Crime Corner

Man arrested Friday after 2-day crime spree involving firearm

Was an ex-felon legally barred from gun possession

A man was arrested Friday after a string of incidents revolving around him threatening people with a shotgun.

Dennis McCoy was arrested on preliminary charges of assault with a deadly weapon, ex-felon in possession of a firearm, aim firearm at person and harassment, that took place between Dec. 3 and Dec. 4.

According to the Nye County Sheriff's Office's report, the two-day incident began in Crystal, where McCoy alleged was trying to get an ownership title for a trailer from the victim.

The victim stated that McCoy pointed his shotgun out the window of his green 1970s pickup truck at him and and threatened to shoot him. The victim also said McCoy threatened his friend, but deputies have been unable to get in contact with the man.

Then on Friday, dispatch received a call from an employee at the Holiday Inn Express, saying a man identified as McCoy was trying to get a room and told the employee that he was on the run and if the employee would trade him vehicles.

After the conversation, McCoy left the Holiday Inn Express, leaving two shotgun shells on the counter that he pulled from his pocket, police said.

After the Holiday Inn incident, deputies were able to make contact with McCoy in the parking lot of the Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Casino, where he was spotted in his green pickup truck.

When questioned if he had a shotgun in his possession, he admitted that he did have one that he recently purchased located inside a toolbox.

When asked about his involvement in the Crystal incident, McCoy denied the claims, but the description the victim in Crystal provided to sheriff's deputies matched McCoy.

After running an Interstate Identification Index on McCoy that discovered that he has three previous felony convictions and as a result, he was not allowed to possess a firearm.

The shotgun was then recovered from the toolbox of the truck, which was loaded with a shell in the chamber. McCoy was then arrested and booked into the Nye County Detention Center

Man arrested for allegedly stealing car outside of home

Was found a day after initial report of missing car was filed

A man was arrested on Dec. 1 on charges stemming from an alleged stolen vehicle incident.

Michael Silveira was preliminarily charged with grand larceny auto, possession of a stolen vehicle and break/injure a motor vehicle by the Nye County Sheriff's Office one day after a couple reported their car missing.

The couple left their vehicle at the male victim's mother's house, who was out of town, on the 6300 block of S. Cajon Street on Nov. 27 after the vehicle ran out of gas, according to the police report.

When the couple went back to the residence on Nov. 30 to pick their vehicle up, the automobile was missing from the driveway where they had left it.

The couple told deputies that they suspected that Silveria had stolen the car, as they both saw him driving it at 1070 E. Gamebird Road, according to police. Deputies did not locate the vehicle in that area at that time.

The next day Nye County Sheriff's deputies located the vehicle at 2631 Gamebird Road in Silveira's possession, where he was taken into custody.

Silveira first told police that he took the vehicle because it was on his property. The suspect then changed his story and said that one of the victims told him to take it to have some work done on the car. The night the vehicle was reported stolen, both victims told police that no one had permission to use the car.

After speaking with the suspect, deputies spoke with the female victim who told them that the ignition and steering column had been tampered with and damaged, stating it would only now start with a screwdriver. The cost for the replacement would be $250.

Intoxicated Pahrump woman arrested after violating previous release conditions

Bennett was told to not drink alcohol when released from jail Nov. 5

A 62-year-old local woman was arrested last week after she made threats to another person while intoxicated, which violated conditions of her release from jail last month.

Phyllis Bennett was arrested on one charge of criminal contempt on Dec. 1, after she allegedly told a woman she was going to throw battery acid in a woman's eyes.

The Nye County Sheriff's Office was alerted to the woman after the woman she threatened called police about the threat and that Bennett was believed to be intoxicated, as she was seen staggering around.

As deputies arrived on scene at the 1300 block of Ogallala Street, they saw Bennett laying down underneath a floor mat on the ground in front of a residence. When she stood up, police said they could immediately smell the odor of alcohol coming from Bennett.

She admitted to deputies that she had drunk a can of an alcoholic beverage, and that she was released from the Nye County Detention Center on Nov. 5 on her own recognizance. Confirming her release with dispatch, police learned that one condition of her release was to abstain from alcohol.

Bennett was taken into custody and booked into the Nye County Detention Center on the criminal contempt charge.

Contact reporter Mick Akers at makers@pvtimes.com. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.