Police ID man charged in fire, multiple crimes on family members

Las Vegas police identified a man accused of multiple crimes against his family members on Saturday including choking his girlfriend, ramming his brother’s house with his car and setting his parents’ garage on fire.

Joel Ames was arrested on suspicion of multiple counts, including attempted murder, domestic battery, attempted burglary and first- and third-degree arson.

At around 5 a.m. Ames began shouting at his girlfriend, according to a Metropolitan Police Department arrest report. This led to Ames trying to strangle her, at one point brandishing a knife and threatening to stab her, the report said.

Ames eventually forced his girlfriend to lie on the floor and count to 100, then left with her phone, wallet and keys, police said.

He then took his car to his brother’s house, arriving just before 7 a.m. according to police. He was heard and seen on surveillance footage throwing rocks at his brother’s cars, the arrest report said. He reportedly left after setting one of the cars on fire.

Police responded to a call from Ames’ stepfather minutes later, saying that Ames tried to shoot through their door and was trying to break through the front door with a hatchet. He then rammed his car into their garage in the 2000 block of Falling Rain Drive and set the garage on fire, the report said.

Ames’ other brother contacted police while they were on the scene. That brother said Ames tried to drive his car through the front of his house, which is down the street from their parents’ house, the report said.

Ames was arrested in front of his parents’ house. Police said that he was watching the garage fire from the middle of the street.

Contact Mark Credico at mcredico@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkCredicoII.