3 accused in fatal North Las Vegas shooting during drug deal plot
Three men suspected to have been involved in the fatal shooting of a man during a North Las Vegas robbery May 9 were identified through social media posts, according to recently released records.
Xavier Philpot, 20, Eelyzjah Barnett, 21, and Jayln Barnett, 18, were arrested June 2 on warrants and charged with murder, attempted robbery with a deadly weapon, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit robbery, according to court documents.
North Las Vegas police were called at 9:25 p.m. on May 9 to a parking lot near East Centennial Parkway and Goldfield Street after Jose Rodriguez, 31, was found shot to death in a car, the department previously told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Detectives spoke to a woman who was in the car with Rodriguez at the time of the shooting, according to a North Las Vegas arrest report released. She told police the pair had gone out to sell $600 worth of Percocet and cocaine, but when Rodriguez noticed he had only been paid $75, the woman said Philpot pulled out a gun and shot Rodriguez.
Investigators believe Rodriguez had a reputation for carrying large amounts cash and that the trio planned to rob him. Police found $17,000 cash inside a fanny pack that Rodriguez was wearing at the time of his death.
The Clark County coroner’s office ruled he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Using social media profiles of the suspects, which showed videos and photos of them hanging out together, police were able to determine their real names, according to the arrest report.
Rodriguez, the woman and the three men arrested all went to an unidentified high school together, according to Clark County School District records police noted in the report.
The trio is expected to appear in court again Wednesday for a bail hearing.
Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.
