed money for her bills and that was why she agreed to help the two men out.

She further agreed to write a written statement about her alleged misconduct in which she wrote that she admitted to “giving them free things for money and would meet them places to get money.”

She was subsequently placed under arrest for burglary, obtaining money/property/labor under false pretenses, grand larceny and embezzlement before being transported to the local jail to be booked into custody.

COPS: Men arrested for fighting after woman hit, pushed

Two men were arrested last week after they allegedly got into an altercation outside their residence on Winery Road.

According to a declaration of arrest in the case, on June 12 at 8:25 p.m. a deputy was asked to respond to a home in the 3400 block of E. Winery Road for a report of a physical altercation in progress. A neighbor who called police to report the fight said the two males were outside actively fighting and rolling around in the gravel.

When the officer arrived on scene, she spoke with several witnesses who explained the fight began after one suspect, Raymond Clark, pushed the other suspect, Wayland Marks, away from his sister after Marks allegedly hit her and pushed her into the back of a vehicle on the property.

Clark allegedly admitted to the deputy he lost his temper and continued to fight with Marks after he had gotten him away from his sibling.

After the two men were separated, police ran their names through dispatch and soon discovered Marks was a convicted sex offender with a warrant out for his arrest for failing to register his residence with local law enforcement.

Both Marks and Clark were subsequently placed under arrest and transported to the local detention center to be booked into custody.

While there, Mark allegedly refused to follow officers’ command not to speak to Clark during the booking process, continually mouthing words to the other man and making hand gestures to him to try and agitate him.

The booking process reportedly had to be stopped so Clark could be moved to another area and Marks placed in a solitary cell outside booking until he could calm down.